At its beginning, in the creation story (Gen 1), the Priestly tradition ("P") presents a detailed description of the sky, i.e. its appearance, its material and its functions. This text contains also a passage dealing with the creation of the luminaries; it offers information about their signification and functions. In the second major story of the priestly tradition, in the one of the flood, the sky also plays an important role. Here its description differs slightly from that of Genesis 1, a difference which seems significant in the concept of P.
The present article focuses on these two stories and compares the perception of the sky with other traditions of the ancient Near East (Egypt, Mesopotamian, Ugarit) and the Hebrew Bible.