Articles on Biblical References to the Heavens 1. John H.
Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the
Origins Debate, IVP 2009. 2. Astronomy in the Bible Biblical
references to heavenly bodies are primarily found in the Old
Testament. The Bible offers no theory of celestial appearances.
They are descriptive, related to purpose rather than structure.
The descriptive phrases related to them expressed the views of
the peoples of the Near East. Their use in religious practices
and divination purposes was condemned, thus separating them from
the pagan peoples of the Near East. The Jews used a lunar year
which began for religious purposes with the new moon after the
spring equinox and normally consisted of twelve months of 354
days with a 13th month added at times to coordinate with the
ripening of crops and the fixed dates of commemorative feasts.
The OT does not mention hours and refers to time (if at all)
only in the narrative of the miracle wrought by Isaiah in
connection with the sundial o