Now, who invented eternal life? (Part 2)

Following yesterday's blog, it would be quite interesting to find out who came up with the creative idea of eternal life. I certainly can understand that it sprung from the state of denial humanity found itself in as everyone faced an unavoidable demise, so an alternative would provide some temporary relief to make the inevitable more palatable. 

It’s true that these creative fellows weren’t born yesterday as we have to go back to old religions like ancient Egyptian religion and Zoroastrianism. These initial concepts got refined in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

It all began with Ancient Egypt, more than 4,400 years ago, as evidenced by the Pyramid Texts that described the pharaoh’s soul ascending to join the gods in an eternal afterlife. This form of immortality (only accessible to elites) allowed for the soul to survive death if preserved by mummification and rituals that opened up the profession of mortician. 

Between 2,600 and 3,200 years ago, Zoroastrianism picked up where the Egyptian left with the teachings of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) who was the first prophet to teach a moralized eternal afterlife (with heaven and hell as places of residence). At time of death, the dead were resurrected. When they got to Chinvat Bridge, their souls faced judgment and either went to House of Song (paradise) or House of Lies (hell). 

Judaism fine tuned the concept 2,500 years ago by beginning with Sheol (a shadowy underworld, with no reward and no punishment), then the Pharisees just before our era taught bodily resurrection before the Messianic Age that linked eternal life to God’s kingdom on Earth. 

This paved the way to the Christian upgrade with Jesus preaching personal resurrection and heavenly eternity. The main idea was one of salvation through Christ with a reward of eternal life in God’s presence. 

Islam added its twist by describing Jannah (paradise) and Jahannam (hell) and said that both options lasted for eternity, but the upside was physical and spiritual pleasures in paradise that probably talked about the 72 virgins but said nothing about the availability skiing, golfing, snorkeling or mountain biking. 

There were of course other more diverse or complicated versions from the Babylonians, the Greeks and the Hindus, but I’m confident you already got the idea! Tomorrow we’ll see if there are religions or philosophies of life that’ll save us from having to keep on living after death!