The Doctrine of Resurrection in the Old Testament

Abstract

In his heart man aspires towards permanence. A basic wish of the Israelite was for long life (Gen 15:15; 35:29). The idea of afterlife was part of the belief structure of Judaism long before the Christian times, but the forms which this belief has assumed and the modes in which it has been expressed have varied greatly and differed from period to period. The Hebrew Bible is comparatively inexplicit on the fate of the individual after death. The standard view in ancient Israel was that the dead descend to the region of the underworld generally called Sheol, where they dwell in a shadowy existence. The idea of life after death which developed in apocalyptic Judaism was to become an absolutely central truth for Christianity.” While the language of the Old Testament is more concerned with community survival than individual immortality, there is nonetheless a strong consciousness that the person is not utterly annihilated at death. This article seeks to give an expose of the idea of resurrection and immortality in the Old Testament.