When learning more about the Jewish Faith, i too, was also surprised at their lack of belief in the afterlife until I related it to Christianity. When Jesus died on the cross, He went down to the dead and saved them (in a way freed them from being down there). Before that, the gates of Heaven were shut due to Original Sin. In this way, as Christians believing that Jesus is the succession, He is the Messiah, I wasn’t surprised afterwards in finding out that the Jewish people didn’t believe in life after death to the extent that Christians do.
