Before the law was given to Moses, no man was held accountable for their iniquities. Although sin had been released in the world by Adam,it brought death to them all,because the wages of sin is death. ROMANS;5; 12-16;Wherefore,as by one man sin entered into the world,and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,for that all have sinned. 13;(For until the law sin was in the world;but sin is not imputed when there is no law..........imputed means not counted against. Even though everyone inherited sin,and death through Adam's fall. That is why Jesus went to preach to the souls in hell that died before the law had been written. They had a choice to believe or not .Those that died after the law had been written was held accountable for their sins,because the law exposed their sins,and afterward,they had no excuse for not worshiping God. They were also preached to by Jesus,because many had not known of the Son of God, as their savior. And all they had to do was to believe.ROMANS ;5; 14;Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,who is the figure of him that was to come.............similitude means in the likeness of Adam,and we are the figures that came after him. So all that is in the likeness of Adam is Dead,because of sin, and all those that have been transformed from the likeness of Adam into the likeness of Jesus Christ by grace,the free gift, has eternal life.