Would it be correct to say that you agree with the EARLY Watchtower description of Sheol as the condition of the dead? -- Nathan.
No, because there's a big difference between a "condition" and a "place". And, although imaginary, sheol is definitely a PLACE, even as Jacob's own words indicate: "[When I die] I shall go down mourning to my son into sheol!" Obviously, Jacob was not saying that he would "go" to a "condition" when he himself died. It's appears plain that Jacob thought of going "into" a PLACE, rather than a condition.
A "condition" would merely highlight the fact that the person is deceased. Whereas sheol as a "place" puts the emphasis on the captivity aspect. Sheol is an imaginary PRISON, which has absolutely nothing to do with a person's place of burial (grave).
Schizm
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