Which religion invented the idea of "One god" first?

[s2a]

Ok, whom shall we crown with first inventing a monotheistic (one god only) religion?

It’s probably not news to most regular members here, but there was a time in humanity’s past that monotheism was a radical concept…that there was but “one god”.

Just wondering..whom or what religion do you believe or feel deserves the royalties and benefits (or potentially lucrative Trademarks) of finishing first in that definitive distinction?

Who’s portrait or bust do we place in the religion hall of fame as being the progenitor (inventor) of monotheistic beliefs?

Not just a poll here… but hoping that some contributors might offer some support for any claims that their religion was indeed the “first” to insist that a singular “god” was/is existent, and perhaps rules the cosmos today.

Just to be clear, I do not even know if there is any claim of originality available as answer.

I’m simply inviting others to stake their claim with compelling support

 

[Madhuri]

Well obviously I don't believe that Hinduism 'invented' any idea but rather that it represents actual reality (if you really wanted you could say it 'discovered' monotheism).

But it's common knowledge that Hinduism holds the oldest scriptures and the idea of one Supreme Creator has always been a fundamental part of those scriptures.

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Even archaic tribal religions acknowledge there to be 1 god, whom all the others are parts of.

 

[s2a]

Even archaic tribal religions acknowledge there to be 1 god, whom all the others are parts of.

Ok, but I'm not asking if Ugg and Umph in some cave 90k years ago, right after perfecting the "invention" of fire... thought that that the ugly cave bear "Aggghhh!!!" was the only god that they knew of...

When we breeze though the written recordings as accounted in human history back to the very invention of pictograms, cave paintings, and/or actual language, whom do we identify as being first in inventing the notion of a "supreme" and singular divine entity?

Not just some "Big Kahuna" concept (like Apollo or Zeus) wherein "lesser" (yet no less immortal and divine) entities could be noted and acknowledged, but not quite whittled down to just one...and only one?

In essence, the idea/notion/premise/claim/assertion that there has only been "one" immortal, eternal, everlasting and prime mover of the entire cosmos.

Who gets that tiara?

 

[Levite]

Right here. I believe that crown might belong to Judaism....

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I'm just going to take a shot and say it may have been some very ancient tribe that over time has become forever lost. Judaism is often considered very significant in the development of monotheism, but I wouldn't find it surprising if someone thought of it before they did.

 

[Riverwolf]

Right here. I believe that crown might belong to Judaism....

Yeah, the idea of only one God with no other Gods in existence is something Judaism did before anyone else.

The only other contender is probably Zoroastrianism.

 

[s2a]

Well, I'm encouraged by the feedback lent so far, and it seems that Jews have taken the early presumptive lead...

...BUT...

please note that I asked that any claimants of originality provide substantive and compelling SUPPORT as foundation of their assertion... just as you might when filing for a patent on a new invention

I know i can think of just a couple of religions just off the top of my head that could readily challenge Judaism as "first" (especially when you consider that Judaism incorporated polytheistic beliefs and traditions and observances for quite some time before classifying itself as "monotheistic").

Maybe those inscriptions upon those tablets delivered compliments of Moses might lend recall that Jews were hardly monotheistic at that time...

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I know i can think of just a couple of religions just off the top of my head that could readily challenge Judaism as "first" (especially when you consider that Judaism incorporated polytheistic beliefs and traditions and observances for quite some time before classifying itself as "monotheistic").

Maybe those inscriptions upon those tablets delivered compliments of Moses might lend recall that Jews were hardly monotheistic at that time...

I'm glad you made this thread. That idea is something I meant to look into at some point in time in the past, but I forgot about it before I actually got to it.

 

[Madhuri]

Yeah, the idea of only one God with no other Gods in existence is something Judaism did before anyone else.

The only other contender is probably Zoroastrianism.

I disagree. The most ancient Vedic ideas refer to a single God. All the other 'gods' are simply manifestations of the One and do not equal Him/It/Her.

So unless the OP is asking for a version of monotheism where there is one God and no lesser 'gods'm then Hinduism had it first.

 

[s2a]

I disagree. The most ancient Vedic ideas refer to a single God. All the other 'gods' are simply manifestations of the One and do not equal Him/It/Her.

So unless the OP is asking for a version of monotheism where there is one God and no lesser 'gods'm then Hinduism had it first.

