The Oldest Religion in the World

Spiritual traditions have accompanied humanity ever since the birth of civilisation. For millennia, various beliefs emerged and disappeared, gained popularity and lost influence. From them, only a few made it to the title of religion as a "particular system of faith and worship". Religion is, undoubtedly, an integral part of every culture, and it is worth studying before travelling to the country where it's observed. You may have asked yourself, what is the oldest religion in the world? Is it Hinduism or Judaism? What is the second oldest religion in the world? We'll tell you about the world's most widespread religions, oldest to newest.

Hinduism

Photo by Ramesh on flickr.com

Origin: 15th – 5th century BCE
Number of followers: 1 billion

Also known as Sanātana Dharma (eternal order), the religion appeared on the Indian peninsula. It had no single founder; it was rather a fusion of many beliefs ("the family of religions"). The oldest written source, the Rigveda, dates back to 1500 BCE. Hindus worship the single god, Brahman, who is represented by 33 core gods and several millions of minor gods! According to Hinduism, human life is a rotating circle that never stops: for all the good and bad you have done during your life, you will be either rewarded or punished in the next life. If the bad prevails, you'll be reincarnated into a person of a lower caste or an animal; on the contrary, a good person may expect to be reincarnated into a person of a higher caste and achieve enlightenment after a series of reincarnations.

Zoroastrianism

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yazd_fire_temple.jpg

Origin: 10th – 5th century BCE
Number of followers: 200,000

The religion was founded in Persia (today's Iran) by the prophet Zoroaster/Zarathustra (his true identity is unknown). He is said to have written the sacred text known as Avesta, containing hymns and directives. The main idea of Zoroastrianism is the battle between the good, represented by Ahura Mazda, and the evil, epitomised in Angra Mainyu. During the Arab conquests in the 7th century AD, Zoroastrianism was persecuted and rooted out. Today's followers of this religion are mainly descendants of Persian refugees, most of whom dwell in India.

Judaism

Photo by Liza Sigareva pexels.com

Origin: 9th – 5th century BCE
Number of followers: 15.2 million

Judaism was allegedly formed after the covenant between God and Abraham, and it secured its principles after Moses had been given the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Unlike the followers of Christianity, which birthed out of Judaism, Jews don't worship Jesus Christ, who was, in their opinion, a man who claimed to be God. Consequently, they are still waiting for the promised Messiah. Nowadays, the followers of Judaism are scattered across the globe, living in so-called diasporas, the largest of which is in the USA with 7.6 Jews.

Jainism

Photo by Chirag Gudhka on pexels.com

Origin: 8th – 2nd century BCE
Number of followers: 6-7 million

Jainism emerged out of Hinduism and was formalised by Mahavira, who was believed to be a Tirthankara – a concept close to that of a "holy man". The basic principles of Jainism are non-violence, asceticism, and non-possessiveness. Because of that, Jains care about any of their actions that could potentially harm something: for example, they sweep the ground in front of them to avoid squashing insects and filter the water through the cloth in order to prevent gulping something alive. Moreover, Jains are vegetarians and strictly obey the four core rules: not to steal, disregard worldly possessions, restrain from sexual relationships, and always tell the truth.

Buddhism

Photo by Subhrajyoti07 on commons.wikimedia.org

Origin: 6th – 5th century BCE
Number of followers: 400-520 million

Unlike most other religions, Buddhism has a clear founder – Siddhartha Gautama, widely referred to as the Buddha. He was a rich prince who lived in the territory of modern Nepal. He lived not knowing of any discomfort until one day, he found himself in circumstances that taught him what pain was. Since then, he rejected his wealthy lifestyle and developed a teaching which was further spread by his followers. The essence of the Buddha's teaching is the belief in the cycle of life as a never-ending succession of suffering and rebirths (reincarnations). Buddhists' ultimate goal is to achieve Nirvana, a condition similar to absolute bliss – this is the only way to break through the succession.

Conclusion

We have answered the question about what is the oldest religion in the world and found out the second oldest religion in the world, alongside three others. Note that we haven't included consideration of different animistic and shamanistic traditions, as well as modern revival versions of ancient religions. Together, all major religions played a pivotal role in the development of human society, with both favourable and devastating consequences. If you'd like to learn more about any world religion, why not do this at its birthplace? Plan a trip and observe the astonishing temples, many of which constitute examples of true architectural art. In the planning process, leave the accommodation issue to hotelin.com, which is eager to help you find the cheapest and best option tailored to your every need. Start a journey to enlightenment and cultural enrichment!