Places & biblical world
Gehenna
A valley near Jerusalem whose name became an image of divine judgment.
Also called · Valley of Hinnom
What it means
The term comes from the Valley of Hinnom, a place condemned in the prophets for child sacrifice and later defiled.
In Jesus’ teaching Gehenna functions as a grave warning about final judgment, not merely as a map label.
How it appears in the Bible
Kings and Jeremiah recall the valley’s abuses; the Gospels use its name in warnings against sin.
Translation note
Translations may render it “hell,” but Gehenna has a distinct geographical and historical background.