I just acquired a book, The Greatest Lie on Earth Proof That Our World Is Not a Moving Globe, by Edward Hendrie. I believe the facts Hendrie presents align with the biblical authors’: a flat earth covered with a dome or firmament. Have you read it? I am very curious what you think.
If you’re asking me about flat earth thinking, I’d say it’s nonsense. And easily disproved.
True, most ancient writers seem to have believed in a flat earth, domed by a firmament (although there were some intellectuals in the time of Christ who knew the world was spherical). The ancients also believed interesting things about kidneys (reins, in the KJV Bible)—roughly corresponding to what we would call “heart.” They were unaware of the existence of the western hemisphere. Their understanding of reproduction was the ancient understanding (not strictly accurate). They believed the sun orbits the earth, the stars were smaller than the moon, and so on.
But these matters are incidental to the biblical message. These aren’t errors, but simply a reflection of the cultural and intellectual background of the time. To call them “facts” is misguided. Not every word in Scripture is intended to be doctrine.
If you want to understand Gen 1-11, our book Origins does that. If you have a flat earth question, that is addressed at my website (e.g. Q&A 1487)—and many other websites. But even if you don’t take this reading suggestion, be careful not to fall into conspiratorial thinking. I have flown all the way around the earth multiple times. It’s definitely spherical!
For you, where to focus? Strive for a better understanding of inspiration and inerrancy. Hendrie is way out there. Not a single biblical scholar agrees with him, because his is a hyper-literal and deeply defective way of reading the Bible.
