As Plotz scuttles to present a political message from his favored sponsor (i.e., whether a person who warns his nation should be considered a traitor or a patriot) – he casually skims over a few details.
Since I do not speak on the politics of this or any country, I thought I could at least explore some of the minor details skimmed over by Plotz in pursuit of his political agenda. For example, in Jeremiah 19:2-6 [bible.oremus.org] we see Jehovah deprecating "hell" (that is, denouncing it as a thing which never came up upon his mind or heart).
That's right.
"Hell" was never an idea of concept of Jehovah. Specifically, Jehovah commands Jeremiah to organize a field trip of sorts by purchasing a potters jug (or flask) and escorting a few of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests to valley just outside of Jerusalem – destination – "valley of the son of Hinnom" - that's geh'hinnom in Hebrew by the way. Here, Jeremiah is to present them with a few additional charges aside from those already covered in earlier Chapters of Jeremiah, such as; failure to abstain from idol worship; solicitation and participation in religious prostitution; general adultery; institutional corruption and unjust gain; reluctance to keep the Sabbath; encouraging general and institutionalized apostasy; bloodguilt; grafting themselves to foreign political parties; basking in the blanket of amnesia towards God; and producing and honoring false prophets (all originally forbidden in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers).
As though these were not enough to make even the most reluctant district attorney giddy, there are a few other charges – building altars and images in honor of Ba'al and Molech at Topheth in the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom - that's geh'hinnom in Hebrew by the way - and sacrificing their children (sons and daughters) by burning them alive in fire as encouraged by Ahaz and Mannasseh.To prevent its use again for such religious purposes, King Josiah had the valley polluted, particularly the part called Topheth (2 Kings 23:10).
The Jewish commentator David Kimhi (1160 C.E) writes about this valley, "It is a place in the land adjoining Jerusalem, and it is a loathsome place, and they throw there unclean things and carcasses. Also, there was a continual fire there to burn the unclean things and the bones of carcasses. Hence the judgment of the wicked ones is parabolically called Gehinnom. "The Valley became the dumping place and incinerator for the filth of Jerusalem.
Not unlike the use of the mote surrounding the Tower of London, bodies of dead animals were thrown in to be consumed in the fires to which sulpher or brimstone was added to assist in the fires – and bodies of executed criminals, and others, who were considered undeserving of a decent burial in a memorial tomb mnêmeion [www.perseus.tufts.edu]. We can even go along, of sorts, on this filed trip, as the Hebrew Bible provides some rough coordinates of the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom - that's geh'hinnom in Hebrew by the way - in Johsua 15:8 [bible.oremus.org], and Joshua 18:16 [bible.oremus.org] - and if you are more visually oriented, you can view photos of geh'hinnom here [en.wikipedia.org], and again here [en.wikipedia.org], and even a neat topographic rendition here [www.blueletterbible.org] (look to lower bottom for the Valley of Hinnom as it lays to the west and south of ancient Jerusalem).
In addition to the images and alters and child sacrifice, at Topheth was practiced sorcery, magic, soothsaying and augury, often employing mediums, and wizards – and these thing too Jehovah found disgusting and in specific violation with the commands previously given.But it is not the sorcery, magic, soothsaying and augury which is so emotionally confronted to the field-tripping elders and priests – no, it is the burning of people, alive, in fire that seems to most disturb Jehovah about the atrocities performed in the Valley.
In Jeremiah 32:35 [bible.oremus.org] it states, "They built the high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter my mind that they should do this abomination".And in Jeremiah 7:30-32 [bible.oremus.org] it states nearly the same, "For the people of Judah have done evil in my sight, says the LORD; they have set their abominations in the house that is called by my name, defiling it. 31 And they go on building the high place* of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire—which I did not command, nor did it come into my mind".
In both Jeremiah 32:35, and 7:30-32, the word rendered by the NRVS above for "mind", is the Hebrew word lev, which literally means heart [fray.slate.com]. The burning of people, alive, in torturous fire – is not a thing which came up unto Jehovah's heart.
So here, Christians who have adopted the Zoroastrism belief in an endless, conscious, torturous punishment in a fiery "hell" in the 4th century C.E. for all non-believers and other assorted sinners following death, to be in direct conflict with the very heart of God. Seems God's heart is not inclined to burning of people alive in fire.
I'll be darned.
In the Greek form of the Hebrew word "geh'hinnom, is simply "gehenna". In Joshua 18:16, where Valley of Hinnon occurs, the Septuagint [en.wikipedia.org] reads "Gehenna". The same word occurs 12 times in Christian Greek Scriptures, first appearing in Matthew 5:22, then in Matthew 5:22, 29, 30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 23:33, and in Mark 9:43, 9:45, 9:47; and in Luke 12:5; and James 3:6.Jesus often used this place (geh Hinnom) in his warnings of where one would not wish to be sent upon one's death, as culturally, it was a loathsome place, a place for executed criminals, and basic ones rejected – those not fit to be buried in a memorial tomb (John 5:28-29, ironically renders mnêmeion [www.perseus.tufts.edu] – a memorial, or memorial tomb).
Those not deemed worthy Jews were tossed into Gehenna following death – and their dead bodies were consumed, and they had no memorial tomb – hence they would not be "remembered" by their God when the time for resurrection came about. Jehovah did not much care for the Valley of the Sons of Hinnon, and it even became a cursed place, in Jeremiah 7:32, it is stated, "Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the LORD, when it will no more be called Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of Slaughter: for they will bury in Topheth until there is no more room".
If you were a Jew, this would not be where you would want to end up. Jesus was a Jew, and so his figurative use of Gehenna did not indicate the "hell" so well known by the Pagan and especially the Zoroasters – for after all, Jesus also knew the scriptures, and knew death meant non-existence, the opposite of life, knowing nothing, nothing at all (Ecclesiastes 9:5).
