The First Faith of Humanity: A Journey from Göbeklitepe to Animism
Throughout human history, one of the most ancient questions we have asked ourselves is: “What was the first religion?” The answer to this question takes us out of the dusty pages of history to the sun-drenched hills of Şanlıurfa, and into the minds of our ancestors who believed in the soul of nature.
Where Stones Find Their Voice: Göbeklitepe
It was once believed that religion emerged only after the transition to settled life. However, Göbeklitepe shattered this conventional wisdom. Exactly 12,000 years ago, long before the dawn of agriculture, our hunter-gatherer ancestors erected massive monoliths and constructed temples. This stands as the oldest known tangible evidence of organized belief.
Everything Had a Soul: Animism
Long before institutionalized religions and sacred texts, the first bond humans formed with nature was Animism. To our ancestors, the wind was not just an air current, but a breath. They believed that stones, trees, and rivers possessed their own souls. This form of belief was the first philosophy where humans did not feel alone in the universe but felt at one with nature.
Other Milestones in the Flow of History
As writing was invented, beliefs began to take on specific names:
• The Sumerians: They assigned gods to the heavens and the earth.
• Hinduism: Rooted in thousands of years of oral tradition, it became one of the oldest living belief systems.
• Zoroastrianism: By centering on the struggle between good and evil, it paved the way for monotheistic faiths.
In Summary; The question of what the first religion was is actually about when humanity’s search for meaning began. Whether it be those colossal stones at Göbeklitepe or the reverence shown to a tree, humankind has always felt the need to believe in a power greater than themselves.
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