Ancient Origins of Religion
The Deep Roots of Religion: From Tribal Rituals to Monotheism
By Alan Marley
Religion didn’t begin with temples or sacred texts. Its origins stretch back into prehistory—formed in the caves, rituals, and symbols of early humans trying to explain the world. This article traces the verifiable roots of religion using archaeological and anthropological evidence, and shows how the belief systems that shape modern life evolved from far older traditions.
1. Animism: The Spirit in All Things
(50,000–10,000 BCE)
The earliest religious systems were likely animistic, where people believed spirits inhabited trees, rivers, animals, and the wind. This belief gave early humans a framework to understand natural forces and unpredictable events.
Animism is evident in cave art from sites like Lascaux, France, where hybrid figures suggest spiritual interpretation of animals (Tylor, 1871; Mithen, 1996). Animistic systems still survive in indigenous cultures worldwide.
2. Burial Rites and the Afterlife
(100,000 BCE and onward)
Deliberate burials with grave goods signal belief in some kind of afterlife or spiritual continuation. Neanderthals buried their dead with flowers (Shanidar Cave, Iraq), and early Homo sapiens used ochre and tools in graves (Qafzeh Cave, Israel), indicating ritual (Mithen, 1996).
This behavior points to early spiritual reflection, grief, and emerging concepts of life beyond death (Burkert, 1996).
3. Totemism: Symbol and Identity
(10,000 BCE and onward)
Totemism involved spiritual connections to animals or natural symbols that defined clans and tribes. These symbols governed taboos, guided rituals, and gave groups a sense of cosmic purpose.
Such systems are documented among Native American tribes, Aboriginal Australians, and African cultures, and are considered early forms of organized religious identity (Tylor, 1871).
4. Shamanism: The First Religious Specialist
(Paleolithic to Neolithic)
Shamans acted as mediators between the visible world and the spirit realm. Using drumming, trance, and vision quests, they healed, guided, and performed rituals. These practices are still alive in Siberian, Amazonian, and Arctic societies (Eliade, 1964).
Rock art from the Upper Paleolithic shows figures in altered states of consciousness, supporting the theory that shamanic rituals date back at least 20,000 years (Mithen, 1996).
5. Polytheism: The Rise of the Gods
(8,000–2,000 BCE)
As agricultural societies emerged, so did polytheism—a structured pantheon of gods with specific powers and domains. Religion became tied to state power and social order.
Sumerians worshipped gods like Enlil and Inanna; Egyptians had Ra, Osiris, and Isis; and India’s Vedic tradition honored deities like Indra and Agni (Burkert, 1996; Walton, 2009). These systems formalized ritual, created priesthoods, and gave divine justification to rulers and laws.
6. The Evolution of Monotheism: Israel and the Influence of Empire
(1200–500 BCE)
Modern monotheism emerged gradually from earlier polytheistic traditions. Early Israelite religion was henotheistic, meaning Yahweh was the god of Israel but not necessarily the only god (Smith, 2002).
The name "El," a Canaanite high god, appears throughout Hebrew scripture (e.g., Isra-el, Beth-el). Over time, Yahweh assumed the attributes of El, and Israelite religion moved toward monotheism (Smith, 2002).
The Babylonian exile (586–539 BCE) was pivotal. With the temple destroyed and Israelite elites deported, Jewish thinkers began reevaluating their theology. Exposure to Babylonian myths like Enuma Elish and Gilgamesh contributed to the development of a universal, moralistic, creator God (Finkelstein & Silberman, 2001).
This period likely produced:
- The final redaction of the Torah
- Stronger moral monotheism
- A rejection of idols and localized gods
Rather than a single moment of revelation, monotheism evolved as syncretic borrowing refined through trauma, exile, and reinterpretation.
Conclusion: Religion as Human Inheritance
Religion began as a response to death, fear, awe, and wonder—not as a fixed belief system but as a cultural strategy to navigate the unknown. Even monotheism, often seen as divinely delivered, is the result of centuries of transformation—a product of history, geography, and human imagination.
Understanding religion’s roots doesn’t weaken faith—it reveals its enduring purpose: to connect, to explain, and to inspire.
References
- Burkert, W. (1996). Creation of the Sacred: Tracks of Biology in Early Religions. Harvard University Press.
- Eliade, M. (1964). Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton University Press.
- Finkelstein, I., & Silberman, N. A. (2001). The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts. Free Press.
- Mithen, S. (1996). The Prehistory of the Mind: The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science. Thames and Hudson.
- Smith, M. S. (2002). The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel (2nd ed.). Eerdmans.
- Tylor, E. B. (1871). Primitive Culture. London: John Murray.
Walton, J. H. (2009). The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. IVP Academic. is paragraph text. Click it or hit the Manage Text button to change the font, color, size, format, and more. To set up site-wide paragraph and title styles, go to Site Theme.
