The Jerusalem Bridge
רָקִיעַ
raqia
the beaten-out dome of sky · noun, masculine
Illustration for raqia

The sky in Genesis is a solid thing: a sheet of metal, hammered thin, holding back an ocean.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וִיהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם׃

"And God said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'" (Genesis 1:6)

Where were you the last time the raqia above you actually made you stop walking and look up?

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Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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