Religion in the Ancient World

Definition

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 World

Timeline

  • c. 4000 BCE
    Earliest Egyptian Myths Recorded.
  • c. 3500 BCE
    First written evidence of religion in the world recorded on Sumerian tablets.
  • c. 3000 BCE
    Hathor, known as Mistress of Dendera, cult center flourishes in the city of Dendera.
  • c. 2500 BCE
    Osiris as Dying and Reviving God and God of the Dead appears in Pyramid Texts.
  • 2100 BCE
    Ziggurats in use in Sumerian cities of Eridu, Uruk, Ur, Nippur and elsewhere
  • c. 1500 BCE - c. 500 BCE
    The Vedic Period in India after a greater migration of the Indo-Aryans from Central Asia
  • c. 1500 BCE - 1100 BCE
    The Rig Veda written, mentioning the god Rudra (Shiva) and goddess Tara (among others) for the first time.
  • c. 1500 BCE - c. 500 BCE
    Indian scholars of the so-called Vedic Period commit the Vedas to written form; basic tenets of Hinduism are established.
  • c. 1120 BCE
    Extant copy of the Sumerian Enuma Elish (creation story) is made from much older text.
  • c. 1000 BCE
    Emergence of Yahwism.
  • c. 700 BCE
    Greek poet Hesiod writes his Theogony and Works and Days.
  • c. 600 BCE
    Development of the Charvaka school of philosophy in India.
  • c. 599 BCE - c. 527 BCE
    Traditional dating of the life of Vardhamana, according to Jain tradition.
  • 566 BCE - 486 BCE
    The life of Siddhartha Gautama according to the Corrected long chronology.
  • 563 BCE
    Siddhartha Gautama is born in Lumbini (present day Nepal).
  • c. 563 BCE - c. 483 BCE
    The life of Siddhartha Gautama according to modern scholarly consensus.
  • c. 515 BCE - 70 CE
    The Second Temple Period; Judaism is revised, scriptures canonized, Yahweh becomes sole deity, monotheism established.
  • c. 6 BCE - c. 30 CE
    Life of Jesus Christ.
  • 1 CE - 100 CE
    Mithraism spreads in the Roman empire.
  • c. 1 CE - c. 100 CE
    The Mahayana movement begins in India with its belief in bodhisattva - saintly souls who helped the living.
  • 42 CE - 62 CE
    Paul the Apostle goes on missionary journeys across Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome.
  • 64 CE
    Unofficial persecution of Christians in Rome.
  • c. 65 CE - c. 100 CE
    The tales of the life and work of Jesus (gospels) composed.
  • 132 CE
    Septuagint (Greek translation of the Bible) composed at Alexandria.
  • 224 CE
    Zoroastrianism becomes Persian state religion under the Sassanian Empire.
  • 312 CE
    Roman emperor Constantine I tolerates Christianity.
  • c. 314 CE
    Armenia adopts Christianity as the state religion.
  • c. 500 CE - c. 600 CE
    In India the Tantric expands the number of deities to include helpful demons, contactable through ritual.
  • 503 CE
    Clovis I converts to Christianity.
  • 570 CE
    Muhammad is born in Mecca.
  • c. 600 CE
    Babylonian Talmud is compiled.
  • 610 CE
    Muhammad receives his first revelation on Mount Hira.
  • 622 CE
    Muhammad undertakes the Hegira (Hijra), the migration from Mecca to Medina, establishing the start of the Islamic calendar.
  • 624 CE
    Battle of Badr: Muhammad's forces win, resulting in a turning point for Islam against the ruling Quraysh tribe.
  • 625 CE
    Battle of Uhud: Quraysh tribe defeats the Muslims.
  • 627 CE
    Battle of the Trench: Quraysh troops attempt to siege Medina (then called Yathrib), but lose to the Muslim force.
  • 627 CE
    Siege of Bani Qurayzah: Muslims capture the Jewish stronghold.
  • 628 CE
    Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: A peace agreement is signed between Muhammad's Muslims and the people of Mecca.
  • 628 CE
    Conquest 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.
  • 629 CE
    First Pilgrimage ("lesser" pilgrimage or "umrah") made by Muhammad and his Muslims to Mecca after migrating to Medina.
  • 629 CE
    Battle 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.
  • 630 CE
    Non-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.
  • 630 CE
    Battle of Hunayn: Ending in a decisive victory for the Muslims over the Bedouin tribe of Hawazin.
  • 630 CE
    Attempted Siege of Ta'if: Muhammad's forces are initially unable to siege Ta'if and convert its people to Islam.
  • 632 CE
    "Farewell Hajj Pilgrimage": This is the only Hajj pilgrimage in which Muhammad participates.
  • 632 CE
    Muhammad dies in Medina, not clearly naming a successor to lead the Muslim people.
  • 632 CE - 634 CE
    Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph (successor to Muhammad) of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 634 CE - 644 CE
    Umar ibn al-Khattab succeeds Abu Bakr, becoming the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 644 CE - 656 CE
    Uthman ibn 'Affan succeeds Umar to become the third caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 656 CE - 661 CE
    Ali ibn Abi Talib succeeds Uthman to become the fourth and final caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate.
  • 712 CE
    The Kojiki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
  • 720 CE
    The Nihon Shoki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
  • c. 807 CE
    Imibe-no-Hironari writes the Kogoshui, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
  • 1122 CE
    Construction begins of the Hindu temple at Angkor Wat.
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