- Category
- Mystical / Esoteric
- Claimed author
- The vision of the righteous Viraf, recorded by scribes at his dictation
- Likely origin
- Anonymous Zoroastrian priests; received Pahlavi text redacted in the 9th–10th century CE
- Date
- core narrative possibly Sasanian (c. 6th century CE), final redaction c. 9th–10th century CE; Haug & West translation 1872
- Language
- Pahlavi (Middle Persian)
- Manuscripts
- Well-attested in Pahlavi manuscripts with Pazand and Persian versions; 101 chapters in the received text
- Accepted by
- Popular and influential Pahlavi religious text; not part of the Avesta
The Book of Arda Viraf recounts the visionary journey of the priest Viraf, whose soul travels across the Chinwad bridge to tour heaven, the intermediate state, and hell, witnessing the rewards of the righteous and the graphic punishments of sinners before returning with a message from Ohrmazd. It is a landmark of afterlife-vision literature, often compared to Dante's Divine Comedy.