{"id":9340,"date":"2012-09-10T12:29:02","date_gmt":"2012-09-10T16:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/?p=9340"},"modified":"2012-09-10T12:29:02","modified_gmt":"2012-09-10T16:29:02","slug":"sheol-identified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2012\/09\/sheol-identified.html","title":{"rendered":"Sheol Identified"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Scholars and laypeople have engaged in significant debate about the precise meaning of the word\/name \u201cSheol\u201d in the Bible. At times it seems to be an underworld, at times simply the grave, and at times perhaps something else.<\/p>\n

A student in my class on the Bible has actually solved the mystery and come up with a definitive answer to the question.<\/p>\n

Sheol is the name of the big fish in the Book of Jonah.<\/p>\n

The Biblical text which proves this is Jonah 2:2<\/a>, where Jonah is depicted as saying \u201cI called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol<\/em> I cried, and you heard my voice\u201d (ESV).<\/p>\n

Sheol, appropriately capitalized as one would expect, is clearly the name of the big fish, in whose belly Jonah found himself at the moment when he uttered those words.<\/p>\n

I am grateful to my student \u2013 who wishes to remain anonymous, unless someone makes a YouTube video about this and it goes viral \u2013 for offering this creative \u2013 and entertaining \u2013 suggestion!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scholars and laypeople have engaged in significant debate about the precise meaning of the word\/name \u201cSheol\u201d in the Bible. At times it seems to be an underworld, at times simply the grave, and at times perhaps something else. A student in my class on the Bible has actually solved the mystery and come up with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,49],"tags":[1140,1172,4485,4871,5899,7884,11195,13663],"class_list":["post-9340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-humor","category-jonah","tag-bible","tag-big-fish","tag-hebrew-languages","tag-humor","tag-jonah","tag-name","tag-sheol","tag-whale"],"yoast_head":"\nSheol Identified<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Scholars and laypeople have engaged in significant debate about the precise meaning of the word\/name "Sheol" in the Bible. 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