- “Christ's death forever quakes this circle” — Virgil
The Harrowing of Hell refers to the journey of Jesus into Hell after his crucifixion. His power was so great that as he walked through the Woeful Realm, Jesus caused massive earthquakes, which damaged several areas of Hell. Among the damaged places were the City of Dis and several of the bridges spanning the Malebolge.
Additional, as Jesus continued on, he sought out and redeemed worthy souls, such as Adam and Abraham, as well as other Biblical figures to be brought along with Jesus into Paradise.
In the game, as Dante began to leave the burning City of Dis, it began to collapse and crumble. Each beam of holy light left behind by the Harrowing created deep chasms as it absolved souls.