>>703803Both the Sumerian and Babylonian creation myths—along with the Hebrew account in Genesis—describe what we would call a
flat Earth cosmology.
In fact, the idea of a spherical Earth floating in empty space did not exist in the ancient Near East. Instead, all of these cultures shared the same basic blueprint for the universe. Historians often compare their model of the universe to a
cosmic snow globe.
Here is how that "flat" universe was structured in these ancient traditions:
### The Sumerian "Snow Globe"
To the Sumerians, the universe was a closed sphere or dome floating in a limitless, chaotic saltwater ocean (Nammu).
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The Earth (Ki): The Earth was a flat, circular disk.
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The Underworld and the Abzu: Beneath this flat disk was the realm of the dead, and below that was the *Abzu* (or Apsu)—a cosmic underground ocean of fresh water.
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The Sky (An): Above the flat Earth was a solid vault, usually thought to be made of tin or lapis lazuli (a deep blue stone). This solid dome is what Enlil held up, keeping the upper waters from crashing down and drowning the flat Earth.
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