What was the first religion to teach belief in a single God?

Answer 1

the first religion to teach monotheism was Judaism of the hebrews and it later influenced chritianity and Islam.

Answer 2:

In recorded history (i.e., that which we officially know to date), the most likely religion to first teach monotheism was Zoroastrianism, which predates Judaism. Like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism: a satanic figure, less powerful than the supreme deity, was and is also found in Zoroastrianism.

Answer 2

Some say Zoroastrianism. Some say the short-lived Egyptian experiment with monotheism during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, in the 14th century BCE. Monotheistic Judaism seems to have begun in the seventh century BCE, although it may have been a minority religion in Judah prior to this.

Answer 3

There are three different answers to this question depending on the perspective of the author. Both Pro and Con Answers have been provided so that the reader can make a more informed decision.

Islam:

Yes

It is Islam religion. Islam means surrender to God as the one and only one God with no partner, no companion, no son, no father, no associate, and no equivalent. Islam started by start of universe creation and even before the universe creation. Refer to question below for more information.

No

Islam claims that it is the first monotheistic religion, but does not account for how people between Adam and Abraham completely forgot about the one single Divinity. Islam as a religion based on the Qur'an and the Hadiths of Mohammed unequivocally came into existence in 610-632 CE, much later than Judaism, Christianity or Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism

Yes

Zoroastrianism. The god is known as Ahura Mazda. He is opposed by a powerful, created demon known as Angra Mainyu and helped by holy spirits known as Amesha Spentas. This hierarchy came to be mirrored by the Abrahamic religions.

No

Traditionally, in Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda was not a singular deity, but one in a pair. Although Ahura Mazda created the Angra Mainyu (equivalent of the Devil), the two were of equal power and neither was omnipotent, making them both gods. There are additionally Amesha Spentas, or holy spirits, who are vested with powers to create and destroy and are therefore much more powerful than angels. At that point, they begin to compete with Ahura Mazda as lower gods. This would seem to make Zoroastrianism henotheistic or polytheistic. The idea that Zoroastrianism was a true monotheism is based more on perception of the other spirits and characters than any particular writing in Zoroastrianism singling out one God. Zoroastrianism also came into being around 1400 BCE, which would make it younger than Judaism if Abraham is considered the originator of the religion.

Judaism

Yes

In addition to being the traditional answer, Judaism according to Jewish tradition came into existence in 1800 BCE when Abraham accepted God's covenant. Judaism was the first religion to have a holy book (the Torah, 1300 BCE) that explicitly banned polytheism or henotheism.

No

Moses' revelation on Sinai would not have occurred prior to 1300 BCE and scholarly evidence shows that the Pentateuch was not fully assembled before 550 BCE. Both of these dates would place the creation of Judaism after Zoroastrianism. Scholars question whether or not Judaism was monotheistic prior to 550 BCE, pointing to numerous stories which indicate polytheistic behavior or regional myths that were stripped of the other gods before becoming a part of the Jewish canon.

Answer 4

JUDAISM was the first monotheistic religion, with at least 2,500 years of being monotheistic and clearly came out of the Babylonian Exile as a monotheistic faith. Jewish sources debate these secular numbers and argue that Judaism has been monotheistic for 3,800 years.

There is some debate as to whether the Ancient Egyptians or Zoroastrians preceded the Jews to be the first monotheistic religion. In both cases, these are/were monolatrous henotheistic faiths. This means that there are multiple divinities with powers not completely constrained by other divinities, but only one of these many gods is worshiped.

In the case of Atenism, also known as Ancient Egyptian monotheism, although all of the heavenly gods were reduced to Amun-Re, the Pharaoh was himself still a god, simply one that was not worshiped.

Probably the clearest distinction is that Judaism is a monotheistic religion whereas Zoroastrianism is a monolatrous henotheistic faith is the the power of Angra Mainyu. Angra Mainyu, also called Ahriman, is the Zoroastrian equivalent to the Devil and has enough power to create (usually used for evil) and to challenge (although not defeat) the primary god Ahura Mazda, also called Ormuzd. Conversely, in Judaism, the Satan is an angel who serves as God's loyal opposition and lacks any serious creative or punitive powers without God's permission.

Answer 5

1) According to careful research, the original tradition, which was widespread, was monotheistic. However, it died out completely in a relatively brief span of time. This belief does not refer to a specific people, country, or named religion, since it was not centralized or organized.
2a) The first continuous monotheistic tradition and religion as we know it, was and is Judaism, the tradition founded by Abraham. It began 3800 years ago, and its founding principle is that God is One. This was well before the Egyptian king Akhenaten, who in any case (according to tradition) was influenced by Israelite beliefs.

2b) Some might claim that monotheistic Judaism started later, as (for example) King Josiah made reforms in the late First Temple period. However, this is the view of secular academe, and flies in the face of tradition. Judaism had been monotheistic for eight centuries by the time of Josiah. All he did waseradicate the traces of the idolatrous influences of those Jews who had strayed from their own religion. This had happened repeatedly (such as with Jehoshaphat [2 Chronicles 17:6], and Samuel before him [1 Samuel 7:3-4]); and those who strayed into pagan practices never encompassed the entire people.

3) Zoroastrianism, which might be suggested as another early contender, is not such a clear matter. There is no consensus on when Zoroaster lived. Moreover, the Zoroastrians believed in two gods, not one. The Jewish Sages who redacted the Talmud in the early centuries of the Common Era lived in Babylonia, witnessed the practices of the Zoroastrians, and recorded this fact (Talmud, Sanhedrin 39a). In addition, in Zoroastrianism:

• there is worship through intermediaries, who are themselves "worthy of worship"
• evil and good each has its own creator
• some of its adherents believe in a self-creating universe
• some modern scholars see it as a form of pantheism.

Answer 6

While all religions teach that they existed from the moment of creation, historically the first religion to teach belief in a single god was Zoroastrianism. The god is known as Ahura Mazda.