Pit

The pit in Scripture serves both as a literal feature of ancient Palestinian life and as a rich theological metaphor. Literally, pits or cisterns were common features of Israelite towns and farms, used for water storage; their uncovered state was a recognized hazard (Exodus 21:33–34). The pit as a place of confinement was used against Jeremiah (thrown into a muddy cistern) and Joseph (thrown into a dry pit by his brothers). Theologically the pit becomes a figure for Sheol or the underworld — the place of death and alienation from God. The psalmists cry to God from "the pit," and Revelation's "bottomless pit" (abyss) is a place of demonic imprisonment.