Babylonian Underworld
1) Seven gates, each guarded by a demon; once one entered, there was no escape
2) Ruled by Nergal, Lord of the Underworld, and Ereshkigal, his wife and demon princess of the Kingdom of Shadows

Egyptian Underworld
1) Universe divided into three sections: heaven, earth, and the Duat (the underworld, where Ra descends each evening)
2) Duat was originally supposed to be the domain of Ra’s supernatural enemies
3) Sinners and enemies of Ra were beheaded, dismembered, and burnt; then reformed at sunrise to begin the cycle anew
4) Osiris became the judge of the Underworld; he weighed one’s heart against the feather of justice (Ma’at) on a balance scale
5) Those who passed were sent to the Fields of Peace; the sinners were thrown to Ammut (eater of the Dead – part lion, part crocodile, and part hippo)

Hebrew Underworld
1) Originally called the Sheol, a place of shadows, ghosts, and animated corpses
2) Sheol transformed over time into Gehenna (a place of fire and filth), where the sinner would suffer hellfire for up to 12 months (or obliterated forever)
3) The worst punishment (everlasting hellfire) was reserved for informers, Christians, and anyone else who despised the words of Rabbis.

Greek Underworld
1) Called the Kingdom of Hades, located 9 feet below the surface
2) Ruled by Pluto, brother of Zeus, who construed creative punishments (Tantalus and Sisyphus)
3) The worst offenders (parricide, oath breaking) were sent to the bottomless pit of Tartarus, ruled by Kronos
4) Shades are tormented by Keres (winged spirits of an individual’s death) and Hecate (triple-headed demon goddess who feasted on the newcomers’ flesh)

Roman Underworld
1) Borrowed from the Greek Underworld, but with more description
2) One enters through a cave, coming first to limbo (inappropriate burials had to wait 100 years)
3) Cross the River Lethe, Hall of Dis, where Proserpine would judge the soul
4) The successful soul traveled to the Fortunate Isles; unsuccessful ones sent to hell
5) Upon entering hell, one would come across three lakes (boiling gold, freezing lead, iron shards)