JoyJuice

Hello all,

Are there any 1st century Jewish writings around the era of Jesus that depict the idea of hell in the same manner that many Christians seem to think that Jesus is refering to?

What was the common view of the afterworld at this particular time?

NearNihil Experience

I am not aware of any specific writing from that area of Jeewish origin that depict a Hell, at least A Hell with fire and torture and such. However, the Apocrypha does have the books of the Macabees. These, whenever they were written, are set in the Hellenistic times, about 330-160 BCE....Post Alexander, pre-Roman domination. There is a story in these books about a family of Jews being forced to watch their family be fried to death, part by part, in a large frying pan. Corny huhu?

Well, the mother repeatedly alludes to the idea that as long as they do not denounce God or their faith, they will be rewarded in Heaven and that by enduring these worldly tortures, the tortuerers will be punished in the afterlife in accordance with the Jews reward. This is too me one of the first mentions of the ideas of Hell, and Heaven as a reward, Faith, and Divine Justice in the face of horrifying experiences....Well before Jesus came along and preached these things as his central tennants.

Besides, by then, most Jews who would follow Jesus's teachings would not be Jews, they'd be Christians.

So, I am unaware of 1st century Jewsih stuffs concerning

Rick Sumner

1En.10:16 "Then shall they be taken away into the lowest depths of the fire in torments; and in confinement shall they be shut up for ever."

1En.48:9 "I will cast them like hay into the fire, and like lead into the water. Thus shall they burn in the presence of the righteous, and sink in the presence of the holy; nor shall a tenth part of them be found."

There's bunches more--Enoch's use of "fire" in general is very reminiscient of the NT. It's not exactly the same (most, if not all, of the references in Enoch refer to punishment of angels, not human souls), but it's a fairly natural progression.

Regards,
Rick Sumner

judge

There is Josephus discourse to the greeks on hades but I think there is some doubt about whether Josephus really wrote this.
Perhaps there is another thread on this on this forum?

I would think that even if first century jewish writings did depict this it still must be asked whether they borrowed these beleiefs from other cultures any way.
I do remember another rabbi from around this time who may have something to offer but can't remeber his name. If I do I will try to help.

Magdlyn

Note that refs to "hell" in English translations of the NT can be from either the word gehenna, or the word hades.

Gehenna was a burning rubbish heap outside of Jerusalem, a real place. Hades, of course, was a Greek concept, a place as well as an individual entity.

inquisitive01

More on what the Bible says about "hell" can be found by clicking on the link below.
http://www.ucgstp.org/lit/booklets/heavenhell/soul.html