In biblical cosmology, the firmament is a vast solid dome created by God during the Genesis creation narrative to divide the primal sea into upper and lower portions so that the dry land could appear. The word "firmament" is mentioned 17 times in the King James Version of the Bible and refers to the expanse of the heavens above the earth. It is the space which includes the earth’s atmosphere and the celestial realm. The firmament is associated with the placement of a defined heavenly structure. The creation of the firmament is mentioned in Genesis 1:6-8, where God made the firmament to divide the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. The firmament is called "heaven," giving it significance beyond just the border between the earth and beyond. The term "firmament" and its identity have been one of the greatest puzzles concerning the Creation account, mostly because of its Hebrew definition: רָקִיעַ raqiya` raw-kee-ah from 7554; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky:—firmament.