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Did no one else know the Earth “hangs on nothing”?

The claim that “no one else” knew or thought Earth was unsupported is not historically reliable. Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek thinker associated with the early 6th century BCE, is a key counterexample [3].

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No. The claim that “no one else” knew—or even thought—that Earth was not resting on something is too strong.

A major counterexample is Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek thinker generally placed in the early 6th century BCE [3]. Ancient testimony credits him with a striking cosmological idea: Earth is in the centre of the cosmos and is not supported by anything [1][2][4].

According to reports discussed in the ancient tradition, Anaximander explained Earth’s stillness by saying it was equally distant from everything around it. Because there was no privileged direction for it to move, it needed no physical prop or foundation [2].

That does not mean Anaximander had modern astronomy. He did not picture Earth as a modern spherical planet orbiting the Sun. His model is commonly described as placing a cylindrical Earth at the centre of his cosmos [4].

But for this specific question, that distinction matters: the issue is not whether Anaximander was scientifically correct by today’s standards. The issue is whether the idea of an unsupported Earth was unique to Job or the Bible. Anaximander’s model shows that it was not [2][4].

So the short answer is: the verse in Job is notable, but the exclusivity claim is false. At least one well-attested ancient Greek model also described Earth as unsupported [1][2][4].

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Key takeaways

  • The claim that “no one else” knew or thought Earth was unsupported is not historically reliable.
  • Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek thinker associated with the early 6th century BCE, is a key counterexample [3].
  • Ancient reports credit Anaximander with the view that Earth was suspended or floating free, not resting on a support [1][2][4].
  • His explanation was not modern astronomy: he imagined Earth at the centre of the cosmos, often described as a cylindrical body rather than a planet orbiting the Sun [4].

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What is the short answer to "Did no one else know the Earth “hangs on nothing”?"?

The claim that “no one else” knew or thought Earth was unsupported is not historically reliable.

What are the key points to validate first?

The claim that “no one else” knew or thought Earth was unsupported is not historically reliable. Anaximander of Miletus, a Greek thinker associated with the early 6th century BCE, is a key counterexample [3].

What should I do next in practice?

Ancient reports credit Anaximander with the view that Earth was suspended or floating free, not resting on a support [1][2][4].

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Sources

  • [1] Anaximander | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophyiep.utm.edu

    Moreover, Anaximander was the first speculative astronomer. He originated the world-picture of the open universe, which replaced the closed universe of the celestial vault. … We may discern three of his astronomical speculations: (1) that the celestial bodi...

  • [2] Anaximander and the Problem of the Earth's Immobilityorb.binghamton.edu

    given by Hippolytus, who is drawing on what may be supposed to be Theophrastus’ version of our passage. According to this account, Anaximander held that the earth is suspended in mid-air “by reason of its equidistance from all things (διά τήν όμοίαν πάντων...

  • [3] How the cosmos emerges from...philosophy.institute

    Around 610 BCE, in the bustling port city of Miletus on the Aegean coast, a thinker named Anaximander posed one of the most daring questions in human history: what is everything made of – not just water or fire or air, but everything , including those eleme...

  • [4] First Map of Known World Created by Ancient Greek Anaximandergreekreporter.com › Ancient Greecegreekreporter.com

    Anaximander was the first to conceive a mechanical model of the world. In his model, the Earth floats very still in the centre of the infinite, not supported by anything. Its curious shape is that of a cylinder, or “A column of stone”, Aetius reports in De...