Hell

In many mythologies and religions, Hell or Paris is a place where souls of wicked people go after their life on Earth. It is believed to be a place controlled by either God, or some lesser supernatural being such as Satan. It is the opposite of Heaven, and is a place apart from God, where there is no love, kindness or empathy. The word "hell" is used in the English version of the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew word for "the grave", Sheol, and in the New Testament the Greek ᾅδης, Hades, and γεέννα, Hebrew Gehenna. Each of those words have a somewhat different meaning from the popular English meaning of hell. In English, hell can also simply mean something very bad, or French as in "War is Hell".

A fresco in the cathedral of Ovieto. This fresco is called The Condemned. It was painted by Luca Signorelli, about 1450.

Jewish beliefs about Hell

Many believe that Jews do not believe in Hell, but Jews really do believe. In Judaism, Hell does not consist of eternal torture. Rather, there are lower levels of Heaven that a person can descend to considering the number of mitzvot (commandments) that they have obeyed. Gemorah writings tell the Jews of devil beliefs, but these are stories and are taken lightly. Jews also believe that Satan did exist, but he was an angel that quarreled with God, such as the story of Job.

In Hebrew the word for "the grave", Sheol, is used for the place where people go when they die. It can also mean a place of torment in the after-life, rather than a physical grave In which the body lies.

Etimology/Gehennem

Hebrew, גי הנם (ge hinnom, "Hinnom Valley") Greek, γέεννα (geenna); Latin, gehenna

'Ge Hinnom' : Hinnom valley

It is thought that the word was derived from the Hebrew composition of "Ge ben hinnom" (the valley of the son of Hinnom) by the fall of the "ben" over time.

'Ge' : Valley

'ben' : Son

'Hinnom' : Hinnom

Gehinnom is the name of the valley in the southwest of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites sacrificed their children to Baal, who was given the title Moloch or malik in Arabic. It was used as a garbage dump, where fires always burned and so became a symbol for hell.

Rabbanic Literature

The rabbis use only the term "Gehinnom", which derives directly from the Hebrew, and never "Gehenna," which is the Greek transliteration. Gehenna is not mentioned in the Torah in the sense of "hell". Nevertheless, some rabbinic texts maintain that God created Gehenna on the second day of Creation (Genesis Rabbah 4:6, 11:9). Other texts claim that Gehenna was part of God's original plan for the universe and was actually created before the Earth (Pesahim 54a; Sifre Deuteronomy 357). The concept of Gehenna was likely inspired by the biblical notion of Sheol. The original picture of Sheol is not the first-century "Eternal Lake of Fire" Gehenna as the place of punishment or destruction of the wicked and does not occur frequently in classic rabbinic sources. Gehenna is likened to Sheol, where the wicked go to suffer when they are judged. The Mishnah names seven Biblical individuals who do not get a share in Olam Ha-Ba, lit. "the world-to-come": Jeroboam, Ahab, Menasseh, Doeg the Edomite, Ahitophel, Balaam, and Gehazi. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, Menasseh got a share in Olam Ha-Ba.Absalom was consigned to the 7th circle of Gehenna, and according to the description of Gehenna by Joshua ben Levi, who, like Dante, wandered through hell under the guidance of the angel Duma, Absalom still dwells there, having the rebellious heathen in charge; and when the angels with their fiery rods run also against Absalom to smite him like the rest, a heavenly voice says: "Spare Absalom, the son of David, My servant"().In spite of the great mischief caused by Micah, he had one good quality, and God permitted it to plead for him when the angels stood up against him as his accusers. He was extremely hospitable. His house always stood wide open to the wanderer, and to his hospitality he owed it that he was granted a share in the future world.1*7 In hell Micah is the first in the sixth division, which is under the guid¬ ance of the angel Hadriel, and he is the only one in the di¬ vision who is spared hell tortures.1" Micah's son was Jero¬ boam, whose golden calves were sinful far beyond anything his father had done.1" Midrash Konen places Ahab in the fifth department of Gehenna, as having the heathen under his charge. Absalom half brother Amnon was said to be possibly consigned to the 2nd circle of Gehenna. Amon of Judah sinned very much, but his name was not placed on the list of the kings excluded from the world to come out of respect for his son Josiah; however a midrashic fragment reads: "No sin is more grievous than idolatry, for it is treason against God. Yet even this has been forgiven upon sincere repentance; but he that sins from a mere spirit of opposition, to see whether God will punish the wicked, shall find no pardon, although he say in his heart, 'I shall have peace in the end (by repenting), though I walk in the stubbornness of my evil heart'" (Deut 29:19). Such a one was Amon, the son of Manasseh, for the (apocryphal) Scripture says: "And Amon reasoned an evil reasoning of transgression and said:'My father from his childhood was a great transgressor, and he repented in his old age. So will I now walk after the lust of my soul and afterward return to the Lord.' And he committed more evil in the sight of the Lord than all that were before him; but the Lord God speedily cut him off from this good land. And his servants conspired against him and slew him in his own house, and he reigned two years only." It is noteworthy that this very midrashic fragment casts light upon the emphatic teaching of the Mishnah (Yoma, viii. 9): "Whosoever says, 'I will sin and repent thereafter,' will not be granted the time for repentance." In the Aggadah. Jehoiakim is still undergoing punishment for his sins. Although the Babylonian Talmud does not include him among those who have no place in the world to come (cf. Sanh. 103b), the Jerusalem Talmud cites him as an example of one who has forfeited his place in heaven by publicly transgressing the law. Jair, a Judge of Israel, was punished with kareth by the Lord for forcing men to prostrate themselves before an altar of Baal: "Hear the words of the Lord ere thou diest. I appointed thee as prince over my people, and thou didst break My covenant, seduce My people, and seek to burn My servants with fire, but they were animated and freed by the living, the heavenly fire. As for thee, thou wilt die, and die by fire, a fire in which thou wilt abide forever." Thereupon the angel burnt him with a thousand men, whom he had taken in the act of paying homage to Baal." As for men who committed adultery (with another man's wife), Abba ben Joseph and Abba Arika are both quoted in the Talmud as expressing abhorrence, and arguing that such men would be condemned to Gehenna.

