Does the bible say the earth is flat?

[cynara]

Does it actually explicitly say or imply that the earth is flat in biblical text?

thanks

[Jaltus]

No.

[Jaltus]

By the way, are you Cynara from SOK?

[doogieduff]

Yesterday @ 11:30 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=90702#post90702)
Jaltus:

By the way, are you Cynara from SOK?

Are you talking about the band?

[Jaltus]

No, a guild.

[Robyn Banks]

cynara:
Does it actually explicitly say or imply that the earth is flat in biblical text?

thanks
Hi there.

As Christian commentaries and bible dictionaries show, the Biblical writers understood the Earth to be flat. I have collected what the major Christian commentators say here:
http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?action=showthread&postid=149889#post149889

Hope that helps.

Robyn Banks

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Remember the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon where Christopher Columbus was trying to persuade Ferdinand & Isabella that the world was round.

COLUMBUS: "The world, itsa round!"

FERDINAND: "The world, itsa flat."

COLUMBUS: "The world, itsa round...lika my head!"

POW-WHAP-BOOM! [Ferdinand bashes Columbus on his noggin' with the royal sceptre]

FERDINAND: "The world, itsa flat like your head!"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Be well!

ssv :hi:

[Socrates]

05-07-2003 @ 01:17 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=89472#post89472)
cynara:

Does it actually explicitly say or imply that the earth is flat in biblical text?

thanks

No. Liberal commentaries by the ignorant-of-physics troll Banks read too much into the equivocal language of Scripture. See Is the ’erets (earth) flat? Equivocal language in the geography of Genesis 1 and the Old Testament: a response to Paul H. Seely (http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/docs/TJv14n3flat_earth.asp).

[Socrates]

Today @ 06:50 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=160857#post160857)
stillsmallvoice:

Remember the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon where Christopher Columbus was trying to persuade Ferdinand & Isabella that the world was round.

COLUMBUS: “The world, itsa round!”

FERDINAND: “The world, itsa flat. ”

COLUMBUS: “The world, itsa round...lika my head!"

POW-WHAP-BOOM! [Ferdinand bashes Columbus on his noggin' with the royal sceptre]

FERDINAND: “The world, itsa flat like your head!”

Might be funny in other circumstances, (e.g. the King and Queen of Spain with Italian accents :wink:), but here it inadvertently perpetuates a vile humanist myth (not meant to be a reflection against SSV).

Fact is, this idea of Columbus fighting flat earth belief is a fable invented by Washington Irving, and gleefully perpetuated by 19th century antitheists like Draper and White, who are much believed by the village atheists on TWeb. However, such a skit is impossible, because a round earth was undisputed in the church -- see The Myth of the Flat Earth (http://id-www.ucsb.edu/fscf/library/RUSSELL/FlatEarth.html) by Jeffrey Burton Russell.

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Socrates, thanks for the info. Our Sages also accepted a round earth.

Historicity aside, it is a funny cartoon. (I love the classic Warner Bros. cartoons.)

Be well!

ssv :hi:

[Socrates]

Today @ 09:40 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=160893#post160893)
stillsmallvoice:

Socrates, thanks for the info.

No problemo. :thumb:

Our Sages also accepted a round earth.

I can confirm that. I cited Ibn Ezra on this site, where he clearly affirmed a round earth.

Historicity aside, it is a funny cartoon. (I love the classic Warner Bros. cartoons.)
Me too :lol:

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Socrates, I know that what I'm about to say is off-topic, but I just can't help myself.

WABBIT SEASON!

Be well!

ssv :hi:

[Solly]

:tongue:

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Thanks Solly, I needed that!

Be well!

ssv :hi:

[Sher]

No :no:

and

/ot ... Love the Looney Tunes!

... Duck Season (http://www.barbneal.com/wav/ltunes/Bugsdaf/bd01.wav) :naughtysher:

(click it again if it doesn't come up the first time ... it's a bit wonky ... took me a couple tries)

:shersig:

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

WABBIT SEASON!

Be well!

ssv :hi:

[HerodionRomulus]

OOO Yummy!!! Hossenpfeffer Stew!!!

:poke:

But to reaffirm what others have said, Columbus knew the earth was round, all the educated class knew that. Certainly Queen Isabel knew this.
The circumference of the earth was calculated within 25 miles by a Greek scientist in the 4th centry bce.

Columbus knew he could sail west to go to the east, because the world was round, but he just miscalculated the distance.
Most of his contemporaries opposed his efforts because they knew the distance was too far, which it was.

[Sher]

DUCK SEASON! :teeth:

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

I...I...oh, the heck with it!

It's FIDDLER CRAB season!

Be well!

ssv :metro:

[usarmy770]

07-28-2003 @ 11:40 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=160893#post160893)
stillsmallvoice:

Our Sages also accepted a round earth.




SSV:

Again with our sages???

In the Talmud (not sure, but I believe Megillah 7a) there is a tale about Alexandrus Mukdon asking the wise men of Israel ten questions. One of the questions was, "Which is further, heavens from earth or East from West?"

It's quite obvious from this Sugya that Alexander thought of East and West as being not just directions but actual points on earth; i.e. poles. Hence a flat earth. The Talmud says that the wise men gave him an incorrect answer (lied to him) in order to dissuade him from continuing to quetion in that vein. However, the "true" answer as given by the Talmud does not even come close to mentioning a spherical earth, Neither do Rashi and Tosfoth on that same Sugya.

When did Ibn Ezra live?

Brian Keller
Epitome of Perfection

P.S. Kol Demamah Dakah, you have yet to respond to my last substantive reply on your "Leprosy" thread. Would you like to meet me in the gym for a debate on the topic of your choice?