In ancient European cosmologies inspired by

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

, the Empyrean heaven, Empyreal or simply the Empyrean, was the place in the highest heaven which was supposed to be occupied by the element of

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

(or aether in

's natural philosophy). Later early and medieval Christian cosmology incorporated the concept in descriptions of the Christian notion of

heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

Etymology

The word derives from the

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

''empyreus'', an adaptation of the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

''empyros'' (), meaning "in or on the fire (''pyr'')". The word is used both as a noun and as an adjective, but ''empyreal'' is an alternate adjective form. The scientific words ''empyreuma'' and ''empyreumatic'', applied to the characteristic smell of the burning or charring of vegetable or animal matter, have the same Greek origin.

In Christianity

Early Christians took inspiration from Aristotle's cosmology in their reckoning of heaven. From the 7th century onwards, the idea of the Empyrean gained traction in the faith because of writers like

Isidore of Seville Isidore of Seville (; 4 April 636) was a Spania, Hispano-Roman scholar, theologian and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seville, archbishop of Seville. He is widely regarded, in the words of the 19th-century historian Charles Forbes René de Montal ...

and

Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most f ...

. In later Christian religious cosmologies, the Empyrean was "the source of light" and where God and saved souls resided. In medieval Christianity, the Empyrean was the third heaven and beyond "the heaven of the air and the heaven of the stars." The Empyrean was thus used as a name for the incorporeal "heaven of the first day". In

Christian literature Christian literature is the literary aspect of Christian media, and it constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing. History The Christian genre spans a variety of media and art forms that highlight Christian beliefs, narratives, and m ...

, the Empyrean was described as the dwelling-place of God, the blessed, celestial beings so divine they are made of pure light, and the source of light and creation. Notably, at the very end of

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

's '' Paradiso'', Dante visits God in the Empyrean.

Sources

; Attribution * {{Authority control Early scientific cosmologies Religious cosmologies Christian cosmology Conceptions of heaven Divine Comedy

Etymology

In Christianity

See also

Sources