Religion (from the Latin Religio, meaning 'restraint,' or Relegere, according to Cicero, meaning 'to repeat, to read again,' or, most likely, Religionem, 'to show respect for what is sacred') is an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. There is no culture in human history that has not practiced some form of religion.
More about: Religion in the Ancient World9 days left
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 4000 BCEEarliest Egyptian Myths Recorded.
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c. 3500 BCEFirst written evidence of religion in the world recorded on Sumerian tablets.
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c. 3000 BCEHathor, known as Mistress of Dendera, cult center flourishes in the city of Dendera.
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c. 2500 BCEOsiris as Dying and Reviving God and God of the Dead appears in Pyramid Texts.
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2100 BCEZiggurats in use in Sumerian cities of Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Nippur and elsewhere
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c. 1500 BCE - c. 500 BCEThe Vedic Period in India after a greater migration of the Indo-Aryans from Central Asia
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c. 1500 BCE - 1100 BCEThe Rig Veda written, mentioning the god Rudra (Shiva) and goddess Tara (among others) for the first time.
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c. 1500 BCE - c. 500 BCEIndian scholars of the so-called Vedic Period commit the Vedas to written form; basic tenets of Hinduism are established.
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c. 1120 BCEExtant copy of the Sumerian Enuma Elish (creation story) is made from much older text.
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c. 1000 BCEEmergence of Yahwism.
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c. 700 BCEGreek poet Hesiod writes his Theogony and Works and Days.
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c. 600 BCEDevelopment of the Charvaka school of philosophy in India.
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c. 599 BCE - c. 527 BCETraditional dating of the life of Vardhamana, according to Jain tradition.
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566 BCE - 486 BCEThe life of Siddhartha Gautama according to the Corrected long chronology.
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563 BCESiddhartha Gautama is born in Lumbini (present day Nepal).
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c. 563 BCE - c. 483 BCEThe life of Siddhartha Gautama according to modern scholarly consensus.
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c. 515 BCE - 70 CEThe Second Temple Period; Judaism is revised, scriptures canonized, Yahweh becomes sole deity, monotheism established.
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c. 6 BCE - c. 30 CELife of Jesus Christ.
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1 CE - 100 CEMithraism spreads in the Roman empire.
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c. 1 CE - c. 100 CEThe Mahayana movement begins in India with its belief in bodhisattva - saintly souls who helped the living.
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42 CE - 62 CEPaul the Apostle goes on missionary journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome.
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64 CEUnofficial persecution of Christians in Rome.
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c. 65 CE - c. 100 CEThe tales of the life and work of Jesus (gospels) composed.
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132 CESeptuagint (Greek translation of the Bible) composed at Alexandria.
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224 CEZoroastrianism becomes Persian state religion under the Sassanian Empire.
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312 CERoman emperor Constantine I tolerates Christianity.
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c. 314 CEArmenia adopts Christianity as the state religion.
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c. 500 CE - c. 600 CEIn India the Tantric expands the number of deities to include helpful demons, contactable through ritual.
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503 CEClovis I converts to Christianity.
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570 CEMuhammad is born in Mecca.
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c. 600 CEBabylonian Talmud is compiled.
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610 CEMuhammad receives his first revelation on Mount Hira.
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622 CEMuhammad undertakes the Hegira (Hijra), the migration from Mecca to Medina, establishing the start of the Islamic calendar.
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624 CEBattle of Badr: Muhammad's forces win, resulting in a turning point for Islam against the ruling Quraysh tribe.
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625 CEBattle of Uhud: Quraysh tribe defeats the Muslims.
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627 CEBattle of the Trench: Quraysh troops attempt to siege Medina (then called Yathrib), but lose to the Muslim force.
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627 CESiege of Bani Qurayzah: Muslims capture the Jewish stronghold.
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628 CETreaty of Hudaybiyyah: A peace agreement is signed between Muhammad's Muslims and the people of Mecca.
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628 CEConquest of Khaybar oasis: Jews barricade themselves in a fort at Khaybar oasis and are allowed to remain living there if they pay the Muslims one third of their produce.
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629 CEFirst Pilgrimage ("lesser" pilgrimage or "umrah") made by Muhammad and his Muslims to Mecca after migrating to Medina.
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629 CEBattle of Mu'tah: Muslims attempt to capture the village east of the Jordan River from the Byzantine Empire to show their expanding dominance, resulting in a Muslim defeat.
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630 CENon-violent conquest of Mecca: The Quraysh realize that the Muslims now greatly outnumber them and allow the Muslims to capture their city, Mecca, and rule it as they please.
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630 CEBattle of Hunayn: Ending in a decisive victory for the Muslims over the Bedouin tribe of Hawazin.
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630 CEAttempted Siege of Ta'if: Muhammad's forces are initially unable to siege Ta'if and convert its people to Islam.
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632 CE"Farewell Hajj Pilgrimage": This is the only Hajj pilgrimage in which Muhammad participates.
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632 CEMuhammad dies in Medina, not clearly naming a successor to lead the Muslim people.
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632 CE - 634 CEAbu Bakr becomes the first caliph (successor to Muhammad) of the Rashidun Caliphate.
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634 CE - 644 CEUmar ibn al-Khattab succeeds Abu Bakr, becoming the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
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644 CE - 656 CEUthman ibn 'Affan succeeds Umar to become the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
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656 CE - 661 CEAli ibn Abi Talib succeeds Uthman to become the fourth and final caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
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712 CEThe Kojiki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
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720 CEThe Nihon Shoki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
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c. 807 CEImibe-no-Hironari writes the Kogoshui, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
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1122 CEConstruction begins of the Hindu temple at Angkor Wat.
