Hadesh and Gehena ? What are They?

[swariffin]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I was listening to a sermon of a priest, mentioning about Hadesh and Gehena. I was late in the occation and did not listen to the whole sermon. About that Hadesh and Gehena, I got the clue about them in the remaining portion of the sermo, and they were related to Hell. Both Hadesh and Gehena are Hebrew. I do not know how to spell them correctly, just sound like “Hadesh” and “Gehena”. Are they related to Roman Catholic teaching? Anybody can help? I appreciate your help.

 

[Publisher]

I’m not sure about “hadesh”…“hades” is a Greek concept…the place of the dead…“gehenna” was the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem…it was burning day and night…bodies were sometimes dumped there…it became an “image” of what some believed 'hell" was like.

“Hades” was more like the “bosom of Abraham” in some thought. A place where souls go to await judgement. Remember Persephone and Demeter? Hades/Pluto took Persephone to live with him for 6 months…to the place of the dead. Demeter grieved to the point no sun would shine and winter came upon the earth…a “truce” was struck, Persephone could come visit her mother for six months…thus spring and summer were born…but fall and winter marked the days when she went back to the underworld.

Some of the NT writers used the imagry since by the end of the first century, most believers were Gentile…Greek speaking.

 

[johnstown_johnn]

Today they are references to Hell. “Fires of Gehenna…” is quoted in the New Testament.

 

[swariffin]

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thanks for the explanation. The reason I enter the thread in the non-catholic discussion is because I heard these terms more often in a non catholic discussions. I never paid any attention about them, until recently.