Imortal Souls In the Old Testament

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It seems to me from reading the bible, that the Old Testament doesn’t really talk much about the existence of Imortal souls.

It looks kind of like the Jewish people just generally believed that if you were rightous God would or could raise you up and conversly that if an unrightous person died, that would just be dead.

The bodily resurrection does seems to feature “I know that though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”

At the time of Jesus, weren’t the Pharisees and the Saducees split over the issue of resurection? Does this mean that those not believing in resurrection believed in no life after death at all? or life after death seperated from the body? What do Jews believe today?

I’d like to focus on the old testament view please no JWs 🙂

I realize the old testament uses the word ‘souls’, but my questions relates to Imortal souls, souls that survive the death of the body.

Thanks
Gareth
 
You are correct. The Sadducees did not have a thought on the after-life. They only followed the Pentetauch and you see little or no teachings on Sheol or anything like that.

However, Abraham believed in the Resurrection, according to Hebrews. Is was the only way he could sacrifice his son and still realize the promises of God’s Covenant’s with him.

But the idea of the Resurrection of the dead was still a debated topic up to the time of Jesus, as revealed when Martha says, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”

But, in answer to your question, the Jews believed in temporal rewards for a good life. Sheol was simply a place of… nothing.
 
NotWorthy said:
You are correct. The Sadducees did not have a thought on the after-life. They only followed the Pentetauch and you see little or no teachings on Sheol or anything like that.

However, Abraham believed in the Resurrection, according to Hebrews. Is was the only way he could sacrifice his son and still realize the promises of God’s Covenant’s with him.

But the idea of the Resurrection of the dead was still a debated topic up to the time of Jesus, as revealed when Martha says, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”

But, in answer to your question, the Jews believed in temporal rewards for a good life. Sheol was simply a place of… nothing.
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This is my understanding of biblical Judaism as well.

Jews in our day, however, seem to believe in heaven in a way indistinguishable from Christians. Is that accurate? If so, when did they start believing this?
 
NotWorthy said:
But, in answer to your question, the Jews believed in temporal rewards for a good life. Sheol was simply a place of… nothing.
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Any ideas as to why this changed over time. Sheol seems to equate with the atheist view of death, a void, nothing.

Do you think it’s perhaps because people saw that sometimes bad people escaped justice, and conversly that ‘bad things happen to good people’? a sort of progression from the ‘conventional wisdom’ of proverbs to the gritty realism of Ecclesiastes? a craving for justice?

Or did they doubt the possibility of life outside the body?

Is it to do with contact / competition with other religions? or all of these things? Interesting stuff I think.
 
I think it has to do with God’s gradual Revelation of HImself and Salvation History to the Jews. As you can see with the Covenants - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David - God reveals more of His Plan of Salvation to the Hebrews.
 
2 Maccabees when the the 7 kids n their mother were martyrs they mentioned the resurection.

2 Maccabees 7,9
At the point of death he said: “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying.”

catholicismandbibletheology.blog.com/
 
I don’t think the Jews believed in total annihilation. Nearly a thousand years before Christ, Saul went to a medium to have her “bring up” the dead Samuel. (1 Sam 28:11)

Doesn’t address bodily resurrection, but shows a belief that the spirit survives death.

Nita
 
jimmy85 said:
2 Maccabees when the the 7 kids n their mother were martyrs they mentioned the resurection.

2 Maccabees 7,9
At the point of death he said: “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever. It is for his laws that we are dying.”

catholicismandbibletheology.blog.com/
Click to expand...
That’s true, but Maccabees was written circa 200-150bc if I’m correct.
 
Nita said:
I don’t think the Jews believed in total annihilation. Nearly a thousand years before Christ, Saul went to a medium to have her “bring up” the dead Samuel. (1 Sam 28:11)

Doesn’t address bodily resurrection, but shows a belief that the spirit survives death.

Nita
Click to expand...
Is it possible though that believed Samuel was alive with God because he was a rightous man whom God had chosen?

I know they believed that life after death was possible, some of the prophets are notably 'taken up to be with God. I think the first instance is Seth, Adam’s 3rd son.

I guess I’m wondering, wether they believed life after death was at God’s descretion or the result of an inbuilt imortal soul that cannot die (as many people believe today).

Cheers Gareth
 
Gareth said:
It seems to me from reading the bible, that the Old Testament doesn’t really talk much about the existence of Imortal souls.

It looks kind of like the Jewish people just generally believed that if you were rightous God would or could raise you up and conversly that if an unrightous person died, that would just be dead.

The bodily resurrection does seems to feature “I know that though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”

At the time of Jesus, weren’t the Pharisees and the Saducees split over the issue of resurection? Does this mean that those not believing in resurrection believed in no life after death at all? or life after death seperated from the body? What do Jews believe today?

I’d like to focus on the old testament view please no JWs 🙂

I realize the old testament uses the word ‘souls’, but my questions relates to Imortal souls, souls that survive the death of the body.

Thanks
Gareth
Click to expand...
Development of the understanding of the After-life and the Immortal soul is not evident in the early writings.

I recommend you read
And God Said What?:
An Introduction to Biblical Literary Forms

Discovering Old Testament Origins
The Books of Genesis, Exodus, and Samuel

Author:
Margaret Nutting Ralph is secretary of educational ministries for the Roman Catholic diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and director of the masters degree programs for Roman Catholics at Lexington Theological Seminary. She is the author of books on Scripture and has given workshops on Scripture throughout the U.S. and in Canada.
 
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