The world's main religions have deep roots in ancient cultures and important writings. These roots have greatly influenced what people believe and how they practice their faith. Let’s look at five big religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Main Text: The Bible is the key book for Christians. It includes the Old and New Testaments.
Ancient Roots: Christianity started in the 1st century CE and is linked to Second Temple Judaism. Jesus of Nazareth, who is seen as the Messiah, shared messages that drew many followers.
Numbers: As of 2023, about 2.4 billion people, or 31.5% of the world, call themselves Christian.
Main Text: The Quran is the holy book of Islam, believed to be the word of God shared with the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE.
Ancient Roots: Islam has connections to ancient Arabian beliefs and the traditions of Judaism and Christianity. The Hijra, which was Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, marks the start of the Islamic calendar.
Numbers: Today, about 1.9 billion people, or 24.1% of the world, follow Islam.
Main Texts: The Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita are important books that guide Hindu thought and practice.
Ancient Roots: Hinduism is believed to be over 4,000 years old and is often seen as the oldest major religion. It developed from the ancient Indus Valley civilization and was influenced by various local tribal faiths.
Numbers: Around 1.2 billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, practice Hinduism today.
Main Texts: The Tripitaka (Pali Canon) is the key scripture for Buddhists. Other important writings include the Mahayana Sutras.
Ancient Roots: Founded in the 5th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), Buddhism started in India as a new way of thinking about spirituality.
Numbers: As of 2023, about 520 million people, or 7% of the world’s population, are Buddhists.
Main Text: The Tanakh, especially the Torah, is the main book for Jewish people.
Ancient Roots: Judaism dates back to the covenant with Abraham around 1800 BCE and is one of the oldest religions that believe in one God.
Numbers: There are about 14.8 million Jews in the world, making up 0.2% of the global population.
These ancient roots and main texts have not only shaped the beliefs and practices of these religions but also helped create cultural norms, ethical guidelines, and community identities that last to this day. Learning about these origins is important for understanding how these different and powerful belief systems developed over the centuries and how they continue to affect billions of lives globally.
The world's main religions have deep roots in ancient cultures and important writings. These roots have greatly influenced what people believe and how they practice their faith. Let’s look at five big religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Main Text: The Bible is the key book for Christians. It includes the Old and New Testaments.
Ancient Roots: Christianity started in the 1st century CE and is linked to Second Temple Judaism. Jesus of Nazareth, who is seen as the Messiah, shared messages that drew many followers.
Numbers: As of 2023, about 2.4 billion people, or 31.5% of the world, call themselves Christian.
Main Text: The Quran is the holy book of Islam, believed to be the word of God shared with the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE.
Ancient Roots: Islam has connections to ancient Arabian beliefs and the traditions of Judaism and Christianity. The Hijra, which was Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, marks the start of the Islamic calendar.
Numbers: Today, about 1.9 billion people, or 24.1% of the world, follow Islam.
Main Texts: The Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita are important books that guide Hindu thought and practice.
Ancient Roots: Hinduism is believed to be over 4,000 years old and is often seen as the oldest major religion. It developed from the ancient Indus Valley civilization and was influenced by various local tribal faiths.
Numbers: Around 1.2 billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, practice Hinduism today.
Main Texts: The Tripitaka (Pali Canon) is the key scripture for Buddhists. Other important writings include the Mahayana Sutras.
Ancient Roots: Founded in the 5th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), Buddhism started in India as a new way of thinking about spirituality.
Numbers: As of 2023, about 520 million people, or 7% of the world’s population, are Buddhists.
Main Text: The Tanakh, especially the Torah, is the main book for Jewish people.
Ancient Roots: Judaism dates back to the covenant with Abraham around 1800 BCE and is one of the oldest religions that believe in one God.
Numbers: There are about 14.8 million Jews in the world, making up 0.2% of the global population.
These ancient roots and main texts have not only shaped the beliefs and practices of these religions but also helped create cultural norms, ethical guidelines, and community identities that last to this day. Learning about these origins is important for understanding how these different and powerful belief systems developed over the centuries and how they continue to affect billions of lives globally.