Bobzammel

Interestingly there are at least three Greek words used to describe hell in the NT...

The first is Gehenna, a reference to the burning garbage heaps outside Jerusalem. This is the term used mainly in the gospels. Since the Gospels were probably written during the Jewish war, it's possible that Gehenna was filling up with bodies and therefore an appropiate metaphor.t
Second, there's Hades, the traditional hell of the Greeks. This term was mainly used by Paul and some of the other Apostles.
Finally the most interesting mention is in the Letters of 2 Peter and Jude, which mention it as Tarturus-the abode of the Titans.(2 Peter seems to be a better edited version of Jude, BTW, wrote under the surname of Peter).
Since "Hell" was already a concept in many other religions--yet was for the most part missing in Judaism--anybody think the concept of hell was taken from the other religions, hence the exact same terms?

Amos

Just as a rose is a rose by any other name so is the concept hell the equivalent of a burning sensation by any other name. Notice that the word "sensation" requires sense perception and this makes hell a state of mind while alive upon this earth.

CX

As I recall, Gehenna is a Hebrew term for hell. I've read that the ancient Hebrews had no concept of hell, but rather had only Sheol which was this gloomy underworld where everybody goes after death. The concept of hell allegedly derives from the Zoroastrian concept. In the Zoroastrian mythos however hell is simply a temporary stop where sinful people are purified by fire before going on to meet Ahura-Mazda in the heavens.

Bobzammel

I think Hell makes it's first appearence in the Book of Enoch, one of the apocryphal books (Although it's mentioned in Jude and 2 Peter), which bears a close resemblance to Persian works. There also seems to be a slight mention of concepts similar to hell in the last chapter of Isiah and also in Daniel, both post-exile.
But apart from that it's simply Sheoul in the OT. In the OT, the system of rewards and punishments is doled out on Earth, not after Death or in some apocalyptic future. I think that the concept of future judgement evolved once the Hebrew's prosperity started to unravel(Around the 9th century BC or so). Heaven is mentioned mainly as a destination simply for a chosen few who don't even die(Enoch, Elijah), and seems to be principally comprised of the throne and court of God.

Amos

It still is, and the first death is the death of the ego. After this we are raised to eternal life which ends at the second death.