“dome” (raqia) suggests a gigantic metal dome. God inserted this solid barrier into the middle of the primordial waters to separate the waters above from the waters below, creating an open dry space where the earth could emerge. [1, 2]
Ancient Cosmic Design
- The Dome: The ancient Hebrew worldview pictured the sky as a hard, hammered metal vault or inverted bowl.
- Waters Above and Below: The dome held back heavenly cosmic oceans, while the waters gathered below to let dry land appear.
- The Translation Shift: Later Latin translations used firmamentum (firmament), which shifted the traditional English idea toward a looser expanse rather than hard metal. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
