Dödsriket i Gamla och Nya testamentet - en jämförande studie

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the existence after death in the underworld in the Old and New Testament in the Bible. I will thereafter compare the images of the underworld. The investigation also tries to establish the origin of the images of the underworld. It will also be some discussion about the development of the underworld. The overhead exegetical method used is historical critical method. The conclusion is that the underworld in the Old Testament is a dwelling place for souls/shadows of all the dead people, good and bad. They are stuck in nothingness and inactivity without memory. The New Testaments underworld is a place for punishment of the evil, a place in the darkness with the eternal fire and the crying and garnishing of teeth. Both body and soul exist in the New Testaments underworld. The difference between the images of the underworld can be explained with the different social context the two Testaments are written in. One explanation is because of the almighty God, Jahve, didn’t enable justice on earth for the Jewish and Christian people in the first century. The construction of the underworld as a place for justice occurred. Another explanation is that eschatological views began because of the Matthean small community was threatened from different directions. The Matthean community needed to strengthen their own group and created thereby harsh lines to other groups in the society.