Origin of the myth of the 7 heavens?

Question

Where did the myth of the 7 heavens come from?

Answer 1

wait, myth? there's an actual myth about the other 6 heavens too? I keep hearing about this "seventh heaven" but don't know what/where the other six were meant to be.

I'm starring this question though, very interesting! Will check back to see whether anyone knows.

Answer 2

Jez - what a great question.  You don't suppose Dante came up with it in his Divine Comedy??  

I would assume though that Dante just lifted the layered heaven (and h**l) idea from ancient sources - and yet there might not have been ancient sources for this.  The Greeks certainly didn't believe in a christian sort of heaven/h**l.

Might have been Etruscan.....  

This is a fun research project.

Answer 3

Probably the Seven Heavenly Objects (The sun, the moon, and the five visible planets at the time). It was believed by many cultures that when people die their souls float into the sky, visiting each of the Seven Heavenly Objects as they travel to the outermost layer of heaven.