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.