In this installment Critical Thinking Aloud we are going to continue in our series on What is the Bible by looking at the ancient biblical authors view of Heaven.
So far in this series we have noted that the Bible is an ancient Near Eastern collection of literature. This library consists of works made up of ever type of literary device known to humans so that any one reading it would be able to understand clearly the truth being communicated to them.
Further more this collection shares common story elements that are recognizable to anyone who is familiar with stories. There are main characters, a setting, climax and end. The setting of the Biblical narrative takes place only in the ancient Near East. The Bible’s setting is that of the 70 nations from Genesis 10.
In the last installment we went over the ancient Near Eastern Biblical authors cosmology which they shared with the surrounding nations. This three tiered cosmology consisted of a the heavens unto of a domed vault, a flat earth that was upheld by pillars that are set in the sea/ underworld.
Today we will be building off of the other installments of this series. If you haven’t gone over that material yet we suggest you do so now by clicking here.
How we are going to learn
Today we will be looking at the topic of the heavens in the ancient Near Eastern cosmology. As I have done in the past with other teachings I want to quote from scholarly sources to make my point. I do this in hope that you will see this isn’t just my interpretation of the Scriptures but that this view is steeped in acadeemia.
We will be using two amazing sources which we highly recommend.
- Faithlife Study Bible: This is an amazing resource that is free if you download the app or use it online. To download the app or use this resource online visit their website here. This resource is also available in print which you can purchase here.
- The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: This is my favorite resource for gaining a better understanding for the ancient Near Eastern worldview of the Biblical authors. This is available in a multitude of variations all of which you can find on our resource page here.
Let’s get started.
The Vaulted Dome
First off we want to remember that even though the ancient Biblical authors shared the same cosmology with their neighboring nations their theological conclusions were much different.
They believe the same concepts about the world and cosmos except that the creator and ruler of all things was not which ever god the nations had in mind but it is Yahweh.
Everyone in the ancient Near East believed the top part of their three tiered cosmology was the Heavens. Their conception of the sky/ Heavens differs vastly from ours.
Quotes From the Scholars
Here is a couple quotes from our trusted resources to help us out.
“The Hebrew raqia (“vault”) is of unspecified material, but in at least one text it refers to something solid (cf. Eze 1:25-26). It is the boundary between heaven and earth, and its main function is to hold back the water above. Some mountains are identified as intersecting the sky and perhaps holding it up. Mesopotamian literature at times suggests some sort of skin, but also speaks of the various levels of heaven having pavements the most visible one being blue…”
“…Pictorial representations throughout the ancient Near East portray waters above and below, which demonstrates that this was a common feature of ancient cosmic geography…”
“…In the OT, the heavenly waters are sometimes called the mabbul, above which Yahweh is enthroned (Ps 29:10) and which are released in the time of Noah (Gen 7:10)…”
The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Article about The “Vault” and “Water Above” on pg. 6-7
Similarly the Faith Life Study Bible says this about the Vaulted Dome
“The vaulted dome was believed to be solid and thought to hold back the waters above it, preventing them from falling on the earth. The vaulted dome, sometimes called the firmament (and sometimes equated with the sky), was seen as connecting to foundations that went deep below the sea. The dome surrounded the earth with its edge meeting at the horizon- the boundary “between light and darkness” (Job 26:10; compare Prov 8:27-28)…”
“… The vaulted dome was thought to be supported by the tops of mountains, because the peaks appeared to touch the sky (e.g., 2 Sam 22:8).”
Faithlife Study Bible: in the Article: The Old Testament and the Ancient Near Eastern Worldview under the notes of Genesis 1:1-7
Shared Cosmology
Unequivocally the ancient Near Eastern world along with the Biblical authors believed that in the sky was a solid dome. This solid dome separated the heavens from the earth (earths atmosphere in our modern worldview), and kept the waters from the heavens at bay. The waters from below and the waters from above met at the horizon, therefor making a sphere of water around the flat earth. See picture above.
Above the dome is where the nations deity was thought to reside. For the ancient Biblical authors this is where Yahweh’s throne was located.
“Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
Revelation 4:6
Biblical authors described this dome as a see of glass below the throne of Yahweh.
As we will look at more in detail next time the biblical authors thought the earths foundation were rooted in the underworld so to were the foundations of this dome.
*Also notice from the picture above how the sun, stars, moon, and clouds were all believed to be inside the dome.
Different Perspective
In the ancient Near Eastern worldview the heavens were separated from the earth by this dome in the sky which rested on the mountain tops.
Even today when looking at a mountain it is easy to see how ancient cultures could come to the conclusion that mountain tops held up the sky.
Ancient people believed that the abodes of their deities were located on mountain tops. The heavens as well as the tops of high mountains were the place where spiritual beings resided.
This same thought was believed by the Biblical Authors and is well attested to in the biblical narrative. We went over this topic and made our case in our Eden The Mountain of God post which you can check out by clicking here.
Again by looking at the picture above you can see how the mountain tops and the sky would seem to intersect and share a similar concept in an unenlightened worldview. Why this was such a prominent thought and the fuller significance behind the ancient Near Eastern beliefs about mountains will be discussed in more detail in the next installment on Critical Thinking Aloud.
Don’t be fooled
Remember it is easy for us to think God wouldn’t use “the faulty knowledge” of the ancient Near East to preserve His truths because our 21st century conceptions of the science i.e. the heavens/space, the sky and mountains tops have changed. This could not be further from the truth.
God in His wisdom chose these people to preserve His love story for all people. Although our perceptions about cosmology have changed the theological truths put forth in the Bible are everlasting.
Check out this short video series on Spiritual beings by our friends over at The Bible Project by clicking here. They are amazing and super helpful to better grasp what we will be covering in this series.
Citations:
Faithlife Study Bible. J. D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2012.
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Grand Rapids, Michigan USA Zondervan 2016
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