Ge Hinnom

Gehenna, derived from the Hebrew "Ge Hinnom" (valley of Hinnom), is a concept in Jewish and Christian eschatology representing the abode of the damned in the afterlife. Historically, it was a valley near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed to the god Moloch, a practice later replaced by its use as a garbage center.1

This imagery of burning contributed to the concept of "hellfire". In Jewish tradition, Sheol is the initial concept for the abode of the dead, a dark and joyless place. Later Jewish writings, particularly after the Babylonian Exile, developed the idea of Gehenna as a place of postmortem punishment, often depicted as fiery torment for the wicked. While some interpretations see Gehenna as eternal punishment, others view it as a place of purification from which one might eventually be released.123