Ancient Hebrew cosmos

Designer Michael Paukner has created a depiction of what ancient Hebrews believed the cosmos looked like, based on what is recorded in the Old Testament:


The ancient picture of the universe portrays a world in which the Earth is a disc surrounded by water not only on the sides, but underneath and above as well. A firm bowl (the firmament) keeps the upper waters back but has gates to let the rain and snow through. The Sun, Moon, and stars move in fixed tracks along the underside of this bowl. From below the disc, the waters break through as wells, rivers and the ocean, but the Earth stands firm on pillars sunk into the waters like the pillings of a pier. Deep below the Earth is Sheol, the abode of the dead, which can be entered only through the grave.

Click here to see the diagram.

Posted by Ann Fontaine on July 20, 2010 11:30 AM | |
Comments (1)

I think that this is a helpful graphic to help people get a sense of what the conception was. (And yes, it's very similar to what you find in Babylonian literature of the period as well.) One item that I'd add based on material further along in the OT is a point where Mount Zion rises up and the heavens come down and meet at the point where the Temple stands. That too is a crucial part of understanding the priestly worldview that then is both worked out and argued around in the Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

Posted by Derek Olsen [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 20, 2010 1:05 PM

Add your comments

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

Reminder: At Episcopal Café, we hope to establish an ethic of transparency by requiring all contributors and commentators to make submissions under their real names. For more details see our Feedback Policy.

Advertising Space