Timeline of religion

The timeline of religion is a chronological catalog of important and noteworthy religious events in prehistoric and modern times.

Note: this article reaches extensively into prehistoric times, as the bulk of the human religious experience is not relegated to Written history. Written history is only approximately 5000 years old (the age of formal writing). However, a consequence of lacking written records is that much knowledge of prehistoric religion is derived from archaeological records, other indirect sources, and suppositions. Much of religious prehistory is subject to continued debate.

Prehistoric period (300th millennium to 34th century BCE)

See also: Prehistoric religion, Paleolithic religion, and Evolutionary origin of religions

A commonly held marker for the dawn of religious belief and practice is with the advent of intentional burial marks, thus included in this section.

300th to 51st millennium BCE

223,000 - 100,000 BCE 

The earliest evidence of Hominids, such as Neanderthals and even Homo heidelbergensis, deliberately disposing of deceased individuals usually in funerary caches. The graves, located throughout Eurasia (e.g. the Pontnewydd Cave, Atapuerca Mountains, Qafzeh, Es Skhul, Krapina), are believed to represent the beginnings of ceremonial rites, although there is some debate about this. Neanderthals placed their deceased in simple graves with little or no concern for grave goods or markers; however, their graves occasionally appeared with limestone blocks in or on them, possibly an archaic form of grave marking. These practices were possibly the result of empathetic feelings towards fellow tribespeople, for example: an infant buried in the Dederiyeh Cave after its joints had disarticulated was placed with concern for the correct anatomical arrangement of its body parts.

98,000 BCE 

In the area of present-day France and Belgium, Neanderthals begin defleshing their dead, possibly after a period of excarnation prior to burial.

50th to 11th millennium BCE

40,000 BCE 

One of the earliest Anatomically modern humans to be cremated is buried near Lake Mungo.

33,000 BCE 

All convincing evidence for Neanderthal burials ceases. Roughly coinciding with the time period of the Homo sapiens introduction to Europe and decline of the Neanderthals.

25,000 BCE 

Individual skulls and/or long bones begin appearing heavily stained with red ochre and are separately buried. This practice may be the origins of sacred relics.

The oldest discovered "Venus figurines" appear in graves. Some are deliberately broken or repeatedly stabbed. Possibly representing murders of the men they are buried with or some other unknown social dynamic.

25,000 - 21,000 BCE 

Clear examples of burials are present in Iberia, Wales, and Eastern Europe. All of these, also, incorporate the heavy use of red ochre. Additionally, various objects are being included in the graves (i.e. periwinkle shells, weighted clothing, dolls, possible drumsticks, mammoth ivory beads, fox teeth pendants, panoply of ivory artifacts, "baton" antlers, flint blades, etc.).

21,000 - 11,000 BCE 

Convincing evidence of mortuary activity ceases.

13,000 - 8,000 BCE 

Noticeable burial activity resumes. Prior mortuary activity had either taken a less obvious form or contemporaries retained some of their burial knowledge in the absence of such activity; dozens of men, women, and children were being buried in the same caves which were used for burials 10,000 years beforehand. All these graves are delineated by the cave walls and large limestone blocks. The burials are very similar to each other and share a number of characteristics—ochre, shell and mammoth ivory jewellery—that go back thousands of years. Some burials are double, comprising an adult male with a juvenile male buried by his side. They are now appearing to take on the form of modern cemeteries. Old burials are commonly being redug and moved to make way for the new ones, with the older bones often being gathered and cached together. Large stones may have acted as grave markers. Pairs of ochred antlers are sometimes poles within the cave; this is compared to the modern practice of leaving flowers at one's grave.

100th to 34th century BCE

9831

The Neolithic Revolution begins and results in a worldwide population explosion. The first cities, states, kingdoms, and organized religions begin to emerge. The early states were usually theocracies, in which the political power is justified by religious prestige.

9130 - 7370 BCE 

The apparent lifespan of Göbekli Tepe, the oldest human-made place of worship yet discovered.

8000 BCE 

Four to five pine posts are erected near the eventual site of Stonehenge.

