Registration No. 333-85488

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

John Hancock Life Insurance Company

SignatureNotes

With Maturities of Twelve Months or More from Date of Issue

Pricing Supplement No. 134	Trade Date: 8/23/2004
(To Prospectus dated July 22, 2002 as supplemented by Prospectus Supplement dated January 10, 2003)	Issue Date: 8/26/2004

The date of this Pricing Supplement is August 23, 2004

CUSIP or Common Code:	41013NAS7	41013NAT5	41013NAU2	41013NAV0	41013NAW8
Price to Public:	100.000%	100.000%	100.000%	100.000%	100.000%
Principal Amount:	$806,000.00	$1,316,000.00	$837,000.00	$482,000.00	$317,000.00
Proceeds to Issuer:	$801,970.00	$1,307,775.00	$830,304.00	$477,180.00	$313,037.50
Discounts and Commissions:	0.500%	0.625%	0.800%	1.000%	1.250%
Reallowance:	0.100%	0.150%	0.150%	0.150%	0.200%
Dealer:	99.625%	99.500%	99.350%	99.200%	99.000%
Maturity Date:	8/15/2006	8/15/2007	8/15/2008	8/15/2009	8/15/2011
Stated Annual Interest Rate:	2.550%	3.000%	3.400%	3.700%	4.100%
Interest Payment Frequency:	Semi	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly	Monthly
First Payment Date:	2/15/2005	9/15/2004	9/15/2004	9/15/2004	9/15/2004
Additional Amounts:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Survivor’s Option:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Callable by Issuer:	No	No	No	No	No
If Callable by Issuer, dates and terms of redemption (including the redemption price)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Original Issue Discount1:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other Material Terms (if any):	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Effective April 7, 2003 the name of Solomon Smith Barney Inc., an agent of the program, was changed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

¹ For information regarding certain tax provisions applicable to Original Issue Discount notes, including zero-coupon notes, see “Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders — Original Issue Discount Notes” in the Prospectus.

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Registration No. 333-85488

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

John Hancock Life Insurance Company

SignatureNotes

With Maturities of Twelve Months or More from Date of Issue

Pricing Supplement No. 134	Trade Date: 8/23/2004
(To Prospectus dated July 22, 2002 as supplemented by Prospectus Supplement dated January 10, 2003)	Issue Date: 8/26/2004

The date of this Pricing Supplement is August 23, 2004

CUSIP or Common Code:	41013NAX6	41013NAY4	41013NBA5	41013NBB3
Price to Public:	100.000%	100.000%	100.000%	100.000%
Principal Amount:	$837,000.00	$1,354,000.00	$1,956,000.00	$2,018,000.00
Proceeds to Issuer:	$825,282.00	$1,335,044.00	$1,921,770.00	$1,967,550.00
Discounts and Commissions:	1.400%	1.400%	1.750%	2.500%
Reallowance:	0.200%	0.200%	0.275%	0.350%
Dealer:	98.800%	98.800%	98.600%	97.850%
Maturity Date:	8/15/2012	8/15/2012	8/15/2016	8/15/2029
Stated Annual Interest Rate:	4.350%	Step: 3.000% through 8/14/2006, and 5.750% thereafter (unless called)	5.150%	5.600%
Interest Payment Frequency:	Quarterly	Monthly	Semi	Semi
First Payment Date:	11/15/2004	9/15/2004	2/15/2005	2/15/2005
Additional Amounts:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Survivor’s Option:	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Callable by Issuer:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
If Callable by Issuer, dates and     terms of redemption (including     the redemption price)	N/A	8/15/2006 Callable one time only at 100% on call date above with 30 days notice.	2/15/2007 Callable one time only at 100% on call date above with 30 days notice.	8/15/2009 Callable one time only at 100% on call date above with 30 days notice.
Original Issue Discount2:	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Other Material Terms (if any):	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

² For information regarding certain tax provisions applicable to Original Issue Discount notes, including zero-coupon notes, see “Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders — Original Issue Discount Notes” in the Prospectus.

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