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HELL: Merriam-Webster Dictionery

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English helan to conceal, Old High German helan, Latin celare, Greek kalyptein

Date: before 12th century

1 a (1): a nether world in which the dead continue to exist : HADES (2): the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment —often used in curses <go to hell> or as a generalized term of abuse <the hell with it> bChristian Science : ERROR 2b , SIN2 a: a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness <war is hell — W. T. Sherman> b: a place or state of turmoil or destruction <all hell broke loose> c: a severe scolding ; also : FLAK , GRIEF <gave me hell for coming in late> d: unrestrained fun or sportiveness <the kids were full of hell> —often used in the phrase for the hell of it especially to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive <decided to go for the hell of it> e: an extremely unpleasant and often inescapable situation <rush-hour hell>

What exactly is hell and where is it located? While much discussion has ensued over the years, nothing about hell stands out clearly.

Almost all major religions believe there is a hell. The religions, such as Christianity where there is a scared deity, see hell as a place of punishment, where those religions that function on a cycle, such as Hinduism see it as a stop before the next reincarnation.

In Christian beliefs, hell is the place where the unsaved souls will be punished for their sins. In the New Testament of the Bible, hell is described by words such as Gehenna or Tartarus. There is no hope for those condemned to hell. It becomes a permanent state.

After the last judgment, the unrepentant descend into hell. Hell is also seen as the home of Satan and evil entities.

19TH C. BURMESE TEMPLE PAINTING

These paintings are hung as devotional objects on the walls of the temple to illustrate various aspects of Buddhist scripture or legend. Painted on cotton, with a tempera-like paint, they are bright, vivid examples of Burmese folk artistry. This one portrays Buddhist Hell, which is a concept that appears in certain sects and countries, and not in others