What is the oldest religion?

[Saint Frankenstein]

Any evidence to support this?

Well, what else would it be? I don't see how it could be anything but animism, polytheism and shamanism. I've never seen anything else claimed as humanity's primal form of religion. Monotheism is a very recent concept.

A number of archeologists propose that Middle Paleolithic societies such as Neanderthal societies may also have practiced the earliest form of totemism or animal worship. Emil Bächler in particular suggests (based on archeological evidence from Middle Paleolithic caves) that a widespread Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal bear cult existed (Wunn, 2000, p. 434-435). A claim that evidence was found for Middle Paleolithic animal worship c 70,000 BCE originates from the Tsodilo Hills in the African Kalahari desert has been denied by the original investigators of the site.[2][3] Animal cults in the following Upper Paleolithic period, such as the bear cult, may have had their origins in these hypothetical Middle Paleolithic animal cults.[4]


Animal worship during the Upper Paleolithic was intertwined with hunting rites.[4] For instance, archeological evidence from art and bear remains reveals that the bear cult apparently had a type of sacrificial bear ceremonialism in which a bear was shot with arrows and then was finished off by a shot in the lungs and ritualistically buried near a clay bear statue covered by a bear fur with the skull and the body of the bear buried separately.[4]

Prehistoric religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paleolithic religion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of religions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Viker]

Python worship, 70,000 years ago. Link >>> Canadian finds oldest religious artifact

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Python worship, 70,000 years ago. Link >>> Canadian finds oldest religious artifact

Awesome!

 

[Viker]

Awesome!

Next up, the Ancient Ones. When Cthulu calls all these people better have a fresh pair of pants to change into.

 

[metis]

It's not definite, but the oldest sites suggests that some form(s) of animism are likely the oldest, and monotheism appears to be a much more recent phenomenon, going by the limited evidence we have. Plus polytheistic approaches tend to be better able to "explain" various conflicting phenomena than monotheism, especially when dealing with the overall issue of "good" versus "evil" and its implications.

 

[Willamena]

like this goat thing

Ah, that deep.

 

[AlphaAlex115]

Ah, that deep.

Thanks for the empathy.

 

[Call_of_the_Wild]

I actually do not know and was asked this the other day. Is there any definite answer? And when I say religion I don't mean as in one guy thinking ''Yeah there's a man in the sky that controls everything" etc. I mean a religion, that may or may not now be dead, that a moderately large group took part and believed in. My history is terrible so I reaaly have no clue :^)

Judaism. Since it starts off "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth", what religion could be "before" that? Hahahahaha

 

[Desert Snake]

I actually do not know and was asked this the other day. Is there any definite answer? And when I say religion I don't mean as in one guy thinking ''Yeah there's a man in the sky that controls everything" etc. I mean a religion, that may or may not now be dead, that a moderately large group took part and believed in. My history is terrible so I reaaly have no clue :^)

This question is sort of difficult to answer. When we think of 'religion', there are quite a few ancient religions, however it is not clear which was 'first' really.

 

[outhouse]

Python worship, 70,000 years ago. Link >>> Canadian finds oldest religious artifact

Have you seen pictures of this.


One can imagine, I wonder what kind of facts they have to determine people are behind it. It looks like a natural rock structure

 

[Viker]

Have you seen pictures of this.


One can imagine, I wonder what kind of facts they have to determine people are behind it. It looks like a natural rock structure

The structure itself could be a natural formation. It was determined by the ritualistic items found around it that it was used for religious purposes.

 

[outhouse]

The structure itself could be a natural formation. It was determined by the ritualistic items found around it that it was used for religious purposes.

Not saying they are right or wrong.

I understand. I just need more then the original person who made this claim to substantiate it in my own mind.


It looks like a serpent, im just curious about their dating methods and other aspects of these findings.

When I do research on this very little turns up, this leaves room for speculation of original findings. Sometimes others will have different opinions and id like to see if there are any contradictions.

 

[Philomath]

Animism

 

[Viker]

Not saying they are right or wrong.

I understand. I just need more then the original person who made this claim to substantiate it in my own mind.


It looks like a serpent, im just curious about their dating methods and other aspects of these findings.

When I do research on this very little turns up, this leaves room for speculation of original findings. Sometimes others will have different opinions and id like to see if there are any contradictions.

World

 

[outhouse]

World

Thanks good read

 

[AlphaAlex115]

This question is sort of difficult to answer. When we think of 'religion', there are quite a few ancient religions, however it is not clear which was 'first' really.

its a wusertion not an answer

 

[AlphaAlex115]

This question is sort of difficult to answer. When we think of 'religion', there are quite a few ancient religions, however it is not clear which was 'first' really.

If God exists, then Christianity is first lol. The question seems so easy after all this time.

 

[outhouse]

If God exists, then Christianity is first lol. The question seems so easy after all this time.

Christianity factually was not first.

It is easy, no god exist, and the first religions were simple mythology

 

[Desert Snake]

If God exists, then Christianity is first lol. The question seems so easy after all this time.

Not necessarily. There are also different types of Xians, /Christians/, and Xian belief. So, some Xians might agree with your statement, some might not.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Judaism. Since it starts off "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth", what religion could be "before" that? Hahahahaha

It would seem Adam was a Hebrew.
But what is the oldest of mankind's religion ' after ' Noah ? ______________ - Genesis 10:8-10
Mankind's religious family tree can trace it roots back to: ancient Babylon.
Even astrology gives credit back to ancient Babylon.
As the people left ancient Babylon they took with them their non-biblical religious practices and ideas and spread them world wide into a greater religious Babylon or Babylon the Great.
That is why we see so many overlapping or similar religious concepts and ideas throughout the world's religious groups.
The non-biblical Saturnalia mixed with the Jesus' birth story ( Christ-nalia ? ) is one example of a religious thread woven throughout world-wide religions.