Hell: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine (Dr. Bar's Top Trending)

By: Eitan Bar

Narrated by: Paul Landergan

For centuries, many have been taught to believe that the Bible presents a vivid picture of a fiery Hell, where God sadistically torments most of humanity by burning their skin for all eternity. But is this really the picture Scripture paints? Does the Bible, a collection of Jewish documents, truly claim Hell to be a cosmic fire chamber where people are being tortured endlessly? How do we reconcile horrific biblical images, such as of worms consuming bodies supposedly burning in an everlasting fire in a completely dark place? Are these literal descriptions, or perhaps ancient Jewish metaphors, misunderstood by the Western mind? And why are four distinct words—'Gehenna,' 'Sheol,' 'Tartarus,' and 'Hades'—regularly translated into one single English term, "Hell"?

Were you raised to view Hell through the lens of the Augustinian-Calvinist tradition, perhaps too intimidated ever to question it? If so, this book is for you. In it, we will challenge the fundamentalist perspective on Hellfire by exploring the original context in which the biblical teachings on Hell were written. We will peel back the layers of centuries-old Western interpretations, examining what the Jewish Bible, both Old and New Testaments, truly says about Hell. By exploring the societal and biblical contexts of the time, as well as the original Hebrew and Greek meanings of key terms, we aim to uncover a more accurate understanding of this highly controversial topic—stripping away fear and tradition to discover what Scripture really teaches about hell.

Dr. Eitan Bar, a Jewish-Christian scholar with advanced Bible, apologetics, and theology degrees, is a unique combination. As a native Hebrew speaker and Bible scholar, he combines his Jewish background with his Christian education and faith to offer an accessible guide to understanding the Bible.

©2024 Eitan Bar (P)2025 Eitan Bar

Thank you for this work

What an excellent, thought provoking book! I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of your writings.

Excellent

Over the past 45 years, I have formally and informally studied, as well as read and listened to many, many books pertaining to theology, scripture, history, salvation (soteriology), etc. Dr, Bar engages in a thorough, detailed and rigorous analysis of those texts that form the basis for our understanding of hell, punishment and God's wrath. While there is some unavoidable redundancy in the book, I find his findings compelling and conclusive. Our understanding of God's character and the "criteria" for how we identify the purpose and priorities of life are key determinants in how we see, evaluate an interact with life. The focus of this book addresses the issues that are central -- no, definitive -- in shaping that understanding. I strongly recommend this book and will be sharing copies with friends.

As for the audio book, the narrator does an exceptional job engaging the listener's interest and conveying the meaning of the text. (Some of the pronunciations are a bit different than mine, but when dealing with ancient languages this is not uncommon.). I would gladly listen to other books he has narrated. For those, like me, who now find themselves so consumed during the work day with the demands of their jobs, a well-read audiobook that provides compelling content is well worth my time. I strongly recommend this and will be listening to and reading more of Dr. Bar's work.

Everything

Very mind blowing and eye opening. Loved it. Makes so much more sense than the concept I grew up with

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

What a beautiful explanation of the gosple, God and hell. I have a completely new perspective on hell and suffering. Please read and share!!

Fantastic book

Thanks to Dr. Bar for his exposition of biblical texts about "hell" from Jewish perspective. This book is game changer.

Thebbest book on hell I have ever read/listened to.

This book a well-researched book that helped me to understand the historical context of the words of the Bible translated as hell. The Bible makes more sense when you realize what Jesus was referring to when speaking of hell.

BEST BOOK TO HELP UNDERSTAND GOD

I have read a lot of books regarding salvation, atonement, redemption, the Bible, but nothing made sense. This book answered most, if not all my questions in a way that now everything makes sense. I not only understand what was puzzling me for so long, but my faith just grew exponentially while and after reading this book. This book makes me want to be a better person but without the fear that if I fall short, I am not going to be tortured in hell forever. I recommend this book to anyone who has trouble understanding the goodness of God and make sense of all the threats in the Bible. All the misunderstandings that confused me so much, I now see them clear. I am now ready to re-read the Bible with this new understanding of the loving God that I had never seen before. Thank you Eiton Bar for this book.