In the New Testament, when Jesus spoke of hell, the word translated as hell is Gehenna. Jesus described it as a place where the fire is never extinguished, and the worm never dies (Mark 9:47-48). Some argue that Gehenna was the garbage dump for Jerusalem, and it does have that appearance. But regardless of its potential use as a garbage dump, it had a very sinister reputation.
What is the origin of Gehenna? How did Gehenna become a picture of the fate of those who reject Jesus? Gehenna means the valley of Hinnom. It had been a place of child sacrifice before the nation of Judah went into exile. And Jeremiah spoke of it as becoming a place of defilement, filled with dead bodies.
They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do! Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing! So, watch out!” says the LORD. “The time will soon come when people will no longer call those places Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom. But they will call that valley the Valley of Slaughter, and they will bury so many people in Topheth they will run out of room. Then the dead bodies of these people will be left on the ground for the birds and wild animals to eat. There will not be any survivors to scare them away. I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness or the glad celebration of brides and grooms throughout the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. For the whole land will become a desolate wasteland.”
Jeremiah 7:31-34 NET
This passage would have been what came to mind when people heard Jesus talk about Gehenna. A place of defilement. A valley filled with so many bodies that they could not be buried but were left for the birds and animals to eat. A place where joy and gladness were missing. A desolate wasteland.
Today, our picture of hell is likely the Lake of Fire or Dante’s Inferno. For Jesus’ audience, it was this passage from Jeremiah—a place of defilement and desecration.
