Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uiucdcsb.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcsb!mcdaniel From: mcdaniel@uiucdcsb.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish Subject: Re: Re: Afterlife Message-ID: <27400008@uiucdcsb.UUCP> Date: Sat, 1-Dec-84 03:57:00 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.27400008 Posted: Sat Dec 1 03:57:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 04:57:45 EST References: <4166@rocheste.UUCP> Lines: 37 Nf-ID: #R:rocheste:-416600:uiucdcsb:27400008:000:1769 Nf-From: uiucdcsb!mcdaniel Dec 1 02:57:00 1984 Thanks, Sher. I must remember that last line ("Judaism tells us how to live, not how to die.") Pithy. So now that a consensus seems to have been reached on that (and thanks for the info!), I have come up with one more question. (Oh, come on, it's just a little one . . .) In the text that Christians refer to as "the Old Testament" (I am sorry that I do not know the Jewish term for it), I think that there is a Hebrew term rendered in English as "sheol". Webster's says that it is "an underworld where according to ancient Hebrew belief the dead have a shadowy existence". (Definition 2 is "hell", which is an obvious Christian corruption of the term.) The Oxford English says much the same, without the phrase "ancient Hebrew belief". What is the precise meaning of "sheol" in Hebrew, and how does it relate to the rest of Judaism? Three possibilities: (1) my memory is bad and "sheol" does not occur until the NT; (2) "sheol" is apocrypha (not Apochrypha, of course); (3) Jewish beliefs have changed, maybe??? [To make one thing perfectly clear, let me say this about that :-) : this is NOT an attempt to pick holes in Judaism. I am genuinely puzzled.] ------------------ If I am obnoxious or if I flame, please find it in your heart to forgive me. If I am confused, ignorant, or wrong, please gently enlighten or correct me. UNIX is a trademark of ATT. VAX and PDP are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp. The opinions expressed above are my own, and are not in any way indicative of the opinions of any other entity or group of entities in this universe. Void where taxed or prohibited by law. This space for rent. She bop, she bop. Tim McDaniel Usenet: ...{pur-ee|ihnp4|convex}!uiucdcs!mcdaniel Csnet: mcdaniel%uiuc@csnet-relay.arpa (really!)