Do you know the history of hell?

Question

I found a site by a fundemental christian who says the modern concept of hell isn't supported by scripture. That's why I asked.

here is the site:

http://www.what-the-hell-is-hell.com/FromHellsEternalDeath.htm

Also some others(non-christian) on hells history:

http://www.atheistresource.co.uk/gehenna.html
http://www.dpjs.co.uk/hell.html

Answer 1

US Catholic Magazine writes: “There are in fact so many strong biblical, doctrinal, and logical argument against the existence of a literal “hell” that this question naturally arises. Why do the churches teach it and why do people often believe it.” - Robert Short, Methodist clergyman, U.S. Catholic magazine, April 1980 pp. 37-40
Concerning this use of “hell” to translate these original words from the Hebrew and Greek, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981, Vol. 2, p. 187) says: “HADES . . . It corresponds to ‘Sheol’ in the O.T. [Old Testament]. In the A.V. of the O.T. [Old Testament] and N.T. [New Testament], it has been unhappily rendered ‘Hell.’”

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, under “Hell” says: “fr[om] . . . helan to conceal.” The word “hell” thus originally conveyed no thought of heat or torment but simply of a ‘covered over or concealed place.’

In the century after Luther, the English Bible that was authorized by King James I of England, in 1611 C.E., translated Sheol as “the grave.” The Hebrews, the Jews themselves, ought to know what their own word Sheol means; and so the English Bible translation by the Jewish Publication Society of America translates the word as “the grave.” (1917 C.E.) And so too does the English translation by the Jewish rabbi, Isaac Leeser. (1853 C.E.) Note, however, that Sheol does not mean “a grave.” It means “the grave,” that is, the common grave of all dead mankind. Once we understand this fact about the “hell” as taught in the Holy Bible, it helps us to understand the situation as to dead mankind.

“Hellfire” has been a basic teaching in Christendom for many centuries. It is understandable why The Encyclopedia Americana (1956, Vol. XIV, p. 81) said: “Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this confusion and misconception.”

In ancient Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs the “nether world . . . is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness.” (The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, Boston, 1898, Morris Jastrow, Jr., p. 581)
Early evidence of the fiery aspect of Christendom’s hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt. (The Book of the Dead, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1960, with introduction by E. A. Wallis Budge, pp. 144, 149, 151, 153, 161)

Buddhism, which dates back to the 6th century B.C.E., in time came to feature both hot and cold hells. (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1977, Vol. 14, p. 68)
Depictions of hell portrayed in Catholic churches in Italy have been traced to Etruscan roots.—La civiltà etrusca (Milan, 1979), Werner Keller, p. 389.

Answer 2

From what I've heard, Hell is a Zoroastrian concept that began to insinuate itself when the Jews were subject to the Persian King Cyrus.

Answer 3

I thought our belief of hell had to do with popular (now cannon) literature -- such as Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost. Both of these are widely read and tackle Christian theology and have had as much influence on our thought of theology as the Bible itself has.

Answer 4

Only Jesus gives a clear discription of "HELL" , I wonder why that is.? It is offered to us in the gospel of Luke, i need the bible for this answer, sorry but im not making my own story up for this question...Her goes... there is a story about a rich man and a guy named Lazarus. Jesus said, "There was a certain rich man who was spendidly clothed and who lived each day in luxury. At his door lay a diseased beggar named Lazarus. As Laz. lay there longing for scraps from the rich mans table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. Finally, the beggar died and was carried by angels to be with Abraham. * The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead.*There in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham. The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarys over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in these flames."
"But Abraham said to him , Son , remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is great chasm seperating us. Anyone who wanted to cross over to you from here is stopped at its edge, and no one there can cross over to us,"
Then the rich man said,'Please Father Abraham, send him to my fathers home. For I have this place of torment so they wont have to come here when they die.'
But Abraham said, 'Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read their writings any time they want to.
The rich man replied,' No Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will turn from their sins.'
But Abraham said,' if they wont listen to moses and the prophets, they wont listen even if someone rises from the dead,.

Answer 5

There were TWO compartments in the MIDDLE of the EARTH. ONE was called "hell" in my K.J.V. the other was called PARADISE. When JESUS was Born-Again in the compartment where the dead were(JESUS died the Death of a Sinner by taking on OUR SIN's) HE then went into PARADISE and PREACHED the WORD of GOD concerning getting Born-Again( we are Born-Again by the incorruptable WORD of GOD------you have to HEAR the WORD of GOD concerning being Born-Again, to get the FAITH to be BORN-AGAIN) and all of the OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS GOT BORN-AGAIN , then they could go to HEAVEN to be with the FATHER. JESUS just raised the WHOLE sha'bang (PARADISE) up, up and far away, to Planet HEAVEN, along with all of the PEOPLE. Sound's like Hollywood, don't it!!!!!! p.s. It dosen't really matter what you call that container in the middle of the EARTH where all the DEAD people were. YOU SEE, we are all born on this EARTH----Spiritually DEAD(GOD not flowing through you)----that's why we have to get BORN-AGAIN(so GOD can flow through us!!! HE is LIGHT too!!! and if HE flow's through some-body that isn't Born-Again, well------------let's just say, that would be hell, and anihilation too!!! LIGHT turns out the DARKNESS!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

i don't think hell was in the scriptures, but i think its a nice lil thing to mess around with...lol

Answer 7

fire.devils,screaming souls and satan.but the worsed of all hell is brimstone and fire and sulphur, known as the second death, the death of your soul, where you are completely erased from the book of life.

Answer 8

Hell is hyperlinks you never know where they'll lead you.

Answer 9

No, I think it started when Hitler kicked off and he's been running it ever since.

Answer 10

That was an amazing read (First link).