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  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: "Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Re: Greek Kosmos and similar Hebrew words
  • Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 01:57:30 -0500

Dear Cindy:

In the book “Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek” by Thorleif Boman (I don’t
remember the page) he specifically mentions this “Hebrew cosmology” as being
false. This is a marriage of Greek thought on Hebrew terminology which gives
a bastard offspring. (Though I found the ideas important, the book is hard to
read and understand.)

A problem for us today is that the Bible has almost no statements on
cosmology written in a format that is recognizable to modern people. It was
unimportant to the message. The end result is that any modern attempt to make
a definitive statement as to ancient Hebrew cosmology ends up entailing more
eisegesis of what we presume than exegesis of what the text actually states.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "SPAWN OF A JEWISH CARPENTER: CINDY SMITH" <cms AT dragon.com>

> I'm writing a masters thesis in religious studies and am currently
> working on a section on the understanding of the ancient to modern
> concepts of the universe, the world (kosmos), heaven, earth, etc. The
> Greek word kosmos means "world" or "universe" in the sense of a
> combination of the earth and the sky upon which were fixed the stars.
>
> I'm looking for the Hebrew understanding of the nature of the kosmos.
> I gather that the Hebrews thought of the earth (eretz? tebel?) as a
> kind of flat table over which was the dome of the sky (shamayim?), a
> physical vault that, when God opened the sluicegates, water fell
> through in a process we call rain. Is there a Hebrew word for the
> combination of heaven and earth like the Greek kosmos?
>
> As I understand it, the Hebrews thought there was a watery chaos above
> the dome as well as waters below the earth (Greek Okeanos) that
> separated earth from Sheol.
>
> Any help appreciated. Thanks!
>
>
>
> Cindy Smith Unless the LORD build the house,
> cms AT dragon.com they labor in vain who build.
> cms AT 5sc.net Unless the LORD guard the city,
> cms AT romancatholic.org in vain does the guard keep watch.
> Me transmitte sursum, -- Psalm 127:1
> Caledoni! All your base are belong to us.
> A Real Live Catholic You are on the way to destruction.
> in Georgia! What you say.
> >->> <<-< Go against the flow! You have no chance to survive make
> >your time.
--
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