Firmament

[[File:Flammarion.jpg|thumb|165px|The 19<sup>th</sup> century {{wpl|Flammarion engraving}} is often used to illustrate the concept. It's not a "straight" example, as its original purpose was to illustrate the erroneous beliefs of previous ages.]][[File:Old Testament Cosmos.jpg|thumb|left|A side view.]]
[[File:Spherical firmament.jpeg|thumb|165px|According to some [[YEC|YECs]], pre-flood [[Earth]] was enveloped by a layer of ice that protected the biosphere from cosmic radiation.]]
"'''Firmament'''" is the most common English translation of the [[Hebrew]] word ''raqiaà'', as used in the [[Bible]].<ref group=note>In the Bible, ''raqiaà'' is used to mean "that which is hammered, beaten out." In, for example, {{bible|Exodus|39|3}} "its verbal cognate raqa' ("stamp, beat, spread out"[http://lexicon.scripturetext.com/exodus/39-3.htm]) is used of hammering metal into thin plates." The idea that the sky was hammered out is "consonant with both [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] and [[Sumer]]ian views of the sky."</ref> The Firmament is a vast, solid<ref>[http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/seelypt1.pdf The Firmament and the Water Above Part I: The Meaning of raqiaà in Gen 1:6-8]</ref> plate/dome/sphere upon which [[God]] affixed the [[star]]s.<ref><bible book=Genesis chapter=1 verse1=16 verse2=17/></ref> It separates the [[Earth]] from the waters of [[Heaven]],<ref>{{bible|Genesis|1|6|7}}</ref> but has floodgates for when God feels like letting it rain, or simply [[Examples of God personally killing people|killing people]].<ref>{{bible|Genesis|7|11|12}}</ref>

Elsewhere in the Bible, the Firmament is compared to a tent.<ref>{{bible|Isaiah|40|22}}</ref>  It is made of a metallic, reflective<ref>{{bible|Job|37|18}}</ref> or crystalline substance.<ref>{{bible|Ezekiel|1|22}}</ref>

The early model of the [[Universe]] had a [[flat Earth]] with a flat sky held up with pillars, much like post and lintel construction. After dome construction was invented, it became obvious that God had used the best construction method and earth was flat with a domed sky. [[Plato]] showed that Earth was a sphere and proposed seven crystal spheres holding the heavenly bodies giving us seven heavens.<ref>{{wpa|Celestial spheres}}</ref> The Bible uses all models without noting their incompatibilities.

This shows that the writers of the Bible believed that the sky was a literal solid; thus, [[creationist]]s have tried to come up with various excuses.<ref>''The Waters Above: Earth's Pre-Flood Vapor Canopy'' by Joseph C. Dillow (1982) Moody Press. {{Isbn|0802491987}}.</ref> 
[[Kent Hovind]]
 [[Kent Hovind|He Who Must Not Be Named]] claims that the firmament was a shell of solid ice which completely covered the Earth before the [[Global flood|Great Flood]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY0rj-TEx4o</ref>

Of course, rational people know that this is [[bullshit]]. The simple theory of [[gravity]] would send any such canopy crashing to the ground but of course, gravity is [[intelligent falling|just a theory]]. Reasonable [[Jews]], [[Christians]], and [[Muslims]] assume it is one of the allegorical parts of the Bible, or recognize it for what it is, a [[Protoscience|pre-scientific]] attempt to explain part of the world &ndash; much like earthquakes or lightning.
==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Creationist claims]]
[[Category:Old Testament]]
[[Category:Bible analysis]]

Categories: Creationist claims, Old Testament, Bible analysis