So many people are unaware of how much life after death was an early Christian invention. We all sort of take it for granted that religion is about a sort of eternal spiritual life.

But in the Greek and Roman world, life after death was reserved for shades, partially animated mere shadows of people, and even then reserved only for the most heroic of figures. The ancient Jews had no concept of life after death. It simply was not part of their religion.

A startling thought for some!