Heaven and Hell: In the Bible, the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Part One of this book examines early Jewish and Christian thought on the topic of heaven. In the Old Testament, heaven is a place where God and the angels reside - but not (seemingly) a place where the righteous go when they die. By the time of the New Testament, heaven is starting to assume its modern connotation as a paradise where the righteous go to be with God when they die. This view becomes even more prominent in apocryphal writings in the early church. Part Two of this book focuses on the antithesis of Heaven - Hell. It also takes a look at Satan and his minions. In the Old Testament, there is not really a concept of Hell as Christians know it today. Rather, Sheol is a place where people go after they die - good or bad. In most references to Sheol, it is not clear that beings have any consciousness there. It is simply the "abode of the dead". By the time of the New Testament, however, Hell as we know it today has become a hot (or cold) place of punishment for the unrighteous, ruled over by Satan, a fallen angel. The inter-Testamental writings (Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha) help bridge the theological gap between Sheol and Hell. An appendix which discusses the origins of the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls rounds this book out.

Author: Robert C. Jones
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 02/17/2010
Pages: 104
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.33lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.22d
ISBN: 9781450585231

About the Author
Robert C. Jones grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. In 1981, he moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area, where he received a B.S. in Computer Science at DeVry Institute of Technology. From 1984-2009, Robert worked for Hewlett-Packard as a computer consultant. He now works as an independent computer support and video services consultant. Robert is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church. He has written and taught numerous adult Sunday School courses. He has also been active in choir ministries over the years, and has taught the Disciples Bible Study six times. He is the author of "A Brief History of Protestantism in the United States", "A Brief History of the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion", "Heaven and Hell: In the Bible, the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls", and "Meet the Apostles: Biblical and Legendary Accounts". Robert is President of the Kennesaw Historical Society, for whom he has written several books, including "The Law Heard 'Round the World - An Examination of the Kennesaw Gun Law and Its Effects on the Community", "Retracing the Route of the General - Following in the Footsteps of the Andrews Raid", and "Images of America: Kennesaw". Robert has also written several books on ghost towns in the Southwest, including in Death Valley, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mojave National Preserve. In 2005, Robert co-authored a business-oriented book entitled "Working Virtually: The Challenges of Virtual Teams". His interests include the Civil War, Medieval Monasteries, American railroads, ghost towns, hiking in Death Valley and the Mojave, and Biblical Archaeology.

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