At the sanctuary called Tophet, children were sacrificed to the goddess Tank and her ..", Hays 2011 "..(Lev 18:21-27; Deut 12:31; 2 Kgs 16:3; 21:2), and there is indeed evidence for child sacrifice in ancient Syria-Palestine." Along the southern side of old Jerusalem is the Valley of Hinnom, a steep ravine associated in biblical eschatology with the concept of Gehenna or Hell. It is also known as the VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM [Josh 15:8; Jer 7:32], the VALLEY OF THE CHILDREN OF HINNOM [2 Kings 23:10], and THE VALLEY [2 Chron 26:9; Neh 2:13, 15]. 5. [17][unreliable source?] The Valley of Kidron was on the Eastern side of Jerusalem and connected with the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) on the south side. [citation needed] Unlike Gehenna, Hades typically conveys neither fire nor punishment but forgetfulness. [36] In certain usage, the Christian Bible refers to it as a place where both soul (Greek: ψυχή, psyche) and body could be destroyed (Matthew 10:28) in "unquenchable fire" (Mark 9:43).[37]. All three of the valleys around Jerusalem have been identified with it—the Kidron to the E, the Tyropoeon in the center, and the Wadi er-Rababi on the W. Early Jewish, Christian, and Mohammedan writers identified it with Kidron, but scarcely anyone does so today. - I can hardly imagine that; btw. The exact location of the Valley of Hinnom is disputed. Smith (1907),[8] Dalman (1930),[9] Bailey (1986)[10] and Watson (1992)[11] identify the Wadi ar-Rababi, which fits the description of Joshua that Hinnom valley ran east to west and lay outside the city walls. As you've pointed out, Gehenna (γέεννα) is just a transliteration of the Hebrew for "Valley of Hinnom" (גֵּי הִנֹּם) and the Aramaic for the same (גֵיהִנָּם / ܓܗܢܐ). Examples of Gehenna in the Christian New Testament include: Another book to use the word Gehenna in the New Testament is James:[38], The New Testament also refers to Hades as a place distinct from Gehenna. Hinnom means lamentation. [4] Gehinnom is not Hell, but originally a grave and in later times a sort of purgatory where one is judged based on one's life's deeds, or rather, where one becomes fully aware of one's own shortcomings and negative actions during one's life. Bridges were even built to span the distance between the two hills. According to most Jewish sources, the period of purification or punishment is limited to only 12 months and every Sabbath day is excluded from punishment. His father's accession to the Roman throne left the war against the Jews to Titus. Jerusalem und sein Gelande. [19], No archaeological evidence such as mass children's graves has been found; however, it has been suggested that such a find may be compromised by the heavy population history of the Jerusalem area compared to the Tophet found in Tunisia. On only one occasion Josephus refers to the Central Valley as the Tyropoeon Valley which means “Valley of the Cheesemakers.” 23:10; 2 Chr. ... of Jerusalem, the Jebusites (brackets mine).40 As yet, no trace has been located through archaeological search in Ben- Hinnom or in the Kidron Valley. Below is the account provided in Easton's Bible Dictionary: Gehenna: ... punished with eternal torment" -Josephus Wars 2.8.14. Since Hezekiah, his legitimate son by the daughter of the High Priest, succeeded him as king, this, if literal, is assumed to mean children by unrecorded pagan wives or concubines. We also do not find the word in Josephus. Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley marked the western and southern edges of Jerusalem, beginning along the Western Hill and ending where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet. “It is located by Josephus between Jerusalem and Bethlehem (Ant., VII, iv, i; xii, 4). However, this valley's exact location remains a mystery, as does the identity of Melchizedek, the king of Salem at this time. The location of the valley has been much disputed. Josephus does not deal with this aspect of the history of the Hinnom Valley in his descriptions of Jerusalem for a Roman audience. The city was built upon two hills, which are opposite to one another, and have a valley to divide them asunder; at which valley the corresponding rows of houses on both hills end. This was known in the Old Testament as Gai Ben-Hinnom, literally the "Valley of the son of Hinnom", and in the Talmud as Gehinnam (גהנם) or Gehinnom. By Jesus' time, the Greek translation of Hinnom Valley, gehenna, became a synonym for hell. A minority of scholars have attempted to argue that the Bible does not portray actual child sacrifice, but only dedication to the god by fire; however, they are judged to have been "convincingly disproved" (Hay, 2011).