Ancient Cosmology

6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. Genesis 1.6-8 NIV

At one time everyone knew the earth was flat. This was obvious from observation, the basis of knowledge in the ancient world. A literal read of Genesis 1 reveals the same cosmology as seen in the rest of the Ancient Near East: flat earth (supported on pillars), surrounded by primeval waters above, below, and all around, held back from deluging human living space by the solid dome of the sky.

Although the author of Genesis has an understanding of the physical properties of the earth common to cultures of his time, clearly his picture of the world's creator is outstandingly different. This passage does not teach science; it has no goal of correcting the view of the day. (What a different book we would have if God had said: no, guys, you've got it all wrong about the earth. It's round and it rotates.) But that is not the purpose. The purpose is to show our all-powerful God preparing a habitat for humans made in his image.


PS A Google search easily finds the website of today's Flat Earth Society. "This site is not a joke," says their Q & A page.