Biblical Cosmology in the ANE (Ancient Near Eastern) World

Biblical cosmology describes reality as structured into three realms: heaven above, the earth where humans live, and the depths below, associated with the grave and imprisoned rebellious beings. In the Old Testament worldview, humans live between heaven and earth and descend to Sheol in death, though there is an expectation that the grave is not the final destiny. The New Testament presents a shift after the resurrection of Jesus, opening the way for believers to ascend to heaven and redefining the grave so that the place of judgment becomes what is called hell. The Garden of Eden is portrayed as a mountain-temple where heaven and earth meet and where humanity originally lived in communion with God before descending into exile and death. In the final restoration, the new Jerusalem descends, and heaven and earth are united again, returning creation to a garden-like order in which Christ reigns over all things and God’s sovereignty extends over every realm of existence.