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Reb, It was actually the ancient Greeks that determined the Earth was a sphere and fairly acurately determined its circumference by simultaneously measuring the lengths of shadows cast at noon on the Summer Soltice at Alexandria and Thebes in Egypt and then using Trigonometry to solve for the circumference of the Earth.
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Yeah, it was the famous Greek scientist named Eratosthenes. He calculated the circumference of the Earth with amazing precision. The reasoning he used is similar to using a single slice of pie to find the circumference of the total pie. If you know how big the slice is, and you know how many slices are in the pie, you can calculate the size of the whole pie. Applying geometry and cleverness, Eratosthenes found the circumference with astonishing accuracy roughly 1,700 years before Columbus was even born.
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Columbus got the idea that the earth was round from the Bible.
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Well, the fact that the Earth is round was observable to most people of Columbus's time, particularly sailors. People such as sailors thought the Earth was round since they observed ships as they moved towards to the horizon. Their sails appeared to plunge into the ocean.
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40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
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Actually, a circle is a flat two dimensional object and there was a Hebrew word for ball which would have been more suitable if the author would have been knowledgeable of the Earth"s orbicular nature.
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4:10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. (4:10-11, 20)
4:11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
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Here the author of Daniel spells of a dream of Nebuchadnezzar where a tree springs up at the midst of the earth. Notice that the tree grew so tall its tip extended to heaven and was seeable to the "ends of the earth". Of course, this is only possible on a flat earth. So these verses suggest that Nebuchadnezzar and the author of Daniel envisioned a flat earth as everyone else did in their time.
Now, let"s suppose the authors actually did suggest a sphere. They are still incorrect since it"s an oblate spheroid.
RE: Columbus Was A Man Of Faith!
