It helps us to remember that every one of the ancient Near Eastern cultures shared the same cosmological worldview as the Biblical authors. They believed in a three-tiered cosmology consisting of a vaulted or domed sky/heavens, a flat Earth, and a watery underworld/sea.
Here is a helpful graphic to show you the cosmology of ancient Biblical authors
The Cosmology of the Biblical Authors
The three tiered cosmology of the ancient Near East is shared by the Biblical Authors. I want to leave you with this last quote from the Faithlife Study Bible to cement my case.
“The three tiers are reflected in the Ten Commandments: ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth’ (Exod 20:4; compare Psa 33:6-8; Prov 8:27-29). This cosmology is also affirmed in Philipians 2:10 and Revelation 5:3.”
Faithlife Study Bible: in the Article: The Old Testament and the Ancient Near Eastern Worldview under the notes of Genesis 1:1-7
We hope you enjoyed this Theology Lesson in 60 seconds.
If you are interested in this subject continue this study in our longer post here
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U.K. Link: NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible- Hardcover Bible, Kindle Edition
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