158 THE SCIENCE OF BIOLOGY 



disk, covered by the sky which was like the ceiling of a dome 

 and rested upon the mountains. It was supposed that on the 

 east and west sides of this dome or firmament there were 

 doors, through which the sun passed in the morning and 



_ Wafers under fl, e Earth. 



of the 



FIG. 22. Schematic Representation of the Hebrew-Chaldean Concept of the 

 Universe. As indicated by references hi the Old Testament. These ideas 

 seem to have been obtained by the Hebrews from Mesopotamian and 

 other earlier sources. 



departed at night. The earth was surrounded by water 

 upon which it floated and the water extended also above 

 the firmament (Fig. 22). In the firmament were windows 

 and the stars were fastened to its lower surface. Above 

 the firmament was Heaven. 2 Such expressions as, "the 

 foundation of the earth upon the waters," "the foundations 

 of the great deep," "the corners of the earth," "the pillars 

 of heaven," "the waters above the firmament," "the sun 



2 C/. the account of the universe by Cosmas, cited on p. 51 of the present 

 volume, and that implied in Milton's "Paradise Lost." 



