You are looking at a detail of contemporary artist Peter Booth’s painting, “Apocolyptic Landscape” (1983) — the shapes are jagged and random; the red, black, and brown coloring evokes filth; and the black and white streaks appear flattened next to some penetrating rondels in red and yellow. It is a fitting accompaniment to discuss another Apocolypse by a man named Peter (allegedly), but this one from 1,800 years ago.
Those familiar with the Christian Bible know the final book — _Revelations_ — is a terrifying account of the violent end of the world and a spiritual realm to come. Written in the early second century, this text was only one of several apocalyptic visions recorded by Christians in their early history. These accounts typically have in common a description of how the enemies of their group meet with horrifying torture in the afterlife, while those who are part of their community receive a glorious eternal life.
_The Apocalypse of Peter_ dates to around the same time as _Revelations_, but was not included in the New Testament despite circulating around the Mediterranean (and even into Ethiopia) as part of Christian sacred scriptures. It tells the story of a vision that Jesus gives to his apostle Peter of the torments of sinners and the eternal peace of Christians in hell and heaven. As usual, the crimes include a motley range — murderers suffer alongside girls who do up their hair in order to attract men to have sex with, liars and those who punished Christians reside next to people who don’t honor their parents.
Ah! The author thought about such creative tortures, inspiring a genre that Dante eventually imitated. Here’s just a short list: venomous beasts, pits, entrail-eating worms, chains of fire, flesh-devouring birds, shredded bodies (that’s for women who have pre-marital sex), and bodies strapped to burning wheels. These sorts of ideas could make those in the in-crowd feel pleasure at their opponents’ righteous punishment and reinforce group behavior.
Source(s): Copywrite Peter Booth 2019. The Apocolypse of Peter and commentary in _Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It into the New Testament_, Bart D. Ehrman, OUP, 2003.
