Although every human is a free moral agent, and can make his/her own decisions, open minded people like the likes you mentioned in your post ( e.g, sir. Isaac Newton and others) have through the centuries come to see the compatibility of science and the Bible on this issue about the earths shape.

What I loved in this write up was your sampling out the various beliefs o and perceptions of the different People who had walk the earth. More to that, was your minimal/careful criticism of (if any) those ancient views.