SHEOL

"Sheol," A Hebrew Word meaning the common grave of mankind. "Sheol" is the place that receives the dead of mankind within it. Genesis 37:35 . This Hebrew word "Sheol" occurs 65 times in the Masoretic text. (According to Thompson’s chain reference bible, the Masoretic text is an authoritative edition of Hebrew scripture.) The Catholic bible, Douray version (published 1609 – 1610) translates this Hebrew word "Sheol" as "hell" 63 times, once as "pit," and once as "death" in Isaiah 7: 11. The Hebrew text reads "Sheol" and has been rendered as "*hades" in ancient Greek. (The Douay bible,. is a Roman Catholic Version made from the Latin Vulgate which was completed about 400 C.E.) In the King James Version this same word "Sheol" is translated as "hell" 31 times, as the "grave" 31 times, and 3 times as the "pit."

Commenting on the use of the word "hell" in Bible translation, Colliers Encyclopedia (1986 Vol.12, p 28) says "since "Sheol" in Old Testament times referred simply to the abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word hell as understood today, is not an appropriate translation." According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1971 vol 11 p. 276. "Sheol" is a place where the state of the dead reside knowing neither pain or pleasure, neither reward for the righteous nor punishment for the wicked. The good and the bad alike, tyrants and saints, kings and orphans, Israelites and Gentiles all sleep together without awareness of one another.

While the Greek teaching of the immortality of the human soul infiltrated Jewish religious thinking in later centuries, the Bible record shows that "Sheol" refers to mankind’s common grave as the place where there is no consciousness (Ec 9:4-6, 10 )

Throughout the entire Scriptures, "Sheol" is continually associated with death and not life.(Isaiah. 2:6 2, Isaiah. 22:6, Psalm. 18: 4, 5. 49: 7-10, 14,15, 88: 2-6, 89: 48 Isaiah. 28:15-18, also compare Psalm. 116:3, 7-10, with 2 Corinthians. 4:13, 14.) It is spoken of as "The land of darkness"(Job. 10:21) and a place of silence. (Psalm 115:17) Abel apparently was the first one to go to "Sheol" and since then countless millions of human dead have joined him in the dust or ashes of the ground, and they will remain as such, until the time of the day of the supposed Judgment, when every soul will be judged. Some Christians state, that when a Christian dies he or she go straight into the presence of Jesus. There is not a single scripture to support this statement.

"Sheol," is mankind’s common grave. Psalm16: 8-10, Tanach. (Hebrew translation) "I have set Hashem before me always; because He is my right hand I shall not falter. For this reason my heart rejoices and my soul is elated; my flesh, too, rests in confidence, because you will not abandon my soul to the grave, you will not allow your devout one to witness destruction." Acts 2: 29, "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." When ever one reads the word "hell’ in the Bible, it is a mistranslation introduced into early writings by Greek influences. (hellenism)

"*Hades," is Greek Mythology. Pluto Greek god of the underworld was also known as "Hades" and his underground kingdom was called the "House of Hades".

Jim Lee. 8/99