The ancient Assyrians are often credited as being the first "terrorists" due to their methods and ways of combat. This way back before either Christianity or Islam, and so long ago that even Judaism was still a young religion. Even in contemporary times, we had terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, Theodore Kaczynkski, the Provisional-IRA, Aryan Nations, Army of God, KKK, ALF, ELF, The Order, Jewish Defense League - there are just way too many terrorists groups to say the world didn't know terrorism before the the recent rise in Islamic terrorism. Even during the 80's the English population, especially in London, was terrorized by the Irish-Catholic group known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, whose acts of terrorism include bombing a hotel in an attempt to assassinate Margarete Thatcher as well as planting bombs in trash cans in London (and they were known for using nail bombs).