THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WORLDVIEW by Michael S . Heiser
Proper interpretation of the Bible requires an understanding of the original context in which it was written . This is particularly true for the Old Testament . God chose a specific time , place and culture — the ancient Mediterranean and the ancient Near Eastern world of the second and first millennia BC — in which to inspire faithful persons to produce what we read in the Old Testament . Understanding their worldview leads to more faithful understanding on our part , since misinterpretations result from assuming that the Biblical writers thought , believed and acted as we do .
Although this ancient world is unfamiliar to most of us , it would have been even more unfamiliar to students of the Bible living prior to the archeological discoveries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries . The languages of the ancient Sumerians , Babylonians , Egyptians and Canaanites were deciphered within the past 200 years . The intimate relationship between the Old Testament and the literature and ideas of these civilizations became accessible only after such developments in ancient history and archaeology . This opened an extraordinary window for understanding what the Biblical writers meant . These connections are especially significant for our understanding of Genesis 1 – 2 .
WHAT IS COSMOLOGY ?
The term “ cosmology ” refers to the way in which we understand the structure of the universe . The Biblical writers ’ concept of how the heavens and earth were structured by God represents a particular cosmology . This cosmology involves ideas about where God dwells within the known “ universe ” and reflects the writer ’ s experience or understanding of the world , not historical or scientific fact . For example , cosmologies include descriptions about places and events humans do not experience until death or unless permitted to do so by an act of God .
OLD TESTAMENT COSMOLOGY
The Israelites believed in a universe structure that was common among the civilizations of the ancient Near East . This structure included three parts : a heavenly realm for the gods , an earthly realm for humans and an underworld for the dead . The vocabulary of the Israelites ’ cosmology is also similar to that found in the literature of Mesopotamia , Egypt and Canaan .
The three tiers are reflected in the Ten Commandments : “ You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below ” ( Ex 20:4 ; compare Ps 33:6 – 8 ; Pr 8:27 – 29 ). This cosmology is also affirmed in Philippians 2:10 and Revelation 5:3 .
The Heavens Genesis 1:6 – 8 presents a basic understanding of the heavens : “ And God said , ‘ Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water .’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it . And it was so . God called the vault ‘ sky .’ And there was evening , and there was morning — the second day .” The vaulted dome was believed to be solid and thought to hold back the waters above it , preventing them from falling on the earth .