Down to Sheol

Iris Salmins

Sep 1

2 min read

This page and four- part series is being created. Check back September 10th for completion.

Down to Sheol - A Four-Part Series on Death, Resurrection and Jewish Thought

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of going “down to Sheol”?
Is Sheol the same thing as hell?
Where do Gehinnom, resurrection of the dead, and Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come, fit into the picture?
Are the teachings of the New Testament foreign to Jewish thought?

The answers begin in the Tanakh. Scripture repeatedly describes people as going “down” to Sheol. Yet it also declares that YHWH remains sovereign there. I Samuel 2:6 says, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” Later Jewish writings develop extensive teachings about Gehinnom, judgment, resurrection and the World to Come. When those writings are placed alongside the New Testament, something fascinating emerges. Many teachings commonly assumed to be uniquely “Christian” are part of a much larger Jewish conversation.

This four-part series follows that thread from the Tanakh through rabbinic literature and into the New Testament.

Part 1: Going Down to Sheol - What did the writers of the Tanakh mean by Sheol, and why does Scripture repeatedly describe people as going “down” to it? Read Part 1: [LINK]
Part 2: From Sheol to the World to Come Later - Jewish writings discuss Gehinnom, Gan Eden, resurrection, judgment and Olam Ha-Ba. How are these ideas related, and how are they different? Read Part 2: [LINK]
Part 3: Resurrection Was Already Jewish - Resurrection did not originate with Christianity. Daniel taught it, Pharisees defended it, and later rabbis argued for it from Scripture. This changes how we read Yeshua and Paul. Read Part 3: [LINK]
Part 4: Does the New Testament Conflict? - When Yeshua and Paul speak about Gehinnom, resurrection, judgment and the age to come, are they departing from Judaism or participating in a Jewish theological conversation? Read Part 4: [LINK]