What is to be taken literal / figurative depends on the context of passages / chapters and much study of the history of the translations, intention of the author, etc.. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
A careful study of history reveals a number of different views on what hell is and I'm sure we still don't have it right. (nakedpastor.com)
A little study of history and comparative religions goes a long way. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)