1. The earliest recorded concept of God and where?

Question

2. The earliest recorded concept of afterlife and where?

3. How authentic and reputed is Edward Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of Roman Empire?

Please mention the respective question # to which you are answering. Person who gives more than one productive answer would be eligible for Best Answer, others would be if no such answer.

Answer 1

pelancha said what i was going to say, give him the points for the right answer.

Answer 2

I think it is important to note that you are asking in your first two questions for the first "RECORDED" concepts... this is much different than the first concepts. With that in mind, here are my answers.

1: Epic of Gilgamesh. This may not be the earliest recorded, but I believe it is the earliest recorded copy that has survived antiquity.

2: This would be "The Book of the Dead" by the ancient Egyptians. Commonly believed to have derived from Mesopatamia period. Hindus would run a close second but about 1000 years later.

3: Gibbon's volumes on the history of the Roman Empire are widely believed to be very authentic. However, there are areas in these volumes where Gibbons was wrong and is believed to be wrong. Much of this is due to the culture of the times he lived in - it was the beginning of the englightment period for example. Some of the reputed items center around:
- Jews. He says they committed the worst crime of killing Jesus and he applauds the retaliation they received. History and ancient texts have shown us this is incorrect. Rome killed Jesus.

- He gives reasons that are argued (due to the enlightment period) for how Christianity spread so fast throughout the west. This is reputed by the Catholic Church - you be the judge. No correct answer here.

- He was way wