CASANOWICZ— COSMOGONIC PARALLELS 



which came out, in the form of an infant, Ra, the sun-god, who brought 

 light and life into the world, and created the other gods and beings. 



III. A MULTIPLE OR STORIED UNIVERSE 



"All the American tribes recognize a world above the heavens and 

 a world below the earth. Many of them multiply these worlds. Thus 

 the Bella-Coola believe in a five-storey universe, with two above and 

 two below our earth. Four worlds above and four below is a recorded 

 Chippewa and Mandan conception, and in the South-West the four- 

 storey underworld is the common idea." 1 Dr Alexander finds the 

 "root of the idea in the conception of the four cardinal points of the 

 quarters of the world, from which came the ministering genii when 

 the earth was made, and in which these spirits dwell, upholding the 

 corners of the heavens." 2 



To the sacred four of the Indians corresponds, among the Semites, 

 seven as the most sacred number, and so Jewish post-Biblical tradi- 

 tion knows of seven heavens, while the Mohammedans believe in the 

 existence of seven heavens and seven earths as dwelling-places of the 

 several orders or classes of beings. Both these traditions specify the 

 inhabitants of each story; they lay down the distances between them 

 and the diameter and thickness of each, and (the Mohammedan) the 

 substance of which each is constructed, with much precision. 



The Jewish seven heavens are: (i) Velon (curtain), which is rolled 

 up and down to enable the sun to go in and out; (2) Rakia (firma- 

 ment), on which the sun, moon, and stars are fixed; (3) Shehakim 

 (clouds), in which are the millstones to grind manna for the righteous; 

 (4) Zebul (palace), the upper Jerusalem with its temple; (5) Maon 

 (dwelling), in which live the classes of ministering angels; (6) Makon 

 (foundation), in which are the treasuries of snow and hail, the cham- 

 bers of dew, rain, and mist behind doors of fire; (7) Araboth (plain), 

 where justice and righteousness, the treasurers of life and blessing, 

 the souls of the righteous, and the dew of resurrection are to be found. 

 There are the angels upholding the throne of glory, and over them is 

 enthroned the great King. 3 



The seven heavens of the Mohammedan tradition are: (1) of pure 

 virgin silver, which is Adam's residence; (2) of pure gold, which is that 

 of John the Baptist and Jesus; (3) of pearls, which is Joseph's; (4) of 



1 H. B. Alexander, The Mythology of all Races, etc., p. 275; cf. also pp. xxiii, 23, and 105. 



2 Ibid., p. 23; cf. p. 285. 



* Bab. Talm., Tr. Hagigah, 12, 13a; cf. II Corinthians, xn, 2, where Paul speaks of having been 

 "caught up even to the third heaven." That the conception of a plurality of heavens was already 

 familiar to the Biblical authors is evinced from the expression "heaven of heavens," Deuteronomy, 

 x, 14; I Kings, vm, 15; Psalms, cxlvii, 4. 



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