As in other ancient Near Eastern cultures, in the Hebrew Bible, the universe is commonly divided into two realms: heaven ("šāmayim") and earth ("’ereṣ"). Sometimes a third realm is added: either "sea" (, ), "water under the earth" (, ), or sometimes a vague "land of the dead" that is never described in depth (, , ). The structure of heaven itself is never fully described in the Hebrew Bible, but the fact that the Hebrew word "šāmayim" is plural has been interpreted by scholars as an indication that the ancient Israelites envisioned the heavens as having multiple layers, much like the ancient Mesopotamians. This reading is also supported by the use of the phrase "heaven of heavens" in verses such as , , and and .