Read Luke 16:22, 23 in KJV (some versions don't say it), and you can finish reading the story of the rich man and Lazarus, because it gives you just a little more information about the bosom of Abraham. Now, when Jesus was about to die on the cross, He was hangin' there between two thieves. One turned to Him and repented to Him. In response, Jesus said "This day I will be with you in paradise." Paradise was a place in/near hell where the "righteous" of the day could go, since grace had not yet entered the scene to make anyone truly righteous enough to enter heaven. Oh, and for clarification, I believe that Paradise and Abraham's Bosom were one and the same. In response to Matt, first of all, thank you. From what I understand (this is just what I understand that Jewish scholars say), there were those two places in hell, but Abraham's bosom was a separate place altogether. I'm not really sure how it all works, because I wasn't really thinking too much about it when I read it, but now I don't remember where I read it, so, yeah. And from what those same Jewish scholars were saying (and they CAN read Hebrew lol), you were right about Sheol and Gehenna. Actually, I thought it was the other way around, but it's been a while ;) .