The Jewish Rabbi believed that the soul of the deceased was
consigned to a sort of purgatory for twelve months after death, during
which time it was allowed to visit its dead body and the places or
persons it especially loved. This intermediate state they called by
various names, as “the bosom of Abraham,” “the garden of Eden,” “upper
Gehenna.” The Sabbath was always a free day, and prayer was supposed to
benefit those in this intermediate state.
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