If you crack open a Genesis scroll or a dusty King James Version, you won't find the word "Judaism" in the first few pages. You won't find "Christianity" either.
People often assume the Bible starts with a set-in-stone religion, but it’s actually much messier. And more human.
When we ask what was the first religion in the bible, we’re usually looking for a label. A category. But the early biblical figures—Adam, Abel, Enoch, Noah—didn't have a temple. They didn't have a creed. They didn't have a choir or a Sunday school. Honestly, they just had a relationship with a Creator that looked more like a conversation over a fence than a formal liturgy.
It was primitive. Raw. Direct.
The Pre-Religious Era of Eden and Beyond
In the beginning, there was no religion because there was no need for one. Religion, by its very definition, is often a system of rituals or beliefs intended to bridge the gap between the human and the divine. In the Garden of Genesis, there was no gap.
Adam and Eve didn't practice a religion; they lived in a presence.
The shift happened after the "Fall." Suddenly, humans felt a distance. They felt naked. They felt a need to reach back toward what they had lost. This is where we see the very first flickers of what we might call religious practice. It started with an altar.
Think about Cain and Abel. They brought offerings. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, and Cain brought the fruit of the ground. This is the first recorded instance of formal worship in the biblical text. But even then, God isn't calling it a "religion." He’s responding to the heart behind the gift.
Scholars like Dr. John Walton, a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, often point out that the ancient Near Eastern world didn't distinguish between "sacred" and "secular." Everything was spiritual. To Adam or Noah, checking the weather or planting a seed was just as much a part of their walk with God as building an altar.
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Defining the First Religion in the Bible: Noahide Laws and Early Monotheism
By the time we get to Noah, things start to look a bit more structured. After the flood, God makes a covenant. Not just with a specific group of people, but with everyone.
Many Jewish scholars argue that the "first religion" for all of humanity—prior to the specific laws given to Moses—is found in the Noahide Laws. These are seven basic moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud (Sanhedrin 56a), were given by God as a binding set of laws for all "sons of Noah."
- No idolatry.
- No blasphemy.
- No murder.
- No sexual immorality.
- No theft.
- No eating flesh from a living animal.
- Establishing courts of justice.
It’s a fascinating concept. Before there were Israelites, there was this "Universal Monotheism." It wasn't about being a Jew or a Gentile; it was about being a human being in right standing with the Creator. It’s pretty basic stuff, but it formed the bedrock of biblical ethics long before the Ten Commandments were even a thought on a mountain.
The Patriarchs: Religion as a Family Affair
Then comes Abraham. If you're looking for the structural roots of the biblical narrative, this is the big one.
Abraham is often called the first Hebrew. But was "Hebrew" a religion? Not really. It was more of an ethnic and social designation for "the people from across the river."
Abraham’s "religion" was nomadic. It followed him wherever he pitched his tent. He would build an altar, call on the name of the Lord, and move on. There was no priesthood. Abraham himself acted as the priest for his household. He made the sacrifices. He led the prayers.
This era is what theologians call "Patriarchal Religion." It was characterized by personal promises. God wasn't just "The Almighty"; He was "The God of my father." It was intimate. It was about land, offspring, and a specific promise that through this family, the whole world would be blessed.
The Great Pivot at Sinai
Everything changed at Mount Sinai. If you want to know when the Bible transitions from "faith" to "organized religion," this is it.
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Before Exodus, you have individuals following God. After Exodus, you have a nation.
Under Moses, the "religion" gets a name—sort of—and a massive rulebook. The Torah. 613 commandments. A tabernacle with specific dimensions. A tribe of priests (the Levites) who were the only ones allowed to handle the holy things. This is the birth of what we now recognize as ancient Israelite religion, the precursor to modern Judaism.
But wait. Is this the first religion?
Technically, in the biblical timeline, the Egyptians had a religion. The Canaanites had a religion. The Babylonians had a religion. The Bible records these as rival systems. So, while the "Biblical Religion" was the first one approved by the God of the Bible, it certainly wasn't the first religious system mentioned in the text.
Misconceptions About the "First" Faith
A lot of people get tripped up here. They think because the Bible starts with Genesis, the "first religion" must be Judaism. But Judaism as a formalized system didn't really solidify until much later, arguably during the Babylonian exile when the people had to maintain their identity without a Temple.
In the early chapters of the Bible, the "religion" was simply Walking with God. Enoch "walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." No mention of him keeping the Sabbath. No mention of him being circumcised. No mention of him avoiding pork. He just... walked.
This suggests that the "first religion" in the Bible was actually a form of Ethical Monotheism. It was the belief in one God coupled with a life of moral integrity.
Why This Nuance Matters Today
Understanding that the Bible starts with a relationship rather than a ritual changes how you read the whole book. It shows a progression.
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- Stage 1: Direct communion (Eden).
- Stage 2: Individual altars and personal covenants (Noah, Abraham).
- Stage 3: National identity and the Law (Moses).
- Stage 4: The internalizing of the Law (The Prophets).
When people search for "what was the first religion in the bible," they are usually looking for a "gotcha" or a clear label to put on a timeline. But the Bible resists easy labeling. It’s a story of God condescending to human limitations.
Initially, God didn't want a temple. He didn't even want a king for His people. He wanted to be their God, and for them to be His people. The "religion" was the framework built around that desire as the population grew from a single couple into a massive, complicated nation.
Actionable Insights for Your Own Study
If you're digging into this for a paper, a sermon, or just personal curiosity, don't stop at the labels. Look at the mechanics of how people interacted with the divine.
Examine the "Pre-Sinaitic" period. Read Genesis 4 through Genesis 25. Notice what is missing. There are no "holy buildings." There are no "holy days." There is only "holy ground" where God happens to show up.
Track the Altars. Every time a character builds an altar, look at why. It’s almost always a response to a specific event or a revelation. This tells you that the "first religion" was reactive and experiential, not just a set of inherited rules.
Compare the Covenants. The covenant with Noah is different from the one with Abraham, which is different from the one with Moses. Each one adds a layer of "religion" to the previous one.
Consult Primary Sources. Look at the Code of Hammurabi or the Enuma Elish. Comparing the biblical accounts to other ancient Near Eastern texts shows just how unique (or similar) the first biblical "religion" was to its neighbors. While others were trying to appease fickle gods with magic, the early biblical figures were entering into binding legal and personal agreements with a singular Deity.
The "first religion" wasn't a denomination. It was a lifestyle of response. It was a series of "Yes, Lord" moments that eventually calcified into the systems we recognize today.
To truly understand it, you have to look past the incense and the robes of the later chapters and see the man standing by a pile of stones in the desert, simply listening. That is where it all began.