Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Walter Mattfeld" <mattfeld AT mail.pjsnet.com>]

George is right, read lots of ancient mythological texts. I would highly
reccomend M.R. Wright, Cosmology in Antiquity, London, Routledge Publishers,
1995, ISBN 0-415-12183 (paperback)

Wright:

"In Homer the vault of the sky had been given as metallic, of iron or
bronze, whereas Anaximenes called it crystalline (krystalloeides,i.e., like
ice), being hard, clear and colourless. He supposed that the fixed stars
were fastened on to it 'like nails', and that the whole hemisphere with
stars revolved 'like a skull-cap around the head." (p.42)

Homer is dated to the 8th century BCE. Some Humanist scholars have argued
that Amos is of the 8th century as well. If they are correct, then Homer's
notion of the vault of the sky being metallic, iron or brass, may be what
the Hebrew raqiya, meaning beaten (as in metal which is beaten thinly into a
hemisphere or bowl ?) ?

An interesting possible allusion to the concept of a metallic vault for the
sky are the following verses:

"I shall make the sky like iron for you, and your soil like bronze."
Leviticus 26:19

"The heavens above you will be brass, the earth beneath you iron."
Deuteronomy 28:23

All the best,

Walter

Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
Walldorf by Heidelberg
Baden-Wurttemburg
Germany