KOSMOS

David C. Hindley dhindley at compuserve.com
Sat Oct 12 01:05:00 EDT 2002


Cindy Smith asks:

>>I think that the word KOSMOS means "universe" in the sense of "known
sphere of existence."<<

IMHO, this is, essentially, right. I usually try to think of "adornment"
(note the connection with "cosmetics") in the sense of "what we can see/the
things around us".

Since the previous responses have noted that we must (first) understand the
words found in the bible in their original context (exegesis is another
matter), let me add this:

In that period (1st century CE) it was "known" in scientific circles (way
less than 1% of the population) that the world was a sphere and that the
sun, moon and planets were apparently circling about us. "Planet" is an
English word that describes the fact that they seemed to travel along the
"plane" of the ecliptic, and for all extents and purposes this is all that
even the most educated 1st century person would know about them. It was also
known in scientific circles that the stars appear to revolve along a
slightly different axis that the sun, moon and planets. These things may
have been "common" knowledge among the elite classes (these are not thought
to exceed 5% of the total population) and to a lesser extent among the
"retainer" classes (city folk, mainly, another 5%).

They really had no idea what they were, and imagined all sorts of things
(e.g., they were gods, were fiery lights on chariots, etc). With regard to
astral matters, the vast majority of folks related everything to the point
of the observer, using a horizon oriented system for reference. In fact,
common folk may not have even imagined that sun/moon/planets circled the
earth, but entered the sky through one portal and exited through another, as
in the book(s) of 1 Enoch. The routes need not necessarily be circular.

While the educated folks liked to poke fun at the hypothetical existence of
residents of the southern hemisphere (by calling them "antipodes," that is,
folks who walk on their hands instead of their feet), I do not think anyone
thought there were other inhabited "worlds" like this one "up there" in what
*we* call the universe (but I could be wrong).

However, that doesn't mean there are not such worlds, and even if God
dictated the scriptures, I doubt he would be obligated to tell people about
them (sort of a "need to know" basis, and we wouldn't need to know to get
the point of scripture) even by inference.

See Otto Neugebauer's works on the subject of the History of Astronomy, etc.

Respectfully,

Dave Hindley
Cleveland, Ohio, USA






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