The word translated as *"hell"* here is the Greek term *“Geenna”* (commonly transliterated as *Gehenna*), a proper noun referring to the Valley of Hinnom/Ben-Hinnom—a real place located south of Jerusalem. This valley holds significant historical and spiritual meaning within Jewish tradition, serving as both a physical location and a symbol of judgment. ![[Pasted image 20241125164130.jpg]] ### Gehenna’s Historical Context The Valley of Hinnom first appears in the Old Testament as a landmark in the boundaries of Israel’s tribal territories ([Joshua 15:8](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JOS.15.8)). However, it became infamous during the reigns of wicked kings such as Ahaz and Manasseh, who used the valley for idolatrous practices, including the burning of children as sacrifices to the pagan god Molech ([2 Chronicles 28:3](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/2CH.28.3); [33:6](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/2CH.33.6)). Prophets like Jeremiah repeatedly warned of God’s judgment tied to the Valley of Hinnom. In [Jeremiah 7:30-34](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JER.7.30-34), the Lord declares that due to the atrocities committed there, the valley would be renamed the *“Valley of Slaughter.”* This prophecy spoke of a coming judgment where the valley would be filled with corpses, and Jerusalem itself would be devastated. ### The Sentence of the Valley of Hinnom The “sentence” or “judgment” of Gehenna refers to God’s declared punishment for the sins associated with this valley—especially idolatry and the shedding of innocent blood. [Jeremiah 19](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JER.19) describes when God commands the prophet to symbolically break a clay jar in the Valley of Hinnom, signifying the breaking of Jerusalem and its people beyond repair. The valley would become a place of destruction, filled with bodies due to war, famine, and siege ([Jeremiah 19:6-9](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/JER.19.6-9)). The ultimate fulfillment came during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. ([2 Kings 25:1-10](https://www.bible.com/bible/100/2KI.25.1-10)), when the city was destroyed, the temple burned, and the walls broken down, as Jeremiah had prophesied.