[21]. Josiah defiled the high place so as to make it unfit for its idolatrous rites (2 Kings 23:10). Debate remains as to whether the phrase "cause his children to pass through the fire" referred to a religious ceremony in which the moloch priest would walk the child between two lanes of fire, or to literal child sacrifice; throwing the child into the fire. —The Heb. [35], In the synoptic Gospels the various authors describe Jesus, who was Jewish, as using the word Gehenna to describe the opposite to life in the Kingdom (Mark 9:43–48). The last valley of the three is the rugged Tyropoean, named by Josephus, a relatively shallow valley originating in the upper (northern) part of the city and passing down beside the western wall of the Temple Mount, eventually joining the Kidron Valley. 7:31,32; 19:2,6; 32:35. In Jeremiah 19:2 God commands the prophet to go somewhere and speak; "and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you." Some Christian scholars, however, have suggested that Gehenna may not be synonymous with the lake of fire, but a prophetic metaphor for the horrible fate that awaited the many civilians killed in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.[44][45]. Kidron Valley separates the city from the Mount of Olives. Of these hills, that which contains the upper city is much higher, and in length more direct. As can be seen by the contour lines of constant elevation, the steepest gradients are on the south of the city, where the deep Kidron and Hinnom valleys rise sharply to the Upper City on the Western Hil, the Lower City just below, and to the Temple Mount (Moriah), separated from the rest of the city by a central valley that Josephus calls the Tyropean Valley. which is at the end of the valley of the giants, northward: the valley of Rephaim, as it is called 2 Samuel 5:18, and here Mount Moriah, as it was to the west of the valley of Hinnom, it was to the north of the valley of Rephaim; which valley, as Josephus (n) says, was not far from Jerusalem, twenty furlongs from it. n. 11. With its pagan history and its burning sewer stench, Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley serves as a vivid metaphor for both the Christian and Jewish concept of hell King Manasseh of Judah added to the … Valley of Hinnom, c. 1900. Gehenna is the Greek form of the Hebrew ‘Ge Hinnom’, ‘the valley of Hinnom’. ", P. Mosca, 'Child Sacrifice in Canaanite and Israelite Religion: A Study on Mulk and "pa' (PhD dissertation. The name in ancient times may perhaps have covered a larger area, including practically all the land between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where the head-waters of Nahr Ruben are collected. Look in Joshua 15:8 and 18:16, and you will see the first two places where the place is referred to in the Bible. This is known in the Hebrew Bible as Gei Ben-Hinnom,[6] literally the "Valley of the son of Hinnom",[7] and in the Talmud as גיהנם‎ or גהנום‎ Gehinnom. THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH is the first landmark mentioned from a map of ancient Jerusalem. The 20th century New International Version, In texts in Greek, and consistently in the, The 17th century King James Version of the Bible is the only English translation in modern use to translate Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna by calling them all "Hell. Gehenna (/ɡɪˈhɛnə/, /ɡəˈhɛnə/[1]) or Gehinnom (literally translated as "Valley of Hinnom") is thought to be a small valley in Jerusalem. English "Gehenna" represents the Greek Geena (γεεννα) found in the New Testament, which is not a Greek word, but a phonetic transcription of Aramaic Gehena (ܠܓܗܢܐ), equivalent to the Hebrew "Ge Hinnom," literally "Valley of Hinnom". 4. Gehenna, gehinnam, or gehinnom (Hebrew: גהנום, גהנם, Greek γεεννα) are words used in Jewish and Christian writings for the place where evil people go in the afterlife (see Hell). In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. This may also include addition of the phrase "second death", as in the final chapter of the Book of Isaiah, where the Hebrew version does not mention either Gehinnom or the Second Death, whereas the Targums add both. [32] After this the soul will move on to Olam Ha-Ba (the world to come), be destroyed, or continue to exist in a state of consciousness of remorse. Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1975), (J. Cambridge Bible Lk.12:5 “The Valley of Hinnom…was a pleasant valley outside Jerusalem, which had first been rendered infamous by Molech worship, then defiled by Josiah with corpses; and lastly kept from putrefaction by large fires to consume the corpses and prevent pestilence.” This valley also became a prophesied place of slaughter, filled with human corpses. The valley of the son of Hinnom - This valley begins on the west of Jerusalem at the road to Joppa, and turning southeastward round the foot of Mount Zion joins the deeper valley of Kedron … Created by damming the Valley of Hinnom, it held rainwater collected in the upper part of the valley. From the map of ancient Jerusalem to the left one can gather that Jerusalem was a city of hills and valleys, in many ways like ancient Rome. ", Mark 9:47: "It is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes, to be cast into Gehenna.". Yet, the biblical words in the Book of Jeremiah describe events taking place in the seventh century in the place of Ben-hinnom: "Because they [the Israelites] have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; therefore, behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter". Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. Dalman, G. 1930. ", Lloyd R. Bailey, "Gehenna: The Topography of Hell," Biblical Archeologist 49 [1986]: 189, Gabriel Barkay, "The Riches of Ketef Hinnom. New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible – Valley of Hinnom, Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the. ... Heider and Mosca conclude, in fact, that a form of child sacrifice was a part of state-sponsored ritual until the reform of the ...", Richard S. Hess, Gordon J. Wenham Zion, City of Our God. [34] Instead of being sent to Gehenna, the souls of the wicked would actually get annihilated. Therefore, the Water-gate led into the valley of Kedron: but the Horse-gate into the valley of Hinnom, at that place touching on the valley of Kedron. Older commentaries give the location as below the southern wall of ancient Jerusalem, stretching from the foot of Mount Zion eastward past the Tyropoeon to the Kidron Valley. The meaning of “Hinnom” and “children of Hinnom” would suggest that it is a proper name, perhaps of the original Jebusite owner). Josephus wrote about the belief of the Pharisees, but Gehenna is not found in his writings, … ", "Jeremiah 19:4 Context: Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods, that they didn't know, they and their fathers and the kings of Judah; and have filled this place with the blood of innocents", http://torahofyeshuah.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-of-meqabyan-i-iii.html, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud and Midrasch, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gehenna, "Blue Letter Bible. Hinnom is Ennom in the OT Greek Septuagint/LXX. In the King James Version of the Bible, the term appears 13 times in 11 different verses as Valley of Hinnom, Valley of the son of Hinnom or Valley of the children of Hinnom. Treatment of Gehenna in Christianity is significantly affected by whether the distinction in Hebrew and Greek between Gehenna and Hades was maintained: Many modern Christians consider Gehenna to be a place of eternal punishment. ... Carthage was found in an area of Tunis that has had little occupation on the site to eradicate the evidence left of a cult of child sacrifice there. Cambridge Bible Lk.12:5 “The Valley of Hinnom…was a pleasant valley outside Jerusalem, which had first been rendered infamous by Molech worship, then defiled by Josiah with corpses; and lastly kept from putrefaction by large fires to consume the corpses and prevent pestilence.” This valley also became a prophesied place of slaughter, filled with human corpses. The name given to Hell in Islam, Jahannam, directly derives from Gehenna. [2] Thereafter, it was deemed to be cursed (Book of Jeremiah 7:31, 19:2–6).[3]. Here the Jews placed that brazen image of Moloch, which had the face of a calf, and extended its hands as those of a man. Day denies it (85). The Gate Miphkad: the Vulgar calls it, The Gate of Judgment. Not far distant thence was the south-east corner. Josephus wrote about the belief of the Pharisees, but Gehenna is not found in his writings, … Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. The Kabbalah explains it as a "waiting room" (commonly translated as an "entry way") for all souls (not just the wicked). In Freedman, David Noel, ed., Geoffrey W. Bromiley International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Q-Z -1995 p259 "Stager and Wolff have convincingly demonstrated that child sacrifice was practiced in Phoenecian Carthage (Biblical Archaeology Review, 10 [1984], 30–51). Entry for 'Hinnom, Valley of' - One of 28 Bible dictionaries freely available, this dictionary, by over 75 authors, is a thorough reference (5,915 entries) for all readers of God's word. [26] Also, Lloyd R. Bailey's "Gehenna: The Topography of Hell"[27] from 1986 holds a similar view. Eventually the Hebrew term Gehinnom[31] became a figurative name for the place of spiritual purification for the wicked dead in Judaism. However, Hermann Strack and Paul Billerbeck state that there is neither archaeological nor literary evidence in support of this claim, in either the earlier intertestamental or the later rabbinic sources. This Valley of Hinnom (that is, the Gehenna mentioned by Christ) was about … The King James Version is the only English translation in modern use to translate Sheol, Hades, Tartarus (Greek ταρταρώσας; lemma: ταρταρόω tartaroō), and Gehenna as Hell. The Valley of Hinnom . Tyropoeon Valley (i.e., "Valley of the Cheesemakers") is the name given by Josephus the historian (Wars 5.140) to the valley or rugged ravine, in the Old City of Jerusalem, which in ancient times separated Mount Moriah from Mount Zion and emptied into the valley of Hinnom. 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