Abraham's bosom (Luke ) refers to the custom of reclining on couches at the dining table, which was prevalent among the Jews, an arrangement which brought the head of one person almost into the bosom of the one who sat or reclined above him.

To "be in Abraham's bosom" thus meant to enjoy happiness and rest (Luke 16:23) at the banquet in Paradise. Abraham's bosom, also called the Limbo of the Fathers in this context, is said to be the waiting place for those who "lived by faith" in Yahweh, but died before the coming of Jesus; sometime during the three days between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection, Jesus descended into the realm of the dead and retrieved those in Abraham's bosom.

Abraham's Bosom is a figurative phrase for the presence of God, paradise. It is believed by some Christians to be a former comfortable section of "Hades", that neighbored Hell or Gehenna (the place of torment) prior to the resurrection of Jesus. Others believe the Lucian parable to be mythical and not based on the realities of the time of Jesus' words. (Luke 16:22-23; ).

See also

• Limbo
• Bosom of Abraham

References