IntroductionFor the past three years, I have taught Scripture to our ninth grade religious education classes. Reading the Old Testament, there seemed to be a belief in an afterlife, but what those beliefs were was not at all clear to me. They used terms like “the world to come” and “will be with our fathers.” There are several passages where people appear to be caught up without dying, like Elijah and Enoch, but it doesn't say where they went. In __________________, it's about people going to hell. I couldn't help but wonder: If Jews believe in an afterlife, why is the Torah so vague and how did their beliefs develop? The Jewish faith lacks a central authority that governs doctrine since the demise of the Sanhedrin. We cannot therefore speak of Jewish belief in absolute terms. Jewish theology varies greatly among different groups. For this discussion, the beliefs of the Jewish people will be analyzed through the lens of 21st century Catholic doctrine. Thus, it may be prudent to briefly describe the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding the afterlife. The Apostles' Creed, which is the oldest profession of Christian faith, states that Jesus "has ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty." From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. He also declares: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy Catholic Church, in the communion of saints, in the forgiveness of sins, in the resurrection of the body and in eternal life. » The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which dates from the fourth century CE, states these points in the same way, but in slightly more detail. It states that Jesus will "return in glory in ju...... middle of paper ......ture: New interactive edition of the resource manual. Allen, TX: Tabor Publishing, 1995. Rich, Tracey R. “Olam Ha-Ba: The Afterlife.” Judaism 101. 1999. Web. July 21, 2010..Telushkin, Joseph. “Life after death.” Jewish Virtual Library. 1991. the web. July 21, 2010. .The New American Bible. Wichita: Devore & Sons, Inc., 1987. Berenbaum, Michael. "Pittsburgh Platform." Judaica Encyclopedia. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Flight. 16. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 190-191. 22 vol. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale of wind. ST LEO UNIV. August 17. 2010