Whilst I haven’t read the article my understanding is that those born before Jesus death and resurrection went to the Bosom of Abraham and not the hell of the damned, but is like purgatory as we see that Jesus descended unto there during the 3 days he was in the tomb.
CCC #631-637 explains this .
And
CCC #633 " Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell” -
Sheol in Hebrew or
Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God.480 Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”:481 "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.“482 Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.483”.
#634 & 635 should be read as well.
Jesus’ death and resurrection was the way which permitted mortal sins could be forgiven
CCC #1026.
So those who died before this who at the time of death had not repented of their grave sins, so were not the just, therefore died not in God’s grace and friendship did go to the hell of the damned.
Catholic Answers - Did all the people who died prior to Jesus go to hell? by Jim Blackburn
Catholic Answers - Hell? Yes! Part 1 by Jim Blackburn - quotes the Bible and the CCC.
Catholic Answers - Hell? Yes! Part II - by Jim Blackburn - quotes the Bible and CCC
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