In the ancient world, death was not a distant or hidden event; it was a constant, visible part of daily life. Unlike today, where medical advancements and specialized institutions often keep the end of life behind closed doors, ancient people lived in close proximity to mortality. While views varied across cultures, most people lived in a state of “slavery” to the fear of death, viewing the afterlife as a shadowy, uncertain, or even terrifying existence. It was only through the lens of the biblical narrative and the resurrection of Jesus that this grim outlook was fundamentally transformed into a message of hope and victory.
Death As A Daily Companion
To understand how people viewed death in ancient times, we have to look at the sheer frequency of it. In the Roman Empire and the ancient Near East, the average life expectancy at birth was often between twenty and thirty years. While many people lived into old age, high infant mortality and the lack of modern medicine meant that almost everyone had witnessed the death of a sibling, parent, or child in their own home.
Because death was so common, it wasn’t sanitized. Families prepared the bodies of their loved ones for burial themselves. This constant exposure created a culture that was deeply aware of the frailty of life. People didn’t have the luxury of pretending death wasn’t coming. Instead, they developed complex rituals and religious systems to try and make sense of the inevitable, often seeking ways to appease gods or ensure their names would be remembered long after their bodies turned to dust.
The Slavery To The Fear Of Death
The Bible provides a piercing insight into the ancient psyche, noting that humanity was held in “slavery” by the fear of death. For most ancient Greeks and Romans, the afterlife—often referred to as Hades or the underworld—was not a place of joy. It was frequently depicted as a gloomy, silent realm where souls existed as mere shadows of their former selves. There was no “heaven” in the way we think of it today for the average person.
This fear drove much of human endeavor. People sought “immortality” through fame, building massive monuments, or having many descendants to carry on their identity. Without the assurance of a loving Creator or a physical resurrection, death felt like the ultimate thief that robbed life of its meaning. The writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus entered human history specifically to break this power of fear.
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
The Christian Revolution Of Hope
When the message of Jesus began to spread, it completely upended how people viewed death in ancient times. The early Christians stood out because they did not share the same frantic terror of the grave. They began to refer to death as “sleep,” not because they believed the soul was unconscious, but because they believed the body would one day be “awakened” in a glorious resurrection.
This was a radical shift. While their neighbors were grieving “as those who have no hope,” Christians were celebrating the home-going of their brothers and sisters. Church fathers like John Chrysostom noted that one of the chief marks of a Christian was their lack of fear regarding death. They believed that because Jesus had walked out of the tomb, the grave was no longer a dead end, but a doorway. This hope transformed how they cared for the sick and how they faced martyrdom, eventually changing the entire moral fabric of the Roman world.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Ancient Rituals vs. Biblical Reality
In ancient times, many religious rituals were designed to protect the living from the dead or to provide the deceased with tools for the journey to the afterlife. For example, Egyptians were buried with the Book of the Dead to help them navigate the underworld. In contrast, the biblical view shifted the focus from rituals to a relationship.
The Bible taught that death was an enemy—an intrusion into God’s good creation—but an enemy that had been defeated. Ancient people looked at death and saw an unconquerable master; the early church looked at death and saw a “stingless” foe. This didn’t mean they didn’t cry or feel the pain of loss, but their grief was tempered by the certainty that the King of Life had reclaimed the keys to death and the grave.
The Takeaway
When we look at how people viewed death in ancient times, we see a world dominated by uncertainty and dread. Death was a frequent visitor and a cruel master that held the human heart in bondage. However, the resurrection of Jesus Christ introduced a brand new perspective: death is not the end of the story. For those who trust in Him, the ancient fear is replaced by the promise of a future resurrection and an eternal home. We no longer have to hide from the reality of death because we know the One who has overcome it.
