The Ancient Israelite View of Life After Death
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Topic: The Ancient Israelite view on life after death.
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As in many cases where ancient history and especially ancient religious history is concerned, there is disagreement among scholars as to how to interpret events. The view of ancient Israelites regarding life after death is no exception. Some scholars contend that the Israelites had no real concept of life after death until late in their history some 500 years before Christ. Additionally, they claim that this idea of life after death came not from God but rather from their contact with the Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Other scholars contend that the Israelites had their own notions about life after death. However, since their emphasis was on how to live the current life in obedience to God, their ideas about life after death are muted and were communicated implicitly rather than explicitly.
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This solution is an examination of the ancient Israelite beliefs about the afterlife. Did one exist or not, and if so what was it like? Over 750 words of original text with sources that can be accessed for further research.
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Topic: The Ancient Israelite view on life after death.
Please add the references you use.
As in many cases where ancient history and especially ancient religious history is concerned, there is disagreement among scholars as to how to interpret events. The view of ancient Israelites regarding life after death is no exception. Some scholars contend that the Israelites had no real concept of life after death until late in their history some 500 years before Christ. Additionally, they claim that this idea of life after death came not from God but rather from their contact with the Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Other scholars contend that the Israelites had their own notions about life after death. However, since their emphasis was on how to live the current life in obedience to God, their ideas about life after death are muted and were communicated implicitly rather than explicitly.
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/judaism06.html
The above site discusses the concept that the Jews focused so particularly on the present life that they developed no organized body of thought regarding the afterlife. They are the originators of the Christian concept of purgatory as they believed that souls must be purified following death in order to achieve ...
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