Hell is a destination for the soul after death. Across numerous religions, the meaning of hell differs from a physical location to a state of being, and from a permanent state to a phase in the soul’s enlightenment. Scholars believe that the etymology of the word hell comes from the Old English hel, meaning to hide or cover. The meaning of the word can be confusing, as it has also been used as the English version of Sheol and Gehenna, as well as to refer to Hades and Tartarus in Greek mythology.
After death, we may be lucky enough to be whisked away to an eternal paradise to dwell with the gods. Alternatively, for those who have lived an immoral life, something far worse awaits. An eternal and furious fire will burn away our sins, or we will suffer for all eternity in a terrifying, dark, and upside-down torment, and we will be forced to eat excrement in a place known in many religions as hell.
In Christianity
Within the Christian faith, the term refers to a place of punishment in the afterlife. Authors convey the different meanings of hell portrayed in the New Testament and highlight the confusion as to whether sinners go to hell for a short period of time or for eternity. It is also unclear whether hell begins only after the final judgment or immediately after the sinner dies.
The most common belief in Christianity is that the soul will receive punishment in hell equal to the sins it has committed. Seventh-day Adventists believe that the soul remains with the body until resurrection and judgment. Jehovah’s Witnesses say that there is no life after death and that the soul no longer exists after death. The location of hell is claimed to be at the center of the Earth or perhaps in the upper atmosphere, according to various sources.
In Buddhism
In Buddhist beliefs, there are different levels of life after death. The levels, however, are not permanent states, and a person can be reborn into another state. If a person does not perform good deeds in life, they may be sent to the hungry ghost level or the hell level and endure considerable suffering.
In Hinduism
Like Buddhism, Hindu practitioners believe in the cycle of rebirth. Those who have lived a life of bad karma are sent to a level called hell. Various levels of hell developed with the evolution of Hinduism, with different degrees of suffering and pain for the perpetrators. Ultimately, practitioners want to transcend the endless cycle of death and rebirth and be born into a state of nirvana.
In Judaism
Sheol is the name of hell or the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible. Souls arrive there after death, whether they have been sinners or not. God selects those worthy of the dark and silent abode of hell and reunites them with their ancestors. The idea of eternal punishment, as well as the restorative function of hell, are mentioned in Jewish sources.
In Islam
Jahannam is the term for hell in Islam. It refers to the place where souls will be sent after the final judgment if they are not worthy of paradise. Scholars tell us about the story of a bridge that souls must cross as a test. If the soul is righteous, they will be able to cross the bridge, but if not, the bridge becomes too narrow and the sinners fall into hell. Sinners who are believers will not be punished indefinitely, but non-believers will have no redemption and will live on pus and bitter fruits in hell for all eternity.
In Zoroastrianism
In the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, hell is seen as cold, dark, and hostile and is ruled by Yima, who ensures the torture of sinners. Followers believed that hell would be destroyed with the return of their prophet, Ahura Mazdā. Before resurrection, however, souls must cross a bridge where they can pass into heaven or fall into hell, similar to Islamic beliefs.
In Egypt
During the Middle Kingdom period, the cult of Osiris judged its followers after death for their morality. If they had lived a righteous life, they were sent to join the gods in a blissful eternity. However, the soul had to undergo many trials during the judgment process. The most important was weighing the heart against a feather.
The feather represented Ma’at, the order and ethical nature of the universe. If the person’s heart was heavier than the feather, it would be devoured by a crocodile-headed beast—known as Ammit—and their existence would be completely erased. Other sources cite a different version of hell, where souls drank and ate excrement and lived in darkness in an inverted world.
In Mesopotamia
In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, hell is seen as an eternal place after death from which there is no escape. In a poem called The Descent of Inanna, a Sumerian goddess of love and fertility decides to visit her sister, the ruler of the underworld, after the death of her sister’s husband. However, upon arriving in her brother’s domain, she soon realizes that her sister is not happy to see her, as she closes the seven gates of the underworld. In order for Inanna to pass through each gate, she must remove a piece of her resplendent attire. Eventually, she has removed her crown, her golden armor, her scepter, and all her clothes, and stands naked in her sister’s court, where she is judged and turned into a corpse.
In Greek mythology
The Greek underworld, known as Hades, was a dark place guarded at its gates by a vicious three-headed dog. Souls were judged for their actions and sent to drink from the River Lethe and to the Elysian Fields if they were honorable. If they were immoral, they were sent to Tartarus, where some of the gods’ extreme punishments included an eternity of trying to roll a huge rock uphill, braiding one end of a rope while a donkey chewed on the other end, or being fixed to a wheel that kept turning.
Dante’s Hell
In Dante’s Divine Comedy, he describes hell as having nine levels and being located inside the Earth. According to Dante, the devil resides in the center, trapped in ice and with three faces. It is a place of severe suffering and has a sign at its entrance that reads: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.
Indeed, hell is understood in many religions as a place without hope and full of eternal suffering. However, it is also seen as a state of purification or a stage of spiritual growth, largely in polytheistic religions. If we are capable of improving ourselves and becoming more like God with each lesson learned, isn’t it fair to give ourselves the opportunity to reach paradise and commune with the gods, rather than being plunged into hell?
