does the bible say the earth is round or flat

The Jewish sages claimed that at night the sun goes above the firmament (one of the layers of heaven, which is opaque), while the non-Jews claimed it goes beneath the earth. There the Talmud cites a debate between the sages of Israel and the scholars of the nations regarding what happens to the sun at the end of the day.

One important source is Talmud Pesachim 94b. There are, however, a number of sources which imply the Sages believed the world was flat, probably disk-shaped.

Also, verses which refer to “the four corners of the land” (e.g., Isaiah 11:12, Ezekiel 7:2) can easily be understood poetically – not unlike how today we’ll refer to the sun rising or setting while it’s actually the earth that is turning.) (It should be noted that the Greeks had already reached the same conclusion before the Talmud’s time. See also Zohar Vayikra 10a that the world is like a ball and when it’s light on one side it’s dark on the other. There are a few sources which clearly imply the Sages knew the world is spherical – see Talmud Avodah Zarah 41a, Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 3:1, and Bamidbar Rabbah 13:17.

In terms of the shape of the earth, there are actually conflicting sources in the literature. (See the Talmud’s conclusion that the world rests on a single pillar whose name is “tzaddik” – righteous one – meaning that the righteous are the foundation of the world.) The Talmud is thus clearly presenting a Kabbalistic discussion of the world’s purpose rather than its astronomic positioning. It is clear though that that Gemara is Aggadic and intended metaphorically. There is a Talmudic passage (Hagigah 12b) which implies otherwise – that the land stands on pillars, which stand on water, which rests on mountains, etc. The earliest source on the matter is probably the verse in Job (26:7), which writes that God “suspends the earth upon nothingness.” Thus, the Torah clearly asserts that the world is not being “held up” by pillars – nor is it floating on water or in any of the other bizarre configurations ancient man envisioned. In terms of what the Sages believed in, there are actually conflicting sources in Jewish literature. Thank you for raising this important issue. What shape did the Sages of the Talmud believe the world to be? I’ve heard that the Talmud believes the earth is flat standing on pillars, following other ancient traditions.

Does the bible say the earth is round or flat