The term cosmology refers to the way one understands the structure of the universe
The Israelites believed in a
cosmology that was common among the
ancient civilizations of the Biblical
world it encompassed three parts built
up like a layer cake a heavenly realm an
earthly realm for humans and an
underworld for the dead this three-tier
system is reflected in the Ten Commandments
You shall not make for
yourself a carved image or any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above or
that is in the earth beneath or that is
in the water under the earth
The biblical writers thought of the
earth as a flat disc atop vast waters
rising from the deep waters below were
the foundations of the world which held
the earth firmly in place this idea is
reflected in several places throughout Scripture
The foundations of the earth
belong to the Lord on them He has set
the world Where were you when I laid the
earth's foundation? tell me if you know
who measured it? I'm sure you know! who
stretched a measuring line across it?
what was it built on? who laid its most
important stone? He placed the earth on
its foundations
it can never be moved beneath the earth
lay the realm of the Dead
often referred to by the Hebrew word
Sheol the Hebrew word for Earth, 
'erets is also used since the graves
dug by humans represented gateways to
the underworld this underworld was also
connected to the great deep the
uninhabitable abyss beneath everything
in Job this realm is described in watery
terms the dead tremble under the waters
and their inhabitants
sheol is naked before God and Abaddon
has no covering Jonah's description is
perhaps the most vivid water encompassed
me to the point of death the great deep
engulfed me weeds were wrapped around my
head I descended to the roots of the
mountains the earth with its bars was
around me forever but you have brought
up my life from the pit Oh Lord my God
ancient Israelites did not think of the
sky as a layer of gas they believed the
heavens were separated from the earth by
a solid glass like dome this view is
reflected in Job can you like Him spread
out the skies hard as a cast metal mirror
above the solid dome or firmament was an
endless area of water
this idea of an area of land and air
sandwiched between water above and water
below is presented in the opening of Genesis
Then God said let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters and
let it divide the waters from the waters
thus God made the firmament and divided
the waters which were under the
firmament from the waters which were
above the firmament and it was so and
God called the firmament heaven
The firmament surrounded the earth and its
edge met the horizon the boundary
between light and darkness
it was supported by pillars or
foundations thought to be the tops of
mountains whose peaks appeared to touch
the sky the earth trembled and shook the
pillars of the heavens rocked back and
forth they trembled because the Lord was angry
the Sky Dome had portals which God could
open to let the waters above fall to the earth
This idea is evident in the story
of Noah and his ark
Noah was 600 years old it was the 17th
day of the second month of the year on
that day all of the springs at the
bottom of the oceans burst open God
opened the windows of the sky rain fell
on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights
and how did the rain end? The springs at
the bottom of the oceans had been closed
the windows of the sky had also been
closed and the rain had stopped falling
from the sky God and His heavenly hosts
were thought to dwell above the firmament
 
Thick clouds veil Him so that he does
not see and He walks on the vault of
heaven the Lord builds His palace high
in the heavens He lays its foundation on
the earth He sends for the waters in the
clouds then He pours them out on the
surface of the land His name is the Lord