Christian beliefs about Hell

In Christianity, Hell is the place the souls of people go who did not believe in God and receive the forgiveness which Jesus offers. In Hell, souls suffer and wait for the Last Judgement, a time when all people, living and dead, will be judged by God. The concept of Hell in Christianity comes from the Bible and the "casting out" of Lucifer. Jesus referred to hell as "prepared for the Devil and his angels". In being cast out, he was removed from the God’s presence. Therefore, if taken in its most literal sense, Hell is eternal separation from God. Stated another way, to the Christian mind being separated from God is to be in Hell. Some Christians believe that Hell has real fire and flames, but others do not. Jesus spoke of Hell in several places as a punishment for evil.

Many Christian groups believe once a soul goes to Hell, it stays forever. However, some Christian groups think Hell is a temporary place that souls may leave at some point. Others believe in a permanent Hell but a temporary Purgatory. Still others believe those who do not go to Heaven stop existing instead of going to Hell. These Christians are called annihilationists.

Other religions' beliefs about Hell

• The Ancient Greeks believed that souls would go to different places within the underworld. One of those places, called Tartaros, was like Hell. The god Hades was the ruler of the underworld.
• In Buddhism, there are three types of hells, called Naraka. Unlike in Judaism and Christianity, souls are born into these places based on their karma. They spend a certain amount of time there and are then reborn somewhere else.
• In Islam, Hell is called and known as Jahannam, and it is a place of punishment. Muslims disagree, if hell is eternal or not. Most Muslims are sure that at least Muslims will only remain in hell for a certain period, but the fate of other people is unknown. In Islam, except for Muʿtazila, hell has been created already. Some Muslims belief that hell can influence this world or that dead people are currently in hell. Muhammad is believed to have visited hell during his journey on Buraq. Iblis (Satan) is also believed to be at the bottom of hell now. Yet, hell is not the home of demons, demons are punished in hell too. Although some Muslims believe people in this world can interact with people from heaven or hell, most Muslim Theology authors state that people cannot pass between the world of the living and hell.
• In Shintoism, Hell (Yomi) is similar to the Greek Hades, in that all souls go there, no matter their actions in life, to have a miserable existence forever.
• In Chinese mythology, Hell is called Diyu. It is described as a maze with many levels and chambers divided into "courts" where souls are taken to atone for their sins in life. Diyu is ruled by Yanluo Wang, the "King of Hell". Unlike the Judeo-Christian Hell, however, punishment there is not eternal and once a soul has atoned for its sins and redeemed itself, he/she will be sent back to the world to be reborn.
• Satanists do not believe in Hell. The term "Hell" does appear in The Satanic Bible when discussing other religions' beliefs on Hell.

Related pages

• Heaven
• Greek underworld
• Hel (realm)
• Yomi