Major Religion Timeline
- Frances West
- Apr 26
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 27
So, after church today, I fell straight into a history rabbit hole! I totally could have just Googled someone else’s timeline, but I had time. I decided to make my own. So cute, right?
This isn't every religion ever—just the ones I had time to deep-dive into today. Love that for me! This was basically my Sunday afternoon entertainment, so if you’re a history buff and see something that needs a tweak, please comment!
The Ancients (Where it all began)
Indus Valley (~7000 BCE – 1500 BCE): This one is a classic. It was tucked away in South Asia, mostly covering what we now know as Pakistan and Northwest India. Neolithic habitation, farming and rituals dated as far back as ~7000 BCE.
Check out this article.
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/indus-valley-civilization-begins-south-asia
Sumerian- Babylonian-Hellenized Religion (~4000 BCE – 100 AD): Welcome to the "Cradle of Civilization!" This was located in Southern Mesopotamia, or modern-day Southern Iraq. Sumerian ~4000BCE-1750BCE absorbed into Babylonian until 482BCE when it became a Hellenized religion until around 100AD. So fascinating how who ever ruled the area, the religions would change too. Maybe that had more to do with who was actually writing history than what the people were actually practicing... Just a thought.
Check out this article.
https://archive.org/details/religioninancien0000bott/page/n5/mode/2up
Ancient Egyptian (~3750 BCE – 100 AD): Everyone knows the Nile, but did you know the Egyptian Empire reached way further? At its peak, it stretched into Sudan, Israel, Jordan, and even as far west as the Libyan desert!
Check out this article.
Canaanite Religion (~3000 BCE – 100 AD): Think of this as the "land bridge" between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Today, these ancient sites are spread across Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
Check out this article.
The Rigveda-Brahmanism (~1500 BCE – 200 BCE): This is the heart of the "Land of Seven Rivers." It covered Pakistan, Northwest India, and even parts of Afghanistan.
Check out this article.
Celtic Paganism (~800 BCE – 1100 AD): Started in Central Europe (800–500 BCE) before hitting its "Golden Age" in France (450 BCE). Then around 500 BCE, tribes spread out to settle the British Isles, Spain, and even Northern Italy. By the 11th Century Margaret of Scotland led reforms in favor of Roman Catholicism. In the 18th-20th century there has been a New Age revival of this religion.
Check out this article.
Zoroastrianism (~1500 BCE – 651 AD): The spiritual powerhouse of Ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) and Central Asia.
Check out this article.
The Living Traditions
Judaism (~2000 BCE – Current): Traces back 4,000 years ago to Abraham moving from Mesopotamia to Canaan. Jerusalem became the HQ around 1000 BCE under Kings David and Solomon. Big shifts happened with the Assyrian & Babylonian Exiles (722 & 586 BCE). Judaism was sent to communities in Egypt and Greece (334 BCE – 1st Century BCE). Followed by the Roman Destruction (70 – 135 CE) which pushed the them into Europe and North Africa. Jewish life hit the Caribbean in the 1490s, Brazil in the 1630s, and finally North America in 1584 (Joachim Gans)and 1654 (the first official congregation in New Amsterdam).
Check this article out.
Hinduism (~200 BCE – Current): (1st–10th Century CE) Merchants and priests took the faith into Southeast Asia (think Angkor Wat!). Large communities formed in Africa, the Caribbean (Guyana/Trinidad), and Fiji. (1800s–1900s) A global interest in yoga and professional migration brought the tradition to the US, UK, and Australia. (1960s–Present):
Check this article out.
Atheism (~500 BCE – Current): Started with the Cārvāka school in India and Greek thinkers like Democritus. The Enlightenment (17th–18th Century) challenged church authority, followed by the 19th-century scientific explosion (Darwin!). By the 20th-century political shifts and 21st-century "New Atheism" pushed it into the global spotlight.
Check out this article.
Christianity (~30AD- Current): Christianity originated in the 1st century AD within the Roman province of Judea, specifically in and around Jerusalem. It began as a messianic movement within Judaism based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Following Jesus' death (30–33 AD), his disciples—most notably Paul the Apostle—traveled extensively along Roman roads to establish communities in Antioch, Greece, Asia Minor, and Rome. After centuries of periodic persecution, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan (313 AD). By 380 AD, under Emperor Theodosius I, it became the official state religion of the Roman Empire, utilizing the empire's vast infrastructure to expand. Armenia became the first nation to officially adopt Christianity as its state religion in 301 AD, followed soon after by Aksum (modern Ethiopia/Eritrea) and Georgia. From the 15th century onward, European powers (Spain, Portugal, Britain, and France) carried Christianity to the Americas, Africa, and Oceania through colonization and extensive missionary activity.
Check this article out.
Muslim (~610AD- Current): Islam originated in the early 7th century AD in Mecca, located in the Hejaz region of the western Arabian Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia). Arab forces conquered the Levant, Egypt, and the Sassanid (Persian) Empire.(661–750 AD). Ruling from Damascus, this dynasty expanded the empire's borders from Spain in the west to the Indus Valley (modern Pakistan) in the east. Muslim merchants traveling across the Sahara Desert brought Islam to West Africa, while seafaring traders established communities in East Africa and along the Silk Road. During the Islamic Golden Age (750–1258 AD), cities like Baghdad became global hubs for science and philosophy, attracting diverse populations and further embedding Islamic culture across Afro-Eurasia. Today, Islam is the world's fastest-growing major religion, with its largest population in Indonesia.
Check out this article.
Buddhism( ~250BCE -Current):Buddhism originated in northeastern India (and modern-day Nepal) between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who renounced his royal life to seek an end to human suffering and eventually became known as the Buddha ("The Awakened One") after achieving enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya.
Check this article out.
Sikhism( ~1469AD -Current): Sikhism originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia, an area now divided between modern-day India and Pakistan. It was founded by Guru Nanak. Under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire established an independent state centered in the Punjab that included Kashmir, Ladakh, and Peshawar. IN 1947 Partition of India caused a massive displacement of Sikhs from West Punjab to India and abroad. Later, in the 1960s and 70s, many migrated to the West for better economic opportunities.
Check this article out.
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