Heliocentric or Geocentric model?

I suppose it is time to wade in on the flat earth/dome debate. I am not going to to take a stance on the science and present “scientific” answers either pro or contra but rather explore the Biblical perspective. The geocentric model, which held sway for a long time, proposed that the Earth was the center of the universe, with the sun, moon, stars, and planets revolving around it.

The heliocentric model, which was proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus and later refined by Galileo and Kepler, posits that the Sun is at the center of the solar system, with the Earth and other planets orbiting it. The idea that the Earth is a sphere was all but settled by ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle (384–322 BC), who obtained empirical evidence after travelling to Egypt and seeing new constellations of stars. Eratosthenes, in the third century BC, became the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth. Islamic scholars made further advanced measurements from about the 9th century AD onwards, while European navigators circled the Earth in the 16th century. Images from space were final proof, if any were needed.

That said, I believe that there is much wrong with our cosmology and our science. So I come from a skeptical viewpoint regarding the “Big Bang” (a Jesuit construct) and theories about dark matter etc. I believe that the electric plasma universe is a far more elegant and practical fit. The universe has always existed and is eternal. It will not expand into a cold entropic death (that is Gnostic-alchemical science). It is often pointed out that Coriolis effect and the spinning of cyclones and the draining of water in the bathtub in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions is due to the spin of the earth. Could it however be the polarity that causes the spin? The earth is a big magnet with incoming charge from the sun (Cf. Birkland currents) so it is far more likely that the direction of spin is charge related? At the equator, water draining from a sink or toilet bowl will appear to drain straight down, with no noticeable rotation, as the Coriolis effect is minimal or nonexistent at this location. I am simply saying that I am skeptical of much of science for example, I don’t believe in manned Lunar landings but I do think that they have managed to land probes. So I am skeptical but open-minded. There is much wrong with science, that much is clear. Storms rotate either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on which hemisphere we find them.

This article is not about proving or disproving the “flat earth” but about looking at biblical cosmogony which is phenomological in nature and not literal. Unfortunately the Western mind is rooted in literalism. Phenomenology, focuses on understanding the nature of experience of people from a subjective, first-person perspective. Therefore, I see the sun rising in the East and setting in the West. In fact where I live I see the sun sink into the sea. The Bible contains poetry and prose and phenomenological descriptions from the perspective of man. It is not a scientific treatise and has a completely different worldview which is rational and consistent with its approach.

Flat earth and Dome

The diagram above is by S. H. Hooke, and is a fairly typical example of how many
commentators depict Israelite Cosmology (for example, see the quote from D. J. A.
Clines later). The sky is understood as a solid dome punctuated by “windows” in
order to enable the “waters above” to fall on the earth (which is supported by
pillars).Many of the texts employed to reconstruct this hypothetical cosmology are either
found in the wisdom literature (like Job or Psalms) or by comparison with other
ANE creation myths. However, wisdom literature is known for its extensive
metaphoric, hyperbolic and poetic imagery and therefore literalism cannot be
pressed. Comparative exercises with other creation myths need to demonstrate
dependency and/or semantic equivalence; a difficult task considering the small
range of texts that are available.  I discuss the subject here:

See also Part 1 and Part 2 by A. Perry for a further extensive treatment:

The Myth of the Solid Dome (Part I)

The Myth of the Solid Dome (Part 2)

The Truman Show – Escape the Lies (4 min)

 

The Day the earth stood still

Often people quote Joshua 10:12-13;

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? (Joshua 10:12-13)

Well, actually it does not say that the earth stood still but that the sun stood still (The Sun, along with the planets in our solar system, orbits around a common center of mass called the barycenter). In any case if this verse is literal everything would have flown off the face of the earth and the seas would have washed over the land. It is obviously poetic license because it refers to the lost book of Jasher in which we find this poetic lament:

 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son:  (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.) The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! (2 Samuel 1:17-19)

A possible third reference to the poetic book of Jasher appears in 1 Kings 8. In the Greek Septuagint (though not in the Hebrew MT text or most translations), verse 8:53 says that the preceding prayer of Solomon is written “in the book of song” (ἐν βιβλίῳ τῆς ᾠδῆς). The Hebrew version of “book of song” could be ספר השיר (Sefer haShir), which is the same as Sefer HaYashar with two letters transposed. According to Alexander Rofeh, this suggests that the name Sefer HaYashar could be related to its function as a hymnal, and the second word might have originally been שיר (shir, “song”) or ישיר (yashir, “he will sing”)

The lost book of Jasher was obviously a poetic book most probably celebrating military exploits to be taught to the Israelites and set to music. To teach them the “use of the Bow” is therefore to teach them the “song of the Bow” commemorating Jonathan and Saul’s heroic death. Taking the language literally would be like believing that trees clapping their hands is literal (all the trees of the field shall clap their hands Isa 55:12). The sun standing still is the equivalent of saying that time stood still and if the exploits of the fighters in Joshua 10 are considered  it would make the SAS look like sissy boyz. They did an 18 mile march up a 3400 feet elevation overnight (Gilgal to Gibeon) then fought a battle next morning, then chased the enemy in a running battle over rough terrain for at least 25 miles (as the crow flies down the valley of Beth Horon). All this happened in less than 24 hours. It was miraculous. As though time stood still.

The day the clock went backwards

The day the shadow of the sun went backwards 10 degrees (Isaiah 38:8) as a sign that Hezkiah would not die but have his life extended by 15 years. We should not think here of a sundial, but rather the shadow retreating down a set of steps or stairs. These were probably steps that Hezekiah could see from where his sick bed was placed. Probably the steps of the temple. What did God do? Stop the earth from spinning? In order to have a shadow retreat you need to have a powerful moving light source and/or the sun being blocked or covered. There are numerous phenomenon that can achieve this. For example a bright meteorite on a day were the sun is suddenly blocked by nimbostratus might reverse a shadow and make it track backwards down the steps. The 15 year extension of life are celebrated by the collection known as the “Songs of Degrees,” also known as “Songs of Ascents,” the fifteen Psalms, numbered 120-134 in the Hebrew Bible. They were not all written by Hezekiah but compiled by him as a memorial…we will sing my songs (Songs of Degrees) in the temple (Isaiah 38:20).

Conclusion

It does not matter for your salvation whether you think the earth is a sphere or a pancake balanced on a giant turtle or that you are living under a dome or in a simulation. I don’t believe we should be dogmatic about such things or waste time arguing about them. Believing in a flat earth may damage your scientific credibility but then there is a lot wrong with astrophysics. I am far more concerned about the misinterpretation of scripture.

If the earth were not flat it would slide off the back of the cosmic turtle (lolz).