11
Many medieval Christian Tours of Hell were influenced by the Apocalypse of Paul and
showed striking similarities to it.
42
Some of them include the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra (second
to ninth century), the Vision of Ezra (third to seventh century), and the Greek Apocalypse of
Mary (perhaps eleventh century).
43
In spite of their association with Ezra (an Old Testament
Hebrew leader), these are Christian compositions.
44
Dante was a famous Italian poet who wrote the best known and most influential of the
Tours of Hell, his Inferno, the first canticle of his Divine Comedy. Not a professional theologian,
Dante presented a popular medieval theology held by the ordinary layman.
45
Although creating a
powerful impression of Hell with his vivid and grotesque imagery, he did little to inform his
readers concerning the true picture of Hell that Scripture envisions. Nevertheless, Dantes picture
has become the standard portrait of Hell for popular writers in subsequent centuries.
Recognizing his work as imaginative and highly speculative, Dante did not intend for the
figurative language of his poetry to be understood as literal doctrine. Problems developed when
"many subsequent readers, imitative writers, and preachers forgot these descriptions were
speculations and treated them rather as theological dogma."
46
Misconstruing Dante in this way
resulted in setting up a straw man that was easy for skeptics to repudiate. Picturing Lucifer/Satan
as a three-faced (one red) monster (XXIV, 34-81) with huge wings and incredible size is hardly a
valid basis for repudiating the reality of Satan. The error is in equating this fictional caricature
with the Devil.
Dantes Inferno is saturated with Biblical allusions that are obscure to most modern
readers. It is also saturated with historical and mythological allusions that will be completely
meaningless to virtually everyone except for experts in both ancient and medieval history and
mythology.
47
Dantes guide and companion for his Tour of Hell was Virgil, a Roman poet who
had died in 19 B.C.
48
Characteristics of Dantes Hell include fire, darkness, ice, and a foul stench, fiery rivers
and sands, grotesque forms and immense size of demonic monsters, being ripped apart by
anothers teeth, only to be re-formed to repeat the process.
Early in his tour Dante saw an ominous sign on a ledge above a gate through which those
headed for Hell would pass:
THROUGH ME THE WAY INTO THE DOLEFUL CITY,
THROUGH ME THE WAY INTO ETERNAL GRIEF,
THROUGH ME THE WAY AMONG A RACE FORSAKEN.. . .
BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS
WERE MADE, AND I SHALL LAST ETERNALLY.
ABANDON HOPE, FOREVER, YOU WHO ENTER.
(III. 1-3, 7-9)
49
In Dantes Inferno there were few punishments involving some sort of hanging. But there
were many torments involving various versions of fire, violence such as ripping flesh apart,
sitting in muck and mire. Dante vividly portrayed the experiences and reactions of the damned
with regard to their various forms of torment, He wrote: