What symbol should Noahides use on tombstones?

Ask Noah forwarded this question to our friend Rabbi Shimon Cowen in Melbourne, Australia. Here is his response, which is his own opinion on this non-binding issue:

Headstones of the graves of deceased persons in our community have no religious symbols at all. I don’t see a requirement for them. Certainly I would, however, avoid symbols associated with other [non-Torah] religions (not that we are going to say that these are all forbidden). But since the questioner has advanced in his or her Noahidism, it would in my view be appropriate to use none of those symbols. In their raw form, they do not have the purity of connotation which is suitable for a Noahide who has studied and knows exactly what Torah requires of him or her.

As for using the symbol of an ark or something like that, it might be fine. Although, that symbol has not yet been established as the symbol of Noahidism. So perhaps the best thing might be to use words, such as “so and so, devoted to the ideals of the righteous of the nations…”

A note from the Director of Ask Noah:

There are many cemeteries, especially the more modern ones, that make it a policy to have only simple headstones. This includes without statues, etc. Many Noahides may prefer this type of cemetery. One option is to have the person’s name inscribed, followed by “ben Noach” (for males) or “bat Noach” (for females). These are the phrases in Hebrew for “son of Noah” or “daughter of Noah”, respectively. Or, it could be “bas Noach” for a female, depending on one’s preference for pronunciation of the Hebrew phrase.