Biblical cosmology is the account of the universe and its laws in the Bible. The Bible was formed over many centuries, involving many authors, and reflects shifting patterns of religious belief; consequently, its cosmology is not always consistent. Nor do the biblical texts necessarily represent the beliefs of all Jews or Christians at the time they were put into writing: the majority of the texts making up the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament in particular represent the beliefs of only a small segment of the ancient Israelite community, the members of a late Judean religious tradition centered in Jerusalem and devoted to the exclusive worship of Yahweh.
God creating the cosmos (Bible moralisée, French, 13th century)
The Tablet of Shamash depicting a scene in heaven, with celestial waters below, supported by a solid base, with four stars.
The Archangel Michael, a member of the host of divine beings who attend God in heaven, defeating Satan, the dragon of chaos.
Valley of Hinnom (or Gehenna), c. 1900. The former site of child-sacrifice and a dumping-ground for the bodies of executed criminals, Jeremiah prophesied that it would become a "valley of slaughter" and burial place; in later literature it thus became identified with a new idea of Hell as a place where the wicked would be punished.
Genesis creation narrative
The Genesis creation narrative is the creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity. The narrative is made up of two stories, roughly equivalent to the first two chapters of the Book of Genesis. In the first, Elohim creates the heavens and the Earth in six days, then rests on, blesses, and sanctifies the seventh. In the second story God creates Adam, the first man, from dust and places him in the Garden of Eden. There he is given dominion over the animals. Eve, the first woman, is created from Adam's rib as his companion.
Cuneiform tablet with the Atra-Hasis Epic in the British Museum
Marduk, god of Babylon, destroying Tiamat, the dragon of primeval chaos
The Ancient of Days by William Blake (Copy D, 1794)
The first day of creation, by Jean Colombe from the Heures de Louis de Laval [fr] (see Louis de Laval)