In Jewish tradition, what is the name of the land of the dead where the soul awaits judgment?

In Jewish tradition, Sheol is recognized as the land of the dead where souls go to await judgment after death. This concept is significant within Jewish eschatology, where Sheol is depicted not as a place of punishment or reward but rather as a shadowy underworld. It is seen as a transitional state where the dead reside until the Day of Judgment, when souls will be evaluated and assigned to their eternal fates.

Understanding Sheol provides insights into the beliefs surrounding life, death, and the afterlife in Judaism. It reflects an early understanding of the afterlife before more developed concepts, such as Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) for the righteous or Gehinnom for the wicked, became more prominent in later Jewish thought. This distinction between Sheol and other afterlife concepts shows the evolution of beliefs about post-mortem existence within the Jewish tradition.