In ancient Near Eastern cosmology, the seven heavens refer to seven firmaments or physical layers located above the open sky. The concept can be found in ancient Mesopotamian religion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Some traditions complement the seven heavens with an idea of the seven earths or seven underworlds. These heavens or underworlds have been conceived of as realms with deities or celestial bodies (such as the classical planets and fixed stars).
Variants of the seven heavens tradition existed. Ancient Near Eastern cosmology more often described the number of heavens and earths as three, instead of seven. Seven as the number of heavens was the most popular value for Jewish cosmology, but depending on the text, the number ranged from 3 to 365.
