Genesis 1-11 is very accurate. Hundreds of thousands of science books verify that.
These claims are, of course, untrue. Genesis 1-11 is a unique body of literature written a genre of literature that is not found anywhere else in the Bible. However, that genre of literature is found elsewhere. Genesis 1-11 is a series of stories written in a genre of literature very similar to the genre of literature in which ancient epic tales, sagas, myths, and legends are written.
The Hebrew Masoretic text of Genesis 1:6-8 expressly describes the creation of a flat earth covered with a dome that “separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome.”
1:6 ויאמר אלהים יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים׃
1:7 ויעשׂ אלהים את־הרקיע ויבדל בין המים אשׁר מתחת לרקיע ובין המים אשׁר מעל לרקיע ויהי־כן׃
1:8 ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שׁמים ויהי־ערב ויהי־בקר יום שׁני׃
The Septuagint concurs:
Gen 1:6 Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός Γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίζον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος. καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.
Gen 1:7 καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα, καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος, ὃ ἦν ὑποκάτω τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ στερεώματος.
Gen 1:8 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα οὐρανόν. καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι καλόν. καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί, ἡμέρα δευτέρα.
The Latin Vulgate also concurs:
6. dixit quoque Deus fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum et dividat aquas ab aquis
7. et fecit Deus firmamentum divisitque aquas quae erant sub firmamento ab his quae erant super firmamentum et factum est ita
8. vocavitque Deus firmamentum caelum et factum est vespere et mane dies secundus
The Wycliffe Bible also concurs:
6 And God seide, The firmament be maad in the myddis of watris, and departe watrisfro watris.
7And God made the firmament, and departide the watristhat weren vndurthe firmament fro these watris that weren on the firmament; and it was don so.
8 And God clepide the firmament, heuene. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the secounde dai.
The best Roman Catholic translation in English (NAB) also concurs:
6. Then God said, "Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other." And so it happened:
7. God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
8. God called the dome "the sky." Evening came, and morning followed-the second day.
The best Protestant translation in English (NRSV) also concurs:
6. And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7. So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so.
8. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Even the KJV of 1611 concurs:
6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters: and let it diuide the waters from the waters.
7. And God made the firmament; and diuided the waters, which were vnder the firmament, from the waters, which were aboue the firmament: and it was so.
8. And God called the firmament, Heauen: and the euening and the morning were the second day.
Needless to say, as more and more Christians came to believe that the earth is round rather than flat, they invented out of thin air a new definition for the word firmament—but that new definition in no way changes what the inspired word of God really says.
The Lord God is not in subjection to anyone or anyone’s preferences, and He was free to give His people His word in genres of literature in which they could understand the truths contained in the Bible. The Israelite people did not need to know the age or the shape of the earth, and God spoke to them through His word within their cultural beliefs.
