γέεννα (γέενα, Mrk.9:45, Rec.), -ης, ἡ (perh. through Aram. גֵּיהִנָּם, from Heb. גֵּי הִנֹּם, Neh.11:30; גֵּי בֶּן־הִנֹּם, Jhn.18:16; גֵּי בּנֵי־הִנֹּם, 4Ki.23:10; valley of (the son, sons of) lamentation);
[in LXX the nearest approach to γ. is γαίεννα, Jos.18:16 (Γαὶ Ὀννόμ, A), elsewhere φάραγξ Ὀνόμ (Jos.15:8, al.), V. Swete on Mrk.9:43 ;]
Gehenna, a valley W. and S. of Jerusalem, which as the site of fire-worship from the time of Ahaz, was desecrated by Josiah and became a dumping-place for the offal of the city. Later, the name was used as a symbol of the place of future punishment, as in NT: Mat.5:29, ; 10:28, Mrk.9:43, 45 47, Luk.12:5, Jas.3:6; γ. τ. πυρός, Mat.5:22 18:19, prob. with ref. to fires of Moloch (DB, ii, 119b); υἱὸς γεέννης, Mat.23:15; κρίσις γεέννης, 23:33.†
(AS)