Gehinom

Gehinom, also known as Gehenna, is a concept with origins in Jewish tradition that has also been incorporated into Christian theology. In its original Hebrew context, Gehinom referred to a geographical location, the Valley of Hinnom, a ravine outside ancient Jerusalem. This valley was associated with pagan rituals, including child sacrifice, and later became a place where refuse and criminals' bodies were disposed of, often by burning.

Over time, Gehinom evolved in Jewish thought to represent a place of purification or punishment for the wicked after death. It is not universally understood as eternal damnation but rather a period of spiritual cleansing, the duration and nature of which vary in different interpretations. Rabbinic literature describes it as a place where souls undergo atonement for their sins.

In Christian theology, the term Gehenna (the Greek transliteration of Gehinom) is often translated as Hell and is typically understood as a place of eternal punishment for the unrighteous. The specific imagery and understanding of Gehenna in Christianity are influenced by various biblical passages, particularly in the New Testament, where Jesus uses the term to describe a place of fire and suffering. The precise nature of this punishment and whether it is eternal or has an end remains a subject of theological debate within Christianity.