Gehenna
The Valley of Hinnom, Gehinnom (Hebrew: גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם, romanized: Gēʾ ḇen-Hīnnōm, or גֵי־הִנֹּם, Gē-Hīnnōm) or Gehenna (/ɡɪˈhɛnə/ ghi-HEN-ə; Ancient Greek: Γέεννα, romanized: Géenna), also known as Wadi el-Rababa (Arabic: وادي الربابة, romanized: Wādī l-Rabāba, lit. 'Valley of the Rebab'),[1][2] is a historic valley surrounding Jerusalem from the west and southwest[3] that has acquired various theological connotations, including as a place of divine punishment, in Jewish eschatology.
This article is about the valley located in Jerusalem, and the biblical term analogous to Christian Hades, Hell or Purgatory. For other uses, see Gehenna (disambiguation).Gehenna
The valley surrounds the Old City of Jerusalem and the adjacent Mount Zion from the west and south. It meets and merges with the Kidron Valley, the other principal valley around the Old City, near the Pool of Siloam which lies to the southeastern corner of Ancient Jerusalem. The northwestern part of the valley is now an urban park.
The place is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as part of the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Joshua 15:8). During the late First Temple period, it was the site of the Tophet, where some of the kings of Judah had sacrificed their children by fire (Jeremiah 7:31).[4] Thereafter, it was cursed by the biblical prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 19:2–6).[5]
In later rabbinic literature, "Gehinnom" became associated with divine punishment as the destination of the wicked for the atonement of their sins.[6][7] The term is different from the more neutral term Sheol, the abode of the dead. The King James Version of the Bible translates both with the Anglo-Saxon word hell.
Etymology[edit]
The Hebrew Bible refers to the valley as the "Valley of the son of Hinnom" (Hebrew: גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם),[1][8] or "Valley of Hinnom" (גֵי־הִנֹּם).[9] In Mishnaic Hebrew and Judeo-Aramaic languages, the name was contracted into Gēhīnnōm (גֵיהִינֹּם) or Gēhīnnām (גֵיהִינָּם).
The name "Gehenna" derives from the Koine Greek transliteration (Γέεννα) found in the New Testament.[10]
The exact location of the Valley of Hinnom is disputed. George Adam Smith wrote in 1907 that there are three possible locations considered by historical writers:[11]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the : Hyvernat, Henry; Kohler, Kaufmann (1901–1906). "ABSALOM ("The Father of Peace")". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
