Seven earths

Seven earths is a cosmological doctrine attested in ancient Near Eastern, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, according to which the cosmos is structured into multiple, specifically seven, terrestrial realms, often arranged in parallel with or in symmetry to a corresponding scheme of seven heavens. In some cases, the seven earths may refer to seven layers of the Underworld or Hell.

The seven earths belief first appears in Sumerian literature, likely as a magical or symbolic way to speak about the totality of the cosmos. The doctrine of a real, cosmologically structured seven heavens and seven earths, evolves out of Jewish and Late Antique literature where a growing interest in the depiction of Hell can be found. The earliest traces of the idea are found in texts like the Babylonian Talmud, where the underworld is given seven names. A second layer of texts interprets these seven names, as seven distinct regions of the underworld. Finally, texts such as Leviticus Rabbah, Seder Rabbah di-Bereshit, and more, begin to speak of the idea of seven real and distinct earths. Around this time, the seven earths also appear in the Quran (65:12).