between the destiny of the righteous and the wicked in the after-life; whereas the souls of the ungodly go down to Sheol, the souls of the pious ascend to heaven. Although Heidel’s thesis has the advantage of avoiding any theological difficulties created by the co-existence of the righteous and the wicked in the nether world, it may, however, be objected that he interprets the biblical evidence in a somewhat arbitrary manner. If a passage refers to the death of a righteous person, Sheol is taken