15 Must-Know Dates on the Religion Timeline

To properly understand our surroundings, understanding history is key.  And to fully grasp history, you have to have a working knowledge of religion.  By working knowledge, I mean dates and timelines and the like.  The more fluffy and emotional stuff can be discussed on social media.  In any event, here are 15 must-know dates (many very approximate) on the religion timeline.  The result will be a structured perspective on the world’s five major religions—Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

13.8 billion BCE

The universe comes into existence.  We’re talking Big Bang Theory.

4.5 billion BCE

Earth forms.

4.5 billion – 3.5 billion BCE

Life on Earth begins.

300,000 – 200,000 BCE

The first anatomically modern humans appear.

2300 BCE

Hinduism resembling its current representation begins in the Indus Valley.  The Vedas, or ancient Hindu texts, are transmitted orally for many generations, later being written in Sanskrit (1500 – 500 BCE).

2000 BCE

Abraham, the Patriarch of the Jewish people, may have lived around this time.  (He also plays a prominent role in Christianity and Islam, which along with Judaism, are referred to as the Abrahamic religions.)

563 BCE – 483 BCE

The life of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.

450 BCE

The Written Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (also referred to as the Tanakh or Old Testament), is completed.

4 BCE – 30 CE

The life of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.

66 – 110

The first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels, are written.  (The New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible after the Old Testament, with the Gospels covering the life and death of Jesus.)

570 – 632 

The life of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.  During his life, he begins dictating the Quran, later formally committed to text.  Following his death, debate regarding leadership of the community serves as the basis for the division between Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims.

1054 

A key split in Christianity formally occurs, leaving the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

1517

Martin Luther publishes Ninety-five Theses as a reaction against practices of the Roman Catholic Church, marking the formal beginning of Protestantism and another key split in Christianity.

1859

On the Origin of Species is published by Charles Darwin. His theory of evolution introduces the concept of natural selection to a general audience.

1953

The structure of DNA is discovered.  The subsequent explosion of knowledge about life adds a new perspective to prior theories.

 

With these dates in hand, you can successfully handle yourself surrounding the religion timeline.  But beware. A deeper dive may lead you down the deepest of all rabbit holes.