Hell and Its RivalsThe idea of punishment after deathwhereby the souls of the wicked are consigned to Hell (Gehenna, Gehinnom, or Jahannam)emerged out of beliefs found across the Mediterranean, from ancient Egypt to Zoroastrian Persia, and became fundamental to the Abrahamic religions. Once Hell achieved doctrinal expression in the New Testament, the Talmud, and the Qur'an, thinkers began to question Hell's eternity, and to consider possible alternativeshell's rivals.