Apocrypha
Apocalypse of Peter
Vision of Hell
9 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
A detailed description of the judgement, with punishments matched to each sin. It appeared in ancient lists of accepted books before being left out.
Chapters
Dossier
The first detailed Christian description of heaven and hell — with a catalogue of punishments in which each torment mirrors exactly the sin that caused it.
Where this text comes from
2nd century AD, in Greek. It survives in two forms: a Greek fragment found at Akhmim alongside the Gospel of Peter, and a fuller Ethiopic version found later. The two diverge on important details.
Why it is not in the Bible
It was genuinely in contention. The Muratorian Fragment lists it among the accepted books, noting that some would not allow it to be read in church — meaning that in the 2nd century it was a real candidate for the New Testament. It fell away as Petrine authorship came into doubt.
What you will find
- Blasphemers hung by the tongue, murderers in a place full of reptiles, slanderers hung by the hair: the law of retaliation applied to the afterlife.
- It is the source of all later vision-of-hell literature, including the tradition that reaches Dante.
- Paradise is described with colours, scents and fruit, in deliberate counterpoint to the punishments.
- In the Ethiopic version there is a moment when the saved ask mercy for the damned — and an answer is given.
Frequently asked questions
- Did the Apocalypse of Peter nearly make it into the New Testament?
- Yes. The 2nd-century Muratorian Fragment includes it among the received books, recording that part of the community refused to read it in church. It was gradually dropped in the centuries that followed.
- How is it different from the Book of Revelation?
- They are separate books. Revelation is the last book of the Bible. The Apocalypse of Peter is apocryphal and deals almost entirely with the fate of souls after death.