As progenitor of the OP, I'll reiterate the question put forward within that OP...

"Not just a poll here… but hoping that some contributors might offer some support for any claims that their religion was indeed the “first” to insist that a singular “god” was/is existent, and perhaps rules the cosmos today."

Is there an incept date, or unique marker of holy text, or other source you can offer as validation of that conclusion?

Just curious....

 

[Sunstone]

The notion of one god might be as old as humanity. How many religions were there before writing? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Surely some of them could have been monotheistic.

 

[Orias]

Well obviously I don't believe that Hinduism 'invented' any idea but rather that it represents actual reality (if you really wanted you could say it 'discovered' monotheism).

But it's common knowledge that Hinduism holds the oldest scriptures and the idea of one Supreme Creator has always been a fundamental part of those scriptures.

I think the term "God" and its perceived "monotheistic" aspect may originate from the Sanskrit word "Hu", which is to mean "to implore upon, to invoke, to call upon". Obviously this can also lead to a polytheistic perception, but I like to make both descriptions, monotheistic and polytheistic, intermingle. When you mash all together you get one, but it consists of many.

 

[Orias]

Also, if you look at Norse mythology, at the end of the Twilight of the Gods it can be perceived that the unification of the tribes can bring upon one complied God or a singular group of Gods. When you add the conjured meaning of the words of the two tribes of Gods, Æsir and Vanir, of you essentially get "friend of power seeker". This is because the Æsir were essentially power seeking while the Vanir were loving and fertile, so combined it could essentially describe a grouping of thoughts designed to expound upon the concept of a single all powerful and loving "God".

And remember, this entire depiction is supposed to be a prediction.

 

[s2a]

The notion of one god might be as old as humanity. How many religions were there before writing? Ten thousand? A hundred thousand? Surely some of them could have been monotheistic.

Perhaps...possibly...

But now I'm assuming you to have no case to present then..., and that's ok

 

[Shuddhasattva]

Yeah, the idea of only one God with no other Gods in existence is something Judaism did before anyone else.

The only other contender is probably Zoroastrianism.

You don't find most of the first half of Judaism's history to be marked much more by henotheism than monotheism?

 

[Madhuri]

"Not just a poll here… but hoping that some contributors might offer some support for any claims that their religion was indeed the “first” to insist that a singular “god” was/is existent, and perhaps rules the cosmos today."

Here is an excerpt and you will find many sources providing the same information.

"Using the many types of evidence previously provided in this chapter, it is clear that the height of the Vedic Age was certainly long before 3100 B.C., even as early as 4000 to 5000 B.C. as some scholars feel. Bal Gangadhar Tilak estimates that the Vedas were in existence as early as 6000 B.C., based on historical data, while others say it was as far back as 7000-8000 B.C."

Death of the Aryan Invasion Theory

 

[Shuddhasattva]

As progenitor of the OP, I'll reiterate the question put forward within that OP...

"Not just a poll here… but hoping that some contributors might offer some support for any claims that their religion was indeed the “first” to insist that a singular “god” was/is existent, and perhaps rules the cosmos today."

Is there an incept date, or unique marker of holy text, or other source you can offer as validation of that conclusion?

Just curious....

The Rig Veda, the oldest written scripture, belonging to the oldest historically known religion, says in 1.164.46:

Indraṃ mitraṃ varuṇamaghnimāhuratho divyaḥ sa suparṇo gharutmān,ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadantyaghniṃ yamaṃ mātariśvānamāhuḥ
"They call Him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and He is heavenly nobly-winged Garuda.To what is One, sages give many a title they call it Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan."

 

[Riverwolf]

I disagree. The most ancient Vedic ideas refer to a single God. All the other 'gods' are simply manifestations of the One and do not equal Him/It/Her.

So unless the OP is asking for a version of monotheism where there is one God and no lesser 'gods'm then Hinduism had it first.

Well, I don't really call the Vedic religion "Hinduism", but that's a different thing altogether.

But I think that is what's being called for: one God and no other Gods. So Vedic monism doesn't really qualify.

 

[Riverwolf]

You don't find most of the first half of Judaism's history to be marked much more by henotheism than monotheism?

There aren't any other religions at that time that are like that. I am talking about 600 BCE.

The early Israelite religion was henotheistic.