When Did the Flat Earth Theory Start?

The concept of a flat earth has been around for thousands of years, with various cultures and civilizations believing that the earth was flat or at least not spherical. The Babylonians, in particular, believed that the universe consisted of a flat earth surrounded by water, with the whole covered by a huge dome.

However, it's surprising to note that many ancient texts and descriptions from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Hebrew, and Egyptian civilizations actually describe a spherical earth. These early cosmologies predate the development of modern astronomy and geology by thousands of years.

One might expect that people would conclude the earth is flat based on their everyday observations. For example, when standing on a hill or mountain, the calm surface of the ocean appears flat as a pancake. This visual evidence can lead one to believe in the flatness of the earth. However, this conclusion is not necessarily supported by scientific evidence.

The modern flat-earth movement emerged in 19th century England as a reaction against the rapidly developing fields of astronomy and geology. Proponents of the flat earth theory argued that the Bible supported their views, citing passages such as Psalm 104:2-3, which describes God's creation of the world.

Some fundamentalists still subscribe to this view, and even use bumper stickers like 'The Bible says it' to justify their beliefs. However, most scientific evidence suggests that the earth is indeed spherical in shape.

It's worth noting that the idea of a flat earth has been discredited for centuries by the overwhelming body of scientific evidence supporting the roundness of the earth. From the way ships disappear over the horizon to the existence of time zones and the curvature of the earth, there are many reasons why it is clear that our planet is not flat.

In fact, even Christopher Columbus was aware that the earth was spherical when he set sail in 1492. Despite this knowledge, his crew was initially concerned about sailing off the edge of the world and feared that they might fall off the edge of a flat earth. It's amusing to think about how these fears were eventually alleviated by Columbus' convincing arguments.

In conclusion, while the idea of a flat earth has been around for thousands of years, it is not supported by scientific evidence and has largely been discredited as a theory.

When did the flat earth theory start