 Three times in the Gospels, Jesus, when talking about that place, described it as a place of outer darkness. Outer darkness makes me think of the ninth plague that came upon the Egyptians. When God began to rain down plagues on the Egyptians and on Pharaoh, the ninth plague was the plague of darkness. And the Lord said, I'm going to send a darkness on the land of Egypt for three days, even a darkness which may be felt.