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Ancient Jewish beliefs about Heaven and Hell


bluebell

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Posted

It seems like i read somewhere that anciently (around the time that Job was recorded), the Hebrew religion did not espouse the belief of a Heaven (as a reward for the righteous) and a literal hell (for the wicked) but I can't remember enough to know that I'm not just making that up.

Any well-informed people out there who know? It's just for a discussion I'm having in one of my online classes for school.

Posted

The Israelites believed that all the dead went to Sheol where they are seperated from God. It can be translated as Hell or Hades. This corresponds with the belief among some Christians about Jesus' harrowing of Hell, and the statement that "the gates of hell will not prevail against them". Jesus before being resurrected taught the dead to allow them to progress.

Posted

The Israelites believed that all the dead went to Sheol where they are seperated from God. It can be translated as Hell or Hades. This corresponds with the belief among some Christians about Jesus' harrowing of Hell, and the statement that "the gates of hell will not prevail against them". Jesus before being resurrected taught the dead to allow them to progress.

So it didn't matter whether someone had been righteous or wicked during life, everyone went to the same place?

Posted

So it didn't matter whether someone had been righteous or wicked during life, everyone went to the same place?

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The above is an image of a silver amulet found in one of the tombs at Ketef Hinnom (Gehenna, coincidentally) in Jerusalem.

Amulet 1:Yahw[eh] ... grea[t ] ... the covenant, and graciousness to those who love [him] and those who keep ... [the] blessing more than any [sna]re and more than Evil. For redemption is in him. For Yahweh is our restorer [and] rock. May Yahweh bless you [and] keep you. May Yahweh make [his] face [sh]ine ...

Amulet 2:May [X] be blessed by Yahwe[h], the helper and the rebuker of [e]vil: May Yahweh bless you and keep you. May Yah[w]eh make his face shine [upo]n you and grant you p[ea]ce.

The italics form part of the Priestly Blessing of Numbers 6:24-26. These amulets request God to bless and protect the bearers, who happen to be dead.

Everyone may go to the same miserable, dreary place that is Sheol, but YHWH can bless the members of his covenant, keep them from evil, bless them, redeem and restore them.

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