Where did the terms cloud nine and seventh heaven come from?

This site explains "cloud nine"

http://www.quinion.com/words/qa/qa-clo1.htm

Most references I found to Seventh Heaven are Islamic in origin.



Quran refers to the creation of seven heavens. Specifically in:

al-Baqarah 2:25,29
at-Talaq 65:12,38 - "Allah it is who hath created seven heavens..."


In the story of the the Miraj (night Journey) Mohammed traveled to the seventh heaven - passing through the other six....In the first heaven Muhammad supposedly met Adam; in the second, John the Baptist and Jesus; in the third, Joseph; in the fourth, Enoch; in the fifth, Aaron; in the sixth, Moses; and in the seventh.



http://answering-islam.org/Books/Tisdall/Sources/chapt5.htm



Also in the apocryphal "Ascension of Isaiah" 3:13 a "seventh heaven" is mentioned repeatedly:



http://www.eagle-net.org/livingscripture/scripture/ascension-isaiah.html

[This message was edited by mozart56 on 01-11-03 at 11:44 PM.]

These are just guesses, but they seem likely to me.
Many numbers in the Bible have symbolism behind them. If I'm remembering correctly, 7 usually symbolizes completeness.
I believe that Dante divided heaven into 9 circles, with the outermost being heaven as we think of it. Perhaps this has something to do with cloud nine.
As I said, these are just my speculations.