Which religion is the oldest?

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Question: Which religion is the oldest?
Options: a. Judaism, b. Hinduism, c. Islam, d. Buddhism

Option a: Judaism. This option points to an ancient tradition rooted in the Bronze Age and the Hebrew Bible. While Judaism is among the oldest continuous monotheistic faiths, its origins are typically placed several centuries after the earliest movements and scripts associated with Hinduism. In many overviews, Hindu practices and Vedic traditions predate the formalization commonly associated with Judaism, so this option is generally considered not to be the absolute oldest when the question uses a broad historical framing.

Option b: Hinduism. This choice reflects a view held by many scholars: Hinduism is one of the oldest surviving religious traditions with roots in the Vedic era and earlier, with textual strands like the Vedas dating back to around 1500–1200 BCE, and possibly even older oral traditions that predate written records. Because Hinduism encompasses a long, evolving set of beliefs, practices, and philosophies that persisted through many centuries, it is frequently cited as among the oldest continuous religious traditions still practiced today.

Option c: Islam. This option points to a faith founded in the 7th century CE by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula. Islam is historically much newer than Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism, so it cannot be the oldest among these options.

Option d: Buddhism. Buddhism emerged in the Indian subcontinent around the 5th century BCE, with Siddhartha Gautama as the historical founder. While ancient, it generally postdates the earliest Hindu/Vedic traditions, and therefore is not considered the oldest among the listed options.

Summary in narrative form: The question asks for the oldest religion among the four options. Islam is clearly the most recent, Buddhism originates later than Hinduism in most historical accounts, and Judaism while ancient, is typically regarded as younger than the earliest phases of Hinduism in the broader historical framing. Hinduism is thus the option most commonly described as the oldest surviving tradition in this set, though it is worth noting that dating ancient religious origins involves interpretation and debate.

25_2 SO101 World Cultures & Customs

Which religion is the oldest?

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