Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <gathas AT mail.usyd.edu.au>]

> I am interested in knowing some thoughts from list members concerning this
> 'vaulted dome' (NASB) 'aguddah
>
> 1. What is this vaulted dome?

Perhaps the same as the _raqiya(_ -- "expanse" -- in Gen 1?

> 2. Do you know any place where this idea of a hard dome above the earth is
> mention in BHS?

Well, the root of _raqiya(_, which occurs in Gen 1, is RQ(, and it means to 
beat or hammer
out. It appears that, according to the cosmography of Gen 1, God engaged in 
some panel
beating to separate the waters above and the waters below -- a celestial dam 
if you like.
At the flood (Gen 8:11), there seem to be somekind of portals or floodgates 
in this panel
which allow the waters above to rain down and flood the earth. So, the idea 
of the
heavenly panel, that is a _raqiya(_, seems to be parallel to the idea of an 
_)aguddah_.

> 3. Is it true that to properly understand this word a linguistic error is
> engaged in, specifically, "borrowing from cognates where similiar concepts
> occur? Could you please elaborate on this concept?

Not necessarily -- we just need to understand how the ancients considered the 
geography of
the cosmos and the language they used to describe it.

> 4. Any other suggestions for studying Hebrew words of cosmological
> significance?

Read lots of mythology -- Levantine, Mesopotamian, Greek, Egyptian....  you 
get a feel for
the ancient cosmos that way.

Best regards,
GEORGE ATHAS
- University of Sydney
- Southern Cross College
- Anglican Chaplaincy, UNSW
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