Gehenna: The Topography of Hell, Lloyd R. Bailey's 1986 article in The Biblical Archaeologist, examines and rejects the popular claim that Gehenna was Jerusalem's burning municipal refuse dump, tracing that explanation to a medieval commentary by David Kimhi around 1200 CE with no support from any intertestamental or rabbinic-period source. Its strength is that it is a peer-reviewed article directly debunking a widely repeated legend. Its limit is that it is a historiographical study of the legend's origin, not itself a primary rabbinic source on Gehenna.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Tier one: a peer reviewed article in The Biblical Archaeologist directly debunking a widely repeated legend about Gehenna's origin as a burning refuse dump, tracing that account instead to a medieval commentary. Its limit is that it is a historiographical study of the legend's origin rather than itself a primary rabbinic source on Gehenna. NotesPeer-reviewed article in The Biblical Archaeologist, volume 49, number 3, September 1986, pages 187-191. Examines and rejects the popular claim that Gehenna was Jerusalem's burning municipal refuse dump, tracing that explanation to a commentary on Psalm 27 by the medieval rabbinic commentator David Kimhi (circa 1200 CE) and finding it has no support in any source from the intertestamental or rabbinic periods, literary or archaeological. Use for the historiography of the refuse-dump legend and its debunking; not itself a primary rabbinic source.
Citation
AuthorLloyd R. Bailey
PublisherThe Biblical Archaeologist (American Schools of Oriental Research)
Publication Year1986
Source Typepeer-reviewed article
Claims Backed By This Source (10 claims)
This source backs 10 claims across the atlas. As facts: 8 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 7 claims: 7 well-attested.
- Realms, 2 claims: 1 scholarly debate, 1 general references.
- Articles, 1 claims: 1 well-attested.
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