Monday, 8 January 2024

What is the oldest god known to humanity?

 Identifying the "oldest god" known to humanity is challenging because ancient religions and belief systems often predate written records, and archaeological evidence may not fully capture the earliest forms of worship. Different cultures around the world developed their own mythologies and pantheons, and the deities worshipped by early human societies may have varied widely.

One of the earliest known examples of a deity is from ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia), where the goddess Inanna (later known as Ishtar) was venerated. Inanna was associated with love, fertility, and war and dates back to the early third millennium BCE. However, there were likely earlier deities in prehistoric religions that are not as well-documented.

Similarly, ancient Egyptian religion has early deities, with gods like Ra, Osiris, and Isis appearing in the earliest written records. The exact dating of these deities varies, but they were prominent in the early dynastic periods (circa 3100–2686 BCE).

In the context of ancient Indian religions, the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, dates back to around 1500–1200 BCE. It contains hymns dedicated to various deities, including Agni (the god of fire) and Indra (the king of gods and god of thunder and rain), among others.

In summary, pinpointing the single "oldest god" is challenging due to the diversity of ancient cultures and the lack of comprehensive records from prehistoric times. Different cultures had their own earliest deities, and the concept of god or gods likely evolved over a long period in human history.

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