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See Also: Cosmology . Greater Artistic License may have been taken to illustrate the unknown heavens beyond the Firmament .]] The various Authors Of The Bible provide sporadic glimpses of their insight regarding Astronomy . These glimpses may be stitched together to form a Biblical impression of the physical universe. As demonstrated below, the meaning of Biblical scriptures are often debated due to translational ambiguities as well as metaphorical and allegorical interpretations. SKY, SUN, MOON AND STARS The , regarded the sky as being composed of solidified Water or ice (some translations render it as "crystal"). Such a sky, being transparent, would permit the stars, which are located above its vault, to be seen through it. STARS AS THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN Several biblical passages refer to “ns, contemporaries of the Hebrews , who likewise conceive of the stars as soldiers serving the god of heaven, Anu , and probably also the somewhat similar god Ninib , whose abode was the planet Saturn . The stars stand in God's presence, to the right and the left of God's throne ( 18:18); they serve Him (Neh. 9:6; Ps. 103:21), and praise Him (Ps. 103:21, 148:2). Like the kings of earth, they may be consigned by God's judgment to the nether world (Isa. 24:21 et seq.); and God will in future execute judgment among them as among the nations of earth (Isa. 34:4 et seq.). Reverence is offered to the stars as living creatures (Jer. 8:2). At the head of this starry host stands a "captain of the army" (Josh. 5:14; Dan. 8:11); according to the passage in the Book Of Daniel , he was the star highest in altitude as well. By this designation the planet Saturn was probably intended, the farthest removed from earth and therefore the highest in the heavens, and which was held by the Assyrians to be the "bellwether" of the flock. This starry army belongs to God; hence the frequent expression "God of hosts" indicates that God is the actual leader of the heavenly array. 1:20) MODERN MOVEMENTS IN BIBLICAL COSMOLOGY Modern Geocentrism attempts to alter scientific thought to be compatible with the Bible with special focus on astronomy. Young Earth Creationism attempts to alter scientific thought to be compatible with the Bible with special focus on creationism (spiritual cosmology). After its experiences during the Copernican Revolution , The Roman Catholic Church has slowly shifted towards tolerance and even acceptance of Physical Cosmology as proposed by scientists. A Roman Catholic Priest in the employ of the Pontifical Academy Of Sciences , Georges Lemaître was, in fact, instrumental in the development of the Big Bang theory of the universe. The Catholic Church and many other mainline Christian denominations accept modern scientific cosmology as compatible with allegorical interpretations of the Bible. The Conservative and Reform traditions within Judaism also accept modern cosmology as compatible with their reading of scripture. In contrast, some modern-day Young Earth Creationists have tried to create Creationist Cosmologies that they claim are compatible with a plain reading of the Creation According To Genesis in order to explain observations that appear to refer to a Universe that is Older than they would prefer. There are also a limited number of radical creationists who believe that strict Modern Geocentrism or even a Flat Earth are the only acceptable cosmological arrangements in concord with the bible, though their numbers are vanishingly small and their arguments are rejected by the majority of creationists. Scientists and their supporters, dismiss all these cosmologies as Pseudoscience . REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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