For the movie about deep diving, see The Abyss.

An abyss (Greek: a-, privative, bussos, bottom) is a bottomless depth; hence any deep place. The word is usually used to refer to a pit; to the deep ocean floor; or to hell.

From the late popular abyssimus (superlative of Low Latin abyssus) through the French abisme (i.e. abime) is derived the poetic form "abysm," pronounced as late as 1616 to rhyme with "time."

• In oceanography, the adjective abyssal is used to refer to the deepest extent of the sea: hence "abyssal zone", "abyssal plain", "abyssal flora and fauna", and "abyssal sediment". The form abysmal is not widely used in this context.

• In heraldry, the abyss is the middle of an escutcheon.

• In the fictional world of Middle-earth, invented by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Abyss is the name for the low places of the Timeless Halls of Iluvatar.

• In the Greek version of the Old Testament the word represents both the original chaos (Genesis i.2) and the Hebrew tehom ("a surging water-deep"), which is used also in apocalyptic and kabbalistic literature and in the New Testament for hell; the place of punishment; in the Revised (not the Authorized) version of the Bible "abyss" is generally used for this idea. Primarily in the Septuagint cosmography the word is applied both to the waters under the earth which originally covered it, and from which the springs and rivers are supplied and to the waters of the firmament which were regarded as closely connected with those below.

• Derivatively, from the general idea of depth, it acquired the meaning of the place of the dead, though apparently never quite the same as Sheol. In the book of Revelation it is the prison of evil spirits whence they may occasionally be let loose, and where Satan is doomed to spend 1000 years.

• Beneath the altar in the temple of Jerusalem there was believed to be a passage which led down to the abyss of the world, where the foundation-stone of the earth was laid. In rabbinical cosmography the abyss is a region of Gehenna situated below the ocean bed and divided into three or seven parts imposed one above the other. In the Kabbalah the abyss as the opening into the lower world is the abode of evil spirits, and corresponds to the opening of the abyss to the world above. In general the abyss is regarded vaguely as a place of indefinite extent, the abode of mystery and sorrow.

• The Abyss is a great underground chasm, sealed by God and guarded by angels to prevent the spirits imprisoned within from escaping. It is said to be botomless and located under the Euphrates River. God entrapped the spirits of the powerful Watchers (angels who fell to earth), Nephilim, and their followers, to remove them from the earth's surface, so they would not plague and rule over mankind. The Abyss also contains the spirits of the uncircumsised, warriors, pagans, followers of false gods, and those that choose to follow their base animal nature rather than their higher human nature. On Judgement Day, God will judge all the spirits of the Abyss, Hell, and Earth.
  
• Relatedly, in the Kabbalistic magickal system of Aleister Crowley, the Abyss is the 11th (hidden) sephira, Da'ath, which separates the lower sephiroth from the supernals. It represents the fall of man (as in Genesis) from a unified consciousness into a duality between ego and divine nature. The Abyss is guarded by the demon, Choronzon, who represents those parts of one's consciousness that are unwilling or unable to enter the divine. "Crossing the Abyss" is regarded as a perilous operation, and the most important work of the magician's career. Success confers graduation into the degree, Magister Templi , or "Master of the Temple."

See also

• The Abyss of Dungeons & Dragons