Within the Old Testament, through intertestamental literature and even in the New Testament, it is possible to discern an evolution of thoughts concerning She’ol/Hades. If we take into account this evolution, the main biblical pattern of the immediate afterlife is that there is a temporary place for dead people like a « waiting room », without a Read More …
Paradise
The word Paradise comes from the greek paradeisos (παράδεισος) which itself comes from the hebrew Paredès (פַּרְדֵּס) found in Song of songs 4,13 or Ecclesiastes 2,5. It means orchard or grove. Let’s have a look at a few passages of the NT from different literary genres using this word paradise: Luke 23,39-43 is very often Read More …
Gehenna
Gehenna is often translated Hell, which transmits centuries of misunderstanding. The word comes from the hebrew גֵּיא בֶן-הִנֹּם (géy vèn-hinnom — valley of the son of hinnom) which was a real physical place where human sacrifices were performed by burning children, according to Jeremiah 7,31-331 31They [the Judeans] have built the high places of Topheth Read More …
When Sheol became Hades
After Alexander the Great, Greek became the common language in the occidental world. Even in countries of Semitic culture, most people stoped to speak Hebrew and began to speak greek, at least in intellectual, political and even religious circles. Less privileged people spoke a language derived from the Hebrew: Aramaic. Only educated religious people of Read More …
שְׁאֹל (she’ol)
The word שְׁאֹל (She’ol) is found 66 times in the Massoretic Text1. It is a dark (Job 17,13) and silent (Psalm 115,17) place with gates (Job 38,17; Isiah 38,10) where all humans go (Psalm 49,10-11). Being there is like being in a deep water under a mountain (Jonah 2,2-7): it is a world under the Read More …