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A valley on the southwestern edge of Jerusalem where pagan nations — and apostate Israelite kings like Ahaz — burned children as offerings; its reputation for horror made it the root word for Gehenna, the New Testament term for hell
JudeaA valley on the southwestern edge of Jerusalem, the Valley of Hinnom became infamous as the site where apostate Israelite kings like Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed children to the god Molech (2 Kings 16; Jeremiah 7). King Josiah later desecrated the site to end the practice, turning it into a place of burning refuse. Its Hebrew name, Ge-Hinnom, evolved into the Greek word Gehenna — the term Jesus uses throughout the Gospels to describe the place of final judgment.
Joshua
Why Are You Still Standing Here?
The Valley of Hinnom appears as a landmark on Benjamin's southern border — at this point in the narrative it is simply a geographic feature, centuries before it would acquire its dark associations with child sacrifice.
2 Kings
The King Who Tore It All Down
The Valley of Hinnom is where Topheth stood, the site of child sacrifice to Molech — Josiah desecrates it permanently, ensuring this place of ultimate horror can never be used for that purpose again.
2 Chronicles
The King Who Burned It All Down
The Valley of Hinnom is the real geographic location outside Jerusalem where Ahaz performed child sacrifices, its reputation for atrocity so profound it later lent its name to the concept of hell.
Nehemiah
Every Name on the List
The Valley of Hinnom marks the southwestern boundary of Jerusalem's resettlement zone here — its mention as a geographic endpoint frames the full scope of Judah's territorial reclamation.
Jeremiah
Beyond Repair
The Valley of Hinnom is chosen as the site of God's pronouncement because it is where Judah's leaders allowed child sacrifices to foreign gods — God is delivering his verdict at the scene of the crime.
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