Universal Destination of the Dead

In Genesis 37:35, we read, "All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, 'No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.' Thus his father wept for him." Here, Jacob expresses his expectation of going to Sheol upon his death, to be with his lamented son, Joseph. This verse, along with many others in the Old Testament, reveals an ancient Israelite understanding of the afterlife. Sheol is presented not as a place of judgment or reward, but as a common destination for all who die, regardless of their righteousness.