![]() ![]() The Second Book of Enoch, also written in the first century CE, describes the mystical ascent of the patriarch Enoch through a hierarchy of Ten Heavens. The Jewish Merkavah and Hekhalot literature was devoted to discussing the details of these heavens, sometimes in connection with traditions relating to Enoch, such as the Third Book of Enoch. Araboth (ערבות), The seventh Heaven where ophanim, the seraphim, and the hayyoth and the Throne of God are located.In the Talmud, it is suggested that the upper part of the universe is made up of seven heavens ( Hebrew: shamayim): Along with the idea of seven heavens, the idea of three heavens was also common in ancient Mesopotamia. As Gilgamesh says to his friend Enkidu, in the Epic of Gilgamesh: "Who can go up to the heavens, my friend? Only the gods dwell with Shamash forever". In general, the heavens is not a place for humans in Mesopotamian religion. ![]() The seven Jewish and the seven Islamic heavens may have had their origin in Babylonian astronomy. The number seven appears frequently in Babylonian magical rituals. The understanding that the heavens can influence things on earth lent heavenly, magical properties to the number seven itself, as in stories of seven demons, seven churches, seven spirits, or seven thrones. One such incantation is: "an-imin-bi ki-imin-bi" (the heavens are seven, the earths are seven.) Sumerian incantations of the late second millennium BCE make references to seven heavens and seven earths. Instead, after a person died, his or her soul went to Kur (later known as Irkalla), a dark shadowy underworld, located deep below the surface of the earth. : 203 Ordinary mortals could not go to the heavens because it was the abode of the gods alone. : 108–109 : 203 The sun was her brother Utu, the god of justice, : 203 and the moon was their father Nanna. : 203 The planet Venus was believed to be Inanna, the goddess of love, sex, and war. The celestial bodies were equated with specific deities as well. The highest and outermost dome of the heavens was made of luludānītu stone and was personified as An, the god of the sky. The middle dome of heaven was made of saggilmut stone and was the abode of the Igigi. : 203 The lowest dome of the heavens was made of jasper and was the home of the stars. ![]() : 180 Each dome was made of a different kind of precious stone. The ancient Mesopotamians regarded the sky as a series of domes (usually three, but sometimes seven) covering the flat earth. In the Sumerian language, the words for heavens (or sky) and earth are An and Ki. The concept of seven heavens as developed in ancient Mesopotamia symbolised both physical and metaphysical concepts. Others believe the seven heavens are related to the seven stars of Orion, the Big Dipper, Little Dipper and the Pleaides/Seven Sisters according to ancient western astrology. They also observed that objects in the sky influenced objects on earth as when movements of the sun affect the behavior of plants or movements of the moon affect ocean tides. Unlike comets, which appeared in the sky with no warning, they did move in regular patterns that could be predicted. Ancient observers noticed that these heavenly objects (the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) moved at different paces in the sky both from each other and from the fixed stars beyond them. Įach of the seven heavens corresponds to one of the seven classical planets known in antiquity. ![]() Some of these traditions, including Jainism, also have a concept of seven earths or seven underworlds both with the metaphysical realms of deities and with observed celestial bodies such as the classical planets and fixed stars. The concept, also found in the ancient Mesopotamian religions, can be found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam a similar concept is also found in some other religions such as Hinduism. In religious or mythological cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven levels or divisions of the Heavens.
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