Ancient Origins articles related to Religions, we investigate the creation beliefs of the major world religions and then address the controversies surrounding the account.
People in the ancient world did not always believe in the gods, a new study suggests – casting doubt on the idea that religious belief is a “default setting” for humans. “Early societies were far...
The story of a “Great Flood” sent by God (or gods according to much earlier testimony) to destroy humanity for its sins is a widespread account shared by many religions and cultures around the world...
When Alexander the Great arrived in Pakistan and India two very different civilizations confronted and were influenced by each other. The first anthropomorphic representations of Buddha were...
For being one of the most widely recognized men in the last 2,000 years, the true appearance of Jesus of Nazareth remains a mystery. Traditionally portrayed in western art as a be-robed, light-...
The Ogdoad, also called the Hehu or Infinites, were the celestial rulers of a cosmic age. Considered to have come long before the Egyptian religious system currently recognized, the Ogdoad were...
In 1872, the amateur Assyriologist, George Smith, made a discovery that would shock the world. Whilst studying a particular tablet from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Nineveh, he comes across a...
All throughout history people have invoked gods of various kinds, including incomprehensibly strange creators. Crediting an almighty god as the creator of the universe is an acknowledgement that the...
Before the acceptance of Christianity, Roman polytheism was dominant in the western world. Rome's borders extended as far west as Britain and as far east as modern day Greece and Turkey. To help ease...
Siddhars are a type of saint in India who are said to have had many powers and achieved a ‘god-like’ state through specific secret practices that were known only to them. These powers spanned from...
The new film Noah starring Russell Crowe as the man chosen by God to collect pairs of animals on Earth and gather them into a massive ark has just hit cinemas around the world. But has Hollywood got...
Christian texts are full of controversies regarding actions of God which could be perceived as harsh, or even revengeful. These controversies are also extended to other Biblical figures/beings, for...
The concept of the Christian Trinity is puzzling, to say the least, but what about the Jewish/Christian god’s admittance to the existence of other gods? Here are the Old Testament instances where...
The Hebrew/Christian concept of monotheism has invaded the far corners of the earth, and many people have heard its doctrine; however, it continues to cause confusion and controversy, just as it did...
It is one of the largest catastrophes mentioned in the Bible, and one that—though still in dispute between archaeologists—has possibly been verified as true. It is the destruction of Sodom and...
Third in the list of major religions, with more than 870 million followers, is Hinduism. Hinduism goes back to 5000 BCE and is a compilation of many diverse traditions (in contrast to Christianity...
With more than 1.67 billion followers, Muslims are the second biggest religious population on Earth. The major sacred text of the Muslims is the Quran (also spelt Koran), which they believe is the...
Christianity is the world’s biggest religion, with 2.3 billion followers as of 2010. The Christianity account of creation is described in the first chapter of the Bible, Genesis . In the beginning...
The Mormon Church, a sect of Christianity sometimes referred to as a cult, has a collection of sacred writings called the Pearl of Great Price . Mormons believe in the concept of creation according...