From: George Athas (gathas@mail.usyd.edu.au)
Date: Thu Mar 05 1998 - 00:23:45 EST
Theodore H. Mann wrote:
> I seem to remember hearing that "heaven," in the OT and NT was
> viewed as being compartmentalized (e.g., Paul's mention of the "third
> heaven). Is it possible that this partly accounts for the use of the
> plural?
Well Ted, the Hebrew word for "Heavens" is the DUAL word ûamayim - that is,
it is not fully plural; it is only two. A very strict translation might be
literally "two heavens". From the Hebrew point of view, at least, the word
doesn't really support the compartmentalisation (what a bytefull!) of Heaven,
unless Heaven has only two parts.
Best regards!
George Athas
PhD (Cand.), University of Sydney
Tutor of Hebrew, Moore Theological College
Phone: 0414 839 964 ICQ#: 5866591
Email: gathas@mail.usyd.edu.au
(Visit the Tel Dan Inscription Website at)
(http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~gathas/teldan.htm)
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