7500 - 5700 BCE 

The settlements of Catalhoyuk develop as a likely spiritual center of Anatolia. Possibly practicing worship in communal shrines, its inhabitants leave behind numerous clay figurines and impressions of phallic, feminine, and hunting scenes.

5500 - 4500 BCE

The Proto-Indo-Europeans (PIE) emerged, probably within the Pontic-Caspian steppe (though their exact urheimat is debated). The PIE peoples developed a religion focused on sacrificial ideology, which would influence the religions of the descendent Indo-European cultures throughout Europe, Anatolia, and the Indian sub-continent.

~3750 BCE

The Proto-Semitic peoples emerged with a generally accepted urheimat in the Arabian peninsula. The Proto-Semitic peoples would migrate throughout the Near East into Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Their religion would influence their descendant cultures and faiths, including the Abrahamic religions.

Ancient history (33rd century BCE to 3rd century CE)

See also: History of religion

33rd to 12th century BCE

3228 - 3102 BCE 

Traditionally accepted time of Krishna's life on Earth.

3100 BCE 

The initial form of Stonehenge is completed. The circular bank and ditch enclosure, about 110 metres (360 ft) across, may be complete with a timber circle.

3100 - 2900 BCE 

Newgrange, the 250,000 ton (226,796.2 tonne) passage tomb aligned to the winter solstice in Ireland, is built.

3000 BCE 

Sumerian Cuneiform emerges from the proto-literate Uruk period, allowing the codification of beliefs and creation of detailed historical religious records.

The second phase of Stonehenge is completed and appears to function as the first enclosed cremation cemetery in the British Isles.

2635 - 2610 BCE 

The oldest surviving Egyptian Pyramid is commissioned by pharaoh Djoser.

2600 BCE 

Stonehenge begins to take on the form of its final phase. The wooden posts are replaced with that of bluestone. It begins taking on an increasingly complex setup—including altar, portal, station stones, etc.—and shows consideration of solar alignments.

2560 BCE 

The approximate time accepted as the completion of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest pyramid of the Giza Plateau.

2494 - 2345 BCE 

The first of the oldest surviving religious texts, the Pyramid Texts, are composed in Ancient Egypt.

2348 BCE 

Noah's Ark and the Great Flood that wiped out all previous civilizations according to the Ussher chronology.

2200 BCE 

Minoan Civilization in Crete develops. Citizens worship a variety of Goddesses.

2150 - 2000 BCE 

The earliest surviving versions of the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh (originally titled "He who Saw the Deep" (Sha naqba īmuru) or "Surpassing All Other Kings" (Shūtur eli sharrī)) were written.

2000 - 1850 BCE 

The traditionally accepted period in which the Judeochristian/Islamic patriarchal figure Abraham lived. Likely born in Ur Kaśdim or Haran and died in Machpelah, Canaan.

1700 BCE 

Zoroaster (a.k.a. Zarathushtra), founder of Zoroastrianism is thought to have been born.

1600 BCE 

The ancient development of Stonehenge comes to an end.

1500 - 1000 BCE 

Vedic 'Samhitas' composed (Rig-Veda : Hinduism : India)

13th to 9th century BCE

1367 BCE 

Reign of Akhenaton in Ancient Egypt. Akhenaton is sometimes credited with starting the earliest known monotheistic religion. Akenaton's monotheistic beliefs are thought to be the precursor of the monotheistic doctrines of the Abrahamic religions.

1300 - 1000 BCE 

The "standard" Akkadian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh was edited by Sin-liqe-unninni.

1250 BCE 

The believed time of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt.

1200 BCE 

The Greek Dark Age begins.

1200 BCE 

Olmecs build earliest pyramids and temples in Central America.

950 BCE 

The Torah begins to be written, the core texts of Judaism and foundation of later Abrahamic religions.

877–777 BCE

Parshva, 23rd Tirthankar of Jainism.

8th to 3rd century BCE

800 BCE 

Early Brahmanas are composed.

800 BCE

The Greek Dark Age ends.

600 - 500 BCE 

Earliest Confucian writing, Shu Ching incorporates ideas of harmony and heaven.

599–527 BCE

Mahavira, 24th and last Tirthankar of Jainism.

563 BCE 

Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism is born.

551 BCE 

Confucius, founder of Confucianism, is born.

440 BCE 

Zoroastrianism enters recorded history.

300 BCE 

Theravada Buddhism is introduced to Sri Lanka by the Venerable Mahinda.

250 BCE 

The Third Buddhist council was convened.

2nd century BCE to 4th century CE

63 BCE 

Pompey captures Jerusalem and annexes Judea as a Roman client kingdom.

7 BCE - 36 CE 

The approximate time-frame for the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Christianity.

50-62 

Council of Jerusalem is held.

70 

Siege of Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Temple.

220 

Manichaean Gnosticism is formed by prophet Mani

250 

Some of the oldest parts of the Ginza Rba, a core text of Mandaean Gnosticism, are written.

250 - 900 

Classic Mayan civilization, Stepped pyramids are constructed.

300 

The oldest known version of the Tao Te Ching is written on bamboo tablets.

313 

The Edict of Milan decrees religious toleration in the Roman empire.

325 

The first Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea, is convened to attain a consensus on doctrine through an assembly representing all of Christendom. It establishes the original Nicene Creed, fixes Easter date, confirms primacy of the sees of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, and grants the See of Jerusalem a position of honor.

380 

Theodosius I declares Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

381 

The second Ecumenical Council, the Council of Constantinople, reaffirms/revises the Nicene Creed repudiating Arianism and Macedonianism.

381 - 391 

Theodosius proscripted Paganism within the Roman Empire.

393 

The Synod of Hippo, the first time a council of bishops of early Christianity listed and approved a Biblical canon.

Middle Ages (5th to 15th century)

See also: History of religions#Middle Ages

5th to 9th century

405 

St. Jerome completes the Vulgate, the first Latin translation of the bible.

410 

The Western Roman Empire begins to decline, signaling the onset of the Dark Ages.

424 

The Assyrian Church of the East formally separates from the See of Antioch and the western Syrian Church

431 

The third Ecumenical Council, the Council of Ephesus, is held as a result of the controversial teachings of Nestorius, of Constantinople. It repudiates Nestorianism, proclaims the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos ("Birth-giver to God", "God-bearer", "Mother of God"), repudiates Pelagianism, and again reaffirmes the Nicene Creed.

449 

The Second Council of Ephesus declares support of Eutyches and attacked his opponents. Originally convened as an Ecumenical council, its ecumenicality is rejected and is denounced as a latrocinium by the Chalcedonian.

451 

The fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon rejects the Eutychian doctrine of monophysitism, adopts the Chalcedonian Creed, reinstated those deposed in 449 and deposed Dioscorus of Alexandria, and elevates of the bishoprics of Constantinople and Jerusalem to the status of patriarchates.

451 

The Oriental Orthodox Church rejects the christological view put forth by the Council of Chalcedon and is excommunicated.

480 - 547 

The Rule of Saint Benedict is written by Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Western Christian monasticism.

553 

The fifth Ecumenical Council, Second Council of Constantinople, repudiates the Three Chapters as Nestorian and condemns Origen of Alexandria.

570 - 632 

Life-time of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh RA, the founder of Islam and considered by Muslims to be a messenger of God.

632-661 

The Rashidun Caliphate(Rightly Guided) brings Arab conquest of Persia, Egypt, Iraq, bringing Islam into those regions.

650 

The verses of the Qur'an are compliled in the form of a book in the era of Uthman RA, the third Caliph of Islam.

661-750 

The Umayyad Caliphate brings Arab conquest of North Africa, Spain, Central Asia. Marking the greatest extent of the Arab conquests bringing Islam into those regions.

680 - 681 

The sixth Ecumenical Council, the Third Council of Constantinople, rejects Monothelitism and Monoenergism.

Circa 680 the split between Sunni and Shiites starts to grow.

692 

The Quinisext Council (aka "Council in Trullo"), an amendment to the 5th and 6th Ecumenical Councils, establishes the Pentarchy.

712 

Kojiki, the oldest Shinto text is written

754 

The latrocinium Council of Hieria supports iconoclasm.

787 

The seventh Ecumenical Council, Second Council of Nicaea, restores the veneration of icons and denounces iconoclasm.

10th to 15th century

1054 

The Great Schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches formally takes place.

1095 - 1099 

The first Crusade takes place.

1107 - 1110 

Sigurd I of Norway wages the Norwegian Crusade on Muslims in Spain, the Baleares, and in Palestine.

1147 - 1149 

The Second Crusade is waged in response to the fall of the County of Edessa.

1189 - 1192 

The Third Crusade, European leaders attempt to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin.

1191 

Dehli Sulatanate is stablished.

1199 - 1204 

The Fourth Crusade takes place.

1204 

Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade sack the Christian Eastern Orthodox city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire.

1209 - 1229 

The Albigensian Crusade takes place in Occitania, Europe.

1217 - 1221 

The Church attempts the Fifth Crusade.

1228 - 1229 

The Sixth Crusade occurs.

1229 

The Codex Gigas is completed by Herman the Recluse in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice near Chrudim.

1244 

Jerusalem is sacked again, instigating the Seventh Crusade.

1270 

The Eighth Crusade is organized.

1271 - 1272 

The Ninth Crusade fails.

1320 

Pope John XXII lays the groundwork for the future witch-hunts with the formalization of the persecution of witchcraft.

1378 - 1417 

The Roman Catholic Church is split during the Western Schism.

1469 - 1539 

The life of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism.

1484 

Pope Innocent VIII marks the beginning of the classical European witch-hunts with his papal bull Summis desiderantes.

1500 

African religious systems are introduced to the Americas, with the commencement of the trans-Atlantic forced migration.

1517 

Martin Luther, of the Protestant Reformation, posts the 95 theses.

In the Spanish Empire, Catholicism is spread and encouraged through such institutions as missions and the Inquisition.

1562 

The Massacre of Vassy spark the first a long series of French Wars of Religion.

Early modern and Modern era (16th to 20th century)

See also: History of religions#Modern period

16th to 18th century

1699

The creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in Sikhism

1708

Death of Guru Gobind Singh, the last human Guru, who, before his death, instituted the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, as the eternal Guru.

1789 - 1799 

The Dechristianisation of France during the Revolution. The state confiscates Church properties, bans monastic vows, with the passage of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy removes the Church from the Roman Pope and subordinates it as a department of the Government, replaces the traditional Gregorian Calendar, and abolishes Christian holidays.

1791 

Freedom of religion, enshrined in the Bill of Rights, is amended into the constitution of the United States forming an early and influential secular government.

19th to 20th century

1801 

The situation following the French Revolution, France and Pope Pius VII entered into the Concordat of 1801. While "Catholicism" regains some powers and becomes recognized as "...the religion of the great majority of the French", it's not reafforded the latitude it had enjoyed prior to the Revolution. It's not the official state religion, the Church relinquishes all claims to estate seized after 1790, the clergy is state salaried and must swear allegiance to the State, and religious freedom is maintained.

1819 - 1850

The life of Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází (Persian: سيد علی ‌محمد شیرازی) Bab (October 20, 1819 – July 9, 1850), the founder of Bábism.

1817 - 1892

The life of Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

1830

The Latter Day Saint movement (Mormonism) is founded by Joseph Smith, Jr.

1835 - 1908

Lifetime of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the messianic Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam.

1899 

Aradia (aka the Gospel of the Witches), one of the earliest books describing post witchhunt European religious Witchcraft, is published by Charles Godfrey Leland.

1904 

Thelema founded.

1905 

In France the law on the Separation of the Churches and the State is passed, officially establishing it a state secularism and putting and end to the funding of religious groups by the state.

Becoming a place of pilgrimage for neo-druids and other pagans, the Ancient Order of Druids organized the first recorded reconstructionist ceremony in Stonehenge.

1908

The establishment of the Khalifatul Masih after Prophethood in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Second Manifestation of God's Power.

1917 

The October Revolution, in Russia, leads to the annexation of all church properties and subsequent religious suppression.

the 1917 Constitution of Mexico is written making Mexico a secular state.

1926 

Cao Dai founded.

The Cristero War is fought in Mexico between the secular governmenr and religious christian rebels ends 1929.

1930s 

Rastafari movement, the Nation of Islam is founded.

1932 

A neo-Hindu religious movement,the Brahma Kumaris or "Daughters of Brahma" started the origin of BKWSU can be traced to the group "Om Mandali", founded by Lekhraj Kripalani(1884–1969).

1938 

The first event of the Holocaust, the Kristallnacht, takes place.

1939 - 1945 

Millions of Jews are relocated and killed by the Nazi government during Holocaust.

1947 

British India is partitioned on religious lines; into an Islamic country of Pakistan and the secular nation of India with a Hindu majority.

1948 

The Jews return to their ancient biblical homeland and thus the state of Israel is created.

1952 

Scientology is created.

1954 

Wicca is publicized by Gerald Gardner.

1960s 

Various Neopagan and New Age movements gain momentum.

1961 

Unitarian Universalism formed from merger of Unitarianism and Universalism.

1962 

The Church of All Worlds, the first American neo-pagan church, is formed by a group including Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart, and Richard Lance Christie.

1962 - 1965 

The Second Vatican Council takes place.

1966 

Religious Satanism begins, with Anton Szandor LaVey's founding of the Church of Satan.

1972 - 1984 

The Stonehenge free festivals are held.

1973 

Claude Vorilhon established the Raëlian Movement and changed his name to Raël following a purported extraterrestrial encounter in December 1973.

1984 

Operation Blue Star occurs at holiest site of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple in Amritsar. 1984 Anti-Sikh riots follow.

1972 - 2004 

Germanic Neopaganism (aka Heathenism, Heathenry, Ásatrú, Odinism, Forn Siðr, Vor Siðr, and Theodism) begins to experience a second wave of revival.

1979 

The Iranian Revolution results in the establishment of an Islamic Republic in Iran.

1981 

The Stregherian revival continues. "The Book of the Holy Strega" and "The Book of Ways" Volume I & II are published.

1985 

The Battle of the Beanfield forces an end to the Stonehenge free festivals.

1989 

The revolutions of 1989, the overthrow of many Soviet-style states, allows a resurgence in open religious practice in many Eastern European countries.^{citation needed}

1990s 

European pagan reconstructive movements (Celtic, Hellenic, Roman, Slavic, Baltic, Finnish, etc.) organize.

1993 

The European Council convened in Copenhagen, Denmark, agrees to criteria requiring religious freedom within any and all prospective members of the European Union.

1998 

The Strega Arician Tradition is founded.

Post-modern period (21st century)

See also: History of religion

21st century

2001 

Osama bin Laden's declared holy war reaches a climax with 2,993 dead, through al-Qaeda's actions on 11 September.

2005 

The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster, a parody religion is created by Oregon State physics graduate Bobby Henderson. It was originally intended as a satirical protest against the decision by the Kansas State Board of Education to permit the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools.

2009 

The Church of Scientology in France is fined €600,000 and several of its leaders are fined and sentenced to jail for defrauding new recruits out of their savings. The state fails to disband the church due to legal changes occurring over the same time period.

The simplified animated map below (only locally dominant religions are shown) shows the spreading of some religions across the populations on the world map over a period of thousands of years. The various colours represent (in order of appearance) Hinduism (yellow), Judeo-Christianity (blue), Buddhism (orange-red), and Islam (green); grey lumps together all other world religions. More details of ancient religions that preceded those in the animation are found under both History of religion and Mythology.

See also

• Evolutionary origin of religions
• Prehistoric religion
• Religion and mythology
• History of religions
• Holocene era
• Tarantian stage
• Ionian stage
• Paleolithic Religion
• Axial age

External links

• Patheos Interactive Tree Lens
• Interactive timeline illustrating the history of religion
• Flash animation pausing at various significant conversions/conquests

References

• 2007, Smith, Laura Illustrated Timeline of Religion ISBN 1-4027-3606-1
• 2006, Bowker, John, World Religions ISBN 0-7566-1772-3

Footnotes

Mythology
Armenian Celtic Christian Chinese Egyptian Greek Hindu Islamic Japanese Jewish Maya Mesopotamian Norse Roman Slavic
See also
Religion and mythology Comparative religion Symbolism Theology
List of mythologies