Like most ancient peoples, the Hebrews believed the sky was a solid dome with the Sun, Moon and stars embedded in it.
It is derived from the root raqa‘ ( רקע), meaning 'to beat or spread out', e.g., the process of making a dish by hammering thin a lump of metal.
The word 'firmament' is used to translate raqia, or raqiya‘ ( רקיע), a word used in Biblical Hebrew. The word is a Latinization of the Greek stereōma, which appears in the Septuagint (c. This in turn is derived from the Latin root firmus, a cognate with 'firm'. The word is anglicised from Latin firmamentum, used in the Vulgate ( 4th century). It later appeared in the King James Bible. The word 'firmament' is first recorded in a Middle English narrative based on scripture dated 1250.