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what cultural ideas about the sky and earth existed in neighboring ancient near eastern societies?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Genesis 1:6-8

“God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse Sky. There was evening and there was morning, the second day.”

This passage is from the opening chapter of Genesis, part of the priestly account of creation (P-source). It describes God's actions on the second day, establishing a fundamental structure of the cosmos by separating primordial waters with an 'expanse' that God names 'Sky'.

How might our understanding of the 'sky' and 'earth' be reshaped by considering ancient perspectives on their construction?

Then — the setting

This passage reflects a common Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cosmology, not a modern scientific one. In cultures like Mesopotamia and Egypt, the universe was often envisioned as a three-tiered structure: a flat earth, often seen as floating on water, with a solid dome-like sky (the 'expanse' or 'firmament') above it, holding back upper waters. Below the earth were the waters of the deep and the underworld. This framework provided a stable, ordered world, distinct from the primordial chaos often depicted as watery. The Israelites shared many of these general structural ideas with their neighbors, though their understanding of the divine agent and purpose of creation was distinctive.

Across the Testaments

The Old Testament, particularly poetic books like Psalms (e.g., Psalm 104) and Job, frequently alludes to this cosmological understanding, describing God's power in establishing the heavens and the earth, and controlling the waters. In the New Testament, while not explicitly detailing cosmology, references to 'heaven and earth' (e.g., Matthew 5:18) presuppose the established created order. The New Testament writers focus more on the culmination of God's redemptive plan within this creation, rather than its initial structural details, but the underlying Old Testament cosmic framework is assumed.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 19:1
This verse states 'The heavens declare the glory of God,' linking the created sky to divine revelation.
Job 37:18
This passage asks, 'Can you, with him, spread out the sky, which is strong as a cast metal mirror?' highlighting the sky's solidity.
2 Peter 3:5-7
This New Testament passage references the creation and destruction by water, reflecting similar cosmic structures.

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