Harrowing of Hell. In Christian theology, the Harrowing of Hell is an Old English and Middle English term referring to the period of time between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection.
In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world. Jesus Christ's descent into the world of the dead is referred to in the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed, which state that he descended into the underworld, although neither mention that he liberated the dead.
His descent to the underworld is alluded to in the New Testament in, which states that the good tidings were proclaimed to the dead. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, which states that descended into the lower parts of the earth, as also supporting this interpretation.
These passages in the Bible have given rise to differing interpretations. The Harrowing of Hell is commemorated in the liturgical calendar on Holy Saturday.
According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, the story first appears clearly in the Gospel of Nicodemus in the section called the Acts of Pilate, which also appears separately at earlier dates within the Acts of Peter and Paul. The descent into Hell had been related in Old English poems connected with the names of Caedmon and Cynewulf. It is subsequently repeated in Aelfric of Eynsham's homilies c. 1000 AD, which is the first known inclusion of the wordharro
In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world. Jesus Christ's descent into the world of the dead is referred to in the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed, which state that he descended into the underworld, although neither mention that he liberated the dead.
His descent to the underworld is alluded to in the New Testament in, which states that the good tidings were proclaimed to the dead. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, which states that descended into the lower parts of the earth, as also supporting this interpretation.
These passages in the Bible have given rise to differing interpretations. The Harrowing of Hell is commemorated in the liturgical calendar on Holy Saturday.
According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, the story first appears clearly in the Gospel of Nicodemus in the section called the Acts of Pilate, which also appears separately at earlier dates within the Acts of Peter and Paul. The descent into Hell had been related in Old English poems connected with the names of Caedmon and Cynewulf. It is subsequently repeated in Aelfric of Eynsham's homilies c. 1000 AD, which is the first known inclusion of the wordharro
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