From the Encyclopedia Judaica 12:996
Apart from the Isaiah 14:14-19 and Ezekiel 38:18 ff passages, the numerous biblical references to the netherworld are vague and inspired by Ancient Near Easter folklore. Several names are given to the abode of the dead, most common being She`ol always femmine and without the definite article – a sign of proper nouns. The term does not occur in Semite languages, except as a loan word from the Hebrew She`ol, and it’s etymology The history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing it’s development since it’s earliest recorded occurrence in a language where it is found, by tracing it’s transmission from one langue to another, by identifying it cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language. is obscure. Other common designations of the netherworld are erez “earth” or “underworld” (e.g. I Sam. 28:13 ; Jonah 2:7 ; Job 10:21-22) ; qever, “grave” (Ps. 88:12) ; afar, “dust” (Isa. 26:5-19; cf Gen. 3:19) ; borr “pit” (e.g. Isa 14:15 ; 38:18 ; Prov. 28:22) ; shahat , “pit” (Ps. 7:16) ; `avaddon “Abaddon” (e.g. Job 28:22) ; dumah (apparently= “the place of abbiding” ; Ps. 94:17 ; 115:17) ; nahale beliyya`al (the torrents of Belial” ; II Sam. 22:5) ; “the Nether parts of the earth” (Ezek. 31:14) ; “the depths of the pit” (Lam. 3:55) ; “the land of the darkness” (Job 10:21).
The Netherworld is located somewhere under the earth (c.f. Num. 16:30 ff) or at the bottoms of the mountains ( Jonah 2:7), or under the waters – the cosmic ocean (Job 26:5). It is sometimes personified as a voracious monster with a wide-open mouth (e.g. Isa. 5:14 ;; Hab. 2:5 ; Prov. 1:12), Kings nobles and pauper, master and slaves are equal in She`ol (Job 3:13 ; Ezek. 32:18-32). For Israel’s neighbors, the rule of the universe was divided among various deities, and the netherworld was the dominion of a pair of infernal gods. For Israel, however, the Lord rules over the whole universe, His sovereignty extends from heaven to She`ol (Ps. 139 ; Job 26:6 ; cf. Ps. 90:2 ; 102:26-28). However, there is no communication between the dead and the Lord (Ps. 88:6) ; no praise to the Lord comes from the netherworld (Isa. 38:18 ; Ps. 30:10 ; 88:12-13)
More References To The Afterlife
- “Heaven” (name for God)From the Encyclopaedia Judaica 7:682 The Earliest occurrences (except for Dan. 4:23 : “It is Heaven that rules”) of the substitution of the word “Heaven” (God’s abode) for “God” (Himself) are found in the Apocrypha : “In the site of Heaven” (I Macc. 3:18), “Let us cry to Heaven” ( I Macc. 4:10) “They were […]
- Paradise And Hell in Later ThoughtFrom the Encyclopedia Judaica 13:82 Paradise and Hell, the place of reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked after death, are traditionally referred to as the Garden and Gehinnom respectively. In the Bible these two names never refer to the abode of souls after death; nevertheless, the idea of a fiery torment for […]
- Abraham’s BosomFrom the Encyclopaedia Judaica 2:165 Designation in the New Testament (Luke 16:22-31) of the abode of the blessed souls of pious and poor in the other world (compare IV Macc. 13:17 ; Matt. 8:11, where all three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are enumerated as those in whose company the pious souls stay). The Hebrew […]
- NetherworldFrom the Encyclopedia Judaica 12:996 Apart from the Isaiah 14:14-19 and Ezekiel 38:18 ff passages, the numerous biblical references to the netherworld are vague and inspired by Ancient Near Easter folklore. Several names are given to the abode of the dead, most common being Sheol always femmine and without the definite article - a sign […]
- GehinnomFrom the Encyclopedia Judaica (Valley of Ben-Hinnom, Valley of [the Son(s) of Hinnom, Gehenna) a valley south of Jerusalem on one of the borders between the territories of Judah and Benjamin, between the Valley of Rephaim and En-Rogel (Josh. 15:8, 18:16). It is identified with Wadier-Rababi. During the time of Monarchy, Gehinnom, at a place […]
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