Death and After-death in the Old Testament
The Old Testament has a great deal to say about life, but little, if anything about the afterlife. It does, however, speak of two important aspects of death: burial practices, and the location of the deceased.
While there is some disagreement regarding the precise nature of burial practices in ancient Israel, the Bible does provide us with enough information to lay out a general outline of the customs and practices. We see this most explicitly in the phrase, “slept with his ancestors,” pointing to the ancient Israelite belief that a proper burial was necessary so the deceased could be reunited with their families in the grave, despite the manner in which they died. Ecclesiastes 6:3 reflects this concern, stating that it is better to be born dead than to not receive a burial. Deuteronomy 21:22–23 commands that even executed criminals deserve a proper burial, so as not to invoke God’s wrath.
The concern for a rightful burial is evident with both Ahab and Jezebel who both died inglorious and dishonorable deaths, yet Ahab “slept with his ancestors,” (1 Kings 22:40) and an attempt was made to provide Jezebel a proper burial even though she was thrown from a wall and trampled by horses (2 Kings 9:34). Even Saul, who died in battle and whose corpse was decapitated and cremated, was given a proper burial beneath the tamarisk tree in Jabesh (1 Sam 31:8–13). A proper burial was essential to the ancient Israelite view that if one did not receive a proper burial their ghosts would haunt their surviving family members.
This is why it was essential for Abraham to buy a plot of land to bury Sarah (Gen 23), and why the bones of Joseph were carried back from Egypt and buried in Shechem, the site of the family grave. It is also why it was such a huge commitment on Ruth’s part to not only leave Moab, but to pledge to be buried where Naomi was buried (Ruth 1:17).
The other area where the Old Testament speaks at length about the dead is the location of the deceased. The destiny of the deceased goes by several names in the Old Testament: Sheol, the Pit, the Grave, Shades, Deep Shadow, Abaddon, earth, and the land of no return. But they all refer to the same place. When the Bible speaks of Sheol, it speaks of it as the polar opposite of the cosmos’s upper extremity, as in the heights of heaven and the depths of Sheol (Job 11:7–8; Ps 95:3–5). For the biblical authors, Sheol was a land of deep darkness located in the depths of the earth, it was guarded by gates, and those who descended there could not escape.
The nature of Sheol in the Old Testament corresponds quite closely with the Mesopotamian view of the KUR.NU.GI.A, “the land of no return.” The idea that Sheol was the eternal abode of the dead permeates the book of Job, but is most clearly articulated in Job’s first response to Eliphaz.
In the next post I'll take a quick look at the notion of the resurrection in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament has a great deal to say about life, but little, if anything about the afterlife. It does, however, speak of two important aspects of death: burial practices, and the location of the deceased.
While there is some disagreement regarding the precise nature of burial practices in ancient Israel, the Bible does provide us with enough information to lay out a general outline of the customs and practices. We see this most explicitly in the phrase, “slept with his ancestors,” pointing to the ancient Israelite belief that a proper burial was necessary so the deceased could be reunited with their families in the grave, despite the manner in which they died. Ecclesiastes 6:3 reflects this concern, stating that it is better to be born dead than to not receive a burial. Deuteronomy 21:22–23 commands that even executed criminals deserve a proper burial, so as not to invoke God’s wrath.
The concern for a rightful burial is evident with both Ahab and Jezebel who both died inglorious and dishonorable deaths, yet Ahab “slept with his ancestors,” (1 Kings 22:40) and an attempt was made to provide Jezebel a proper burial even though she was thrown from a wall and trampled by horses (2 Kings 9:34). Even Saul, who died in battle and whose corpse was decapitated and cremated, was given a proper burial beneath the tamarisk tree in Jabesh (1 Sam 31:8–13). A proper burial was essential to the ancient Israelite view that if one did not receive a proper burial their ghosts would haunt their surviving family members.
["Death of Jezebel" by Gustave Dore; (c) Wikicommons]
This is why it was essential for Abraham to buy a plot of land to bury Sarah (Gen 23), and why the bones of Joseph were carried back from Egypt and buried in Shechem, the site of the family grave. It is also why it was such a huge commitment on Ruth’s part to not only leave Moab, but to pledge to be buried where Naomi was buried (Ruth 1:17).
The other area where the Old Testament speaks at length about the dead is the location of the deceased. The destiny of the deceased goes by several names in the Old Testament: Sheol, the Pit, the Grave, Shades, Deep Shadow, Abaddon, earth, and the land of no return. But they all refer to the same place. When the Bible speaks of Sheol, it speaks of it as the polar opposite of the cosmos’s upper extremity, as in the heights of heaven and the depths of Sheol (Job 11:7–8; Ps 95:3–5). For the biblical authors, Sheol was a land of deep darkness located in the depths of the earth, it was guarded by gates, and those who descended there could not escape.
The nature of Sheol in the Old Testament corresponds quite closely with the Mesopotamian view of the KUR.NU.GI.A, “the land of no return.” The idea that Sheol was the eternal abode of the dead permeates the book of Job, but is most clearly articulated in Job’s first response to Eliphaz.
Remember that my life is a breath;For Job, and the rest of ancient Israel, the grave was literally the final resting place for all humanity. There was no anticipation of an afterlife, and there was no expectation of an ascent to heaven. In fact, the only person to have ascended to heaven in the Old Testament was Elijah, and this happened while he was living.
my eye will never again see good.
The eye that beholds me will see me no more;
while your eyes are upon me, I shall be gone.
As the cloud fades and vanishes,
so those who go down to Sheol do not come up;
they return no more to their houses,
nor do their places know them anymore. (Job 7:7–10)
In the next post I'll take a quick look at the notion of the resurrection in the Old Testament.
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