GEHENNA. - Valley of Ennom, and of the sons of Ennom (Heb. gē hēnē-Hinnōm and gē Hinnōm; Aram. gē hinnōm, whence γέενα with the suppression of the final mem), to the southwest at the gates of Jerusalem (Jer. 7:32; 19:2): today Wádi er-Rabábi. Ennom was the ancient Canaanite owner (H. Vincent, p. 126 ff.). It served as a boundary between Judah and Benjamin (Josh. 15:8; 18:15 ff.). Shortly before the exile, the G. is identified with the Töpheth (Hebrew vocalization from bōšeth=filth), at the mouth of the Tyropaeon, in the spacious estuary where the three arteries of the hydrographic network of Jerusalem meet (H. Vincent, p. 133). It was sadly famous from the time of Hezekiah for the cult of Moloch.

GEHENNA - Valley of Hinnōm - Jerusalem.(by courtesy of the Superior of the House of the Erechi of the Sacred Heart S.J. - Rome)

Töpheth means "hearth," "griddle," on the edge of the burning pit, where children were placed to burn after having been slaughtered (Ezek. 16:21). Josiah covered it with human bones, rendering it impure (II Kings 23:10 and 16); the idea of the dung heap and of fire to consume refuse and carcasses (David Qimbi), however widespread, has no basis.

The G., because of the horrendous cult, became a symbol and synonym of all desolations and, by antonomasia, of the place of torment for sinners (v. šē'ot): Jer. 7:31 ff.; 19:3 ff. 10; cf. Is. 66:26; in the apocrypha (J. Chaine, cols. 573 ff.). In the Synoptics (Mt. 5:22.29.30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15.33; Mk. 9:45.45.47; Lk. 12:5; cf. 16:19-31), G. with its elements, fire and worms (decomposition of corpses), is the usual symbol of hell (v.) with its torments.

Bibliography7 works

BIBL.: J. Chaine, s. v. in DBs. III, cols. 563-79; H. Vincent, Jerusalem, I, Paris 1912, pp. 124-34; A. Lemonnier, Molok, in Revue des sciences philoc. et théol., 7 (1913), pp. 432-66; H. L. Strack - P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Text, aus Tabmud und Midrasch, IV, Munich 1928, pp. 1029-1118; F. M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, I, Paris 1933, p. 401 ff.; J. Bornirven, La Judaïsme palestinien, I, 2nd ed., ibid. 1935, pp. 529-38; F. Spadafora, Ezechiele, Turin 1948, pp. 129 ff., 164 ff., 166 ff.

Francesco Spadafora

@incollection{ec5_gehenna, author = {Spadafora, Francesco}, title = {Gehenna}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {V}, pages = {1977--1978}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gehenna} }

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