A similar practice is reprehended in Isaiah chapter 45 verses 4 and 5: A people that provoke me to anger continually to my face, that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick, which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments.

See also on this subject, Lewis's Origines Hebraeae, volume 3 page 381.
In Australia the object supposed to be obtained by this custom is a revelation as to what individual caused the death of the deceased; this revelation is made either by the means of actual visions or by dreams.
MYSTERIOUS BONES.
Although the natives of the different portions of Australia have various modes of effecting the discovery of the sorcerers who caused the death of the deceased, as well as different modes of avenging his death, I feel sure that they have all one common object in view.

In another part of this work I have given an account of an old woman watching by a grave with this intention; I have frequently however seen their sorcerers fulfil this duty; and the following extract from Mr.Threlkeld's Vocabulary will show the prevalence of this custom on the eastern side of the continent:* Mur-ro-kun, the name of a mysterious bone which is obtained by the Ka-ra-kul, a doctor or conjuror, three of which sleep on the grave of a recently interred corpse; when in the night, during their sleep, the dead person inserts a mysterious bone into each thigh of the three doctors, who feel the puncture not more severe than that of the sting of an ant.
The bones remain in the flesh of the doctors without any inconvenience to them, until they wish to kill any person, when by unknown means, it is said and believed, they destroy in a supernatural manner their ill-fated victim by the mysterious bone, causing it to enter into their bodies, and so occasion their death.
(*Footnote.

Threlkeld's Vocabulary page 88.) ...
THE BOYL-YAS OR NATIVE SORCERERS.
I have already had occasion to mention incidentally, on more than one occasion, the Boyl-yas, or native sorcerers, and their supposed powers have a mighty influence upon the minds and actions of the natives of Western Australia, in whose superstitious belief the boyl-yas are objects of mysterious dread.

It is supposed that they can transport themselves through the air at pleasure, and can render themselves invisible to all but other boyl-yas.