TEACHINGS IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE:

A LIBERAL INTERPRETATION

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Topics covered in this essay:

This essay describes a common liberal interpretation of the beliefs of the ancient Hebrews concerning life after death. A conservative interpretation is explained elsewhere on this web site.

Beliefs in Israel, up to 623 BCE:

Centuries ago, scholars coined the term "Semitic" to refer to a group of civilizations in the Middle East which originally shared a similar language, culture and religion. These included the Assyrians, Babylonians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Phoenicians, etc. Prior to the official introduction of monotheism in ancient Israel by King Josiah in 623 BCE, Jewish beliefs about their Gods, the universe, and life after death appear to have paralleled closely those of the other Semitic cultures. The people interacted with the many "sky gods" in heaven and the "infernal deities" in the underworld:

This essay continues below.

Beliefs in Israel, 623 BCE to 586 BCE:

During the 8th century BCE, the Assyrians had reduced Israel to the status of two vassal kingdoms. Some religious leaders viewed this oppression as an indication that they were following the wrong spiritual and religious path. They formed a religious reform movement which scholars now call "Yahweh-alone." This movement raised the status of Yahweh, then perceived as a wind god -- one of many deities -- to the status of the national God of Israel. Although the existence of other sky gods were acknowledged, only Yahweh was to be worshiped. Similarly, interaction with the gods of the underworld was totally discontinued. Ancestor worship was abandoned. The conquering and subsequent destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians was interpreted by this movement as proof that Yahweh was displeased. King Hezekiah (728-699 BCE), ruler of the Southern Kingdom, attempted to reform the Jewish religion by incorporating "Yahweh-alone" concepts. His "covenant code" appears in Exodus 20:23 to 23:19. It starts with a strong declaration of monotheism. Exodus 22:20 states that anyone found sacrificing to a god other than Yahweh is to be destroyed. Exodus 22:29-30 in effect repeals the previous Semitic custom that the eldest son's prime responsibility was to care for his parents in their old age, see that they are properly buried, and then venerate them after their death. The son's new responsibility is strictly towards God, from the eight day of his life.

King Hezekiah's reforms were not fully implemented until King Josiah announced in 623 BCE that Yahweh was the only god to be worshiped. 2 Kings 22:8 to 23:28 describes how Hilkiah the high priest found the long lost "book of the law" in "the house of Jehovah." This was subsequently authenticated by Huldah the prophetess. The "words of the book of the covenant." were read to the people. Then followed one of the most dramatic examples of religious intolerance in the Hebrew Scriptures. The King ordered all of the temple vessels, altars, idols and other equipment that was used in the worship of Pagan gods and goddesses to be destroyed. The Israelites were worshiping Asherah, Baal, Chemosh, Milcom, Molech, the sun, the moon, the planets etc. at that time, in addition to Yahweh. The Pagan priests were slaughtered. Houses of  prostitution associated with these pagan temples were destroyed.

Although the Hebrews were permitted to leave food and drink at the tombs of their ancestors, all other rituals for the dead were abolished.

Sheol continued to be portrayed as a grim place where people went after death. The belief persisted that its inhabitants lived a type of shadowy existence for all eternity. Their interaction with the living which was frequent in the earlier polytheistic days was absolutely terminated.  Theirs was:

The dead were totally isolated from their living descendents. In the 5th century BCE, the author of the book of Job wrote how a dead father was unaware whether his sons were successful or not:

All spiritual and religious focus was concentrated on the one God, Yahweh.

Beliefs in Israel, 586 BCE to 332 BCE:

The Babylonian army conquered the Southern Kingdom in 586 BCE. Jerusalem was destroyed. The Israelites were taken into captivity to Babylon. There, they were exposed to Zoroastrianism, a religion based on the teachings of the Persian prophet and religious reformer, Zoroaster. His date of birth has been variously estimated from 600 to 6,000 BCE. He was the first known person to conceive of a package of religious beliefs, including:

The first Jewish writer to incorporate some of the ideas of Zoroastrianism was the prophet Ezekiel. He was a prophet from the Southern Kingdom of Judah whose ministry lasted from circa 593 to 570 BCE. Ezekiel prophesized doom on the countries surrounding Judah, and on the eventual restoration of Jerusalem, including the rebuilding of its temple. He incorporated the Zoroastrian concept of bodily resurrection in which the dead are restored to life, to live again on a purified earth. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet describes a typical Zoroastrian funeral ground. (The Zoroastrians did not bury their dead, but laid the bodies out on the surface of the earth, so that the scavenging animals and birds will pick the bones clean. The animals left behind a land covered with a scattering of dried-out human bones.) Ezekiel continues by describing a Zoroastrian vision of the resurrection: Jehovah reassembles the bones, adds sinews, flesh and skin. Finally God puts breath in the bodies so that they might live again.

A belief among Jewish writers of the time was that only the faithful would be resurrected and restored to live in the newly purified Jerusalem. The faithful dead would be released from Sheol. According to the Book of Enoch, they would live a comfortable life on earth for 500 years. (Enoch was written during the inter-testamental time between writing of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.) Whatever difficulties that the resurrected had experienced before dying would be more than compensated for by half a millennium of peaceful existence. Eventually they would die, be annihilated, and be no more.

Beliefs in Israel during the Greek occupation:

After the invasion of Palestine by Alexander the Great and his conquest of Israel in 332 BCE, the Hellenization of the Jewish people began. ₁ This process reached a peak about 169 BCE under Antiochus.  Jewish thought absorbed many Greek theological beliefs. One was the belief -- a radical concept to the Jews at the time -- that all people would not be treated equally at death. Some would be rewarded while others were punished. The wicked would be consigned to different locations from the honorable. The blasphemers would be sent to a cursed and flaming gorge. The selection criteria appears to be totally based on the individual's deeds while on earth.

The book of Daniel appears to have been written approximately 165 BCE, probably as an effort to raise morale among the Jewish guerrilla fighters during the time of the Maccabean revolt. Some of the books of the Apocrypha also date from this time, or later. Some passages illustrating this new concept of eternal life are:

References:

1. Russell Shorto, "Gospel Truth," Riverhead Books, New York, NY, 1997. Page 65 to 80
2. C.M. Laymon, Ed., "The Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible," Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, (1991), Page 546

Copyright © 1997, 1999 to 2001 incl. and 2004 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2004-MAR-30
Author: B.A. Robinson