sheol +

(Hebrew: the grave; hell; pit [a gloomy netherworld for departed spirits; Shoel is the counterpart of Hades and Tartarus])

Sheol (SHEE ohl, shee OHL)
1. In ancient Hebrew theology, the dwelling place of the dead.
2. The place of departed spirits; Hades; also, the grave.
3. The netherworld or the underworld; the abode of the dead or departed spirits, conceived by the Hebrews as a subterranean region clothed in thick darkness, return from which is impossible.

Very common in the Revised Version of the Old Testament, where in the American Version it was translated "hell", "grave", or "pit".

More about "hell"

Hell, in Western monotheistic religions, is the eternal abode of souls damned by the judgment of God. The souls in hell are deprived forever of the sight of God. The punishment of hell is generally compared to earthly fire.

A constant feature is Satan, or Lucifer, (also known as Iblīs in Islam), considered the ruler of hell.

Among ancient Jews, Sheol, or Tophet, was conceived as a gloomy place of departed souls where they are not tormented but wander about unhappily. The ethical aspect apparently developed gradually, and Sheol became like the "hell" of Christianity.

Gehenna, in the New Testament, which drew its name from the Vale of Hinnom, was certainly a place of punishment. Many Christian churches now regard hell more as a state of being than a place.

In the ancient Greek religion, the great underworld is Hades, ruled by the god of that name (also known as Pluto).

—Based on information presented at
The Free Dictionary.

Cross references of word groups that are related, directly or indirectly, to: "bury, burial, cemetery, grave; sleeping place": coimetro-; Epitaphs; funer-; sepulc-; tapho-.