I was watching a History Channel documentary on Hell when it was mentioned that the Egyptian religion was Annihilationist. I looked it up and sure enough it is true. I have highlighted all the occurrences of the word annihilation so you can see how often it comes up in this book on Egyptian religion from the Princeton Theological Seminary Library.
So Timothew's argument about othrodox views coming from paganism is trumped by the fact that Annihilationism began with Egyptians, not with Christians.
Egyptian Belief and Moden Thought
While the doctrine of everlasting torment has support from the monuments of Egypt, the
Annihilationists, or believers in the final destruction of the wicked, are not without Egyptian support. Mr. Baring-Gould says, "A high degree of education must be attained before the notion of
annihilation can be apprehended." That is an argument for the intuitional teaching of immortality.
To this Mariette Bey alludes, when he says of the truly impenitent, "for these a
second death, that is to say, a definitive
annihilation, is reserved." In another place he writes: ''The definitive
annihilation in the midst of the torments of a true hell was the suffering reserved for the condemned." Rouge writes: "As to the condemned souls, they are forced to submit to the
second death."
Their sacred writings support this idea.
Annihilation furnishes the subject of many prayers ; as, " Let me not be
annihilated." In a prayer to Osiris for the departed, it is said, " He sees in thee and he lives in thee, it is in thee he will never be
annihilated." In the 93rd chapter of the Ritual, one reads, " The rebels become immovable things during millions of years." The worm utterly devours them ; the fire absolutely consumes them. The man may be beheaded, or swallowed by a hippopotamus. Madame Blavatsky, in His Revealed, refers to " the gradual dissolution of the astral form into its primal elements."
Pierret says : " The tomb is piteously closed upon those whose faults condemn them to
annihilation." Lenormant asserts that the wicked, " before being
annihilated, are condemned to suffer a thousand tortures, and, under the form of an evil spirit, to return here and disturb men, and exert themselves for their injury." Mr. Cooper, a most competent authority, with similar views, writes: " The final punishment of the wicked consisted in utter
annihilation, after a period of frightful torture in a fiery hell." The opinion, therefore, of the Rev. Edward White and others, was forestalled in Egypt, doubtless several thousand years ago. M. F. Lenormant distinctly affirms : " The
annihilation of being was held by the Egyptians as the punishment reserved for the wicked." The Zendavesta of the ancient Persians affirmed, " Hell shall be destroyed at the resurrection."
M. Deveria indicates a parallel with the Book of the Revelation, parts of which, at least, are deemed by the author of the " Book of God," and by others, as copies of the most ancient sacred writings in the world. The French Egyptologist says: " The wicked who submit to these punishments (described on monuments) are condemned to
absolute annihilation, without hope of ever seeing the living again.
This annihilation is called the second death in some hieroglyphic texts, as in the Apocalypse."
Full text of "Egyptian belief and modern thought .."
You're talking about a different thread; This is: Why some people don't believe hell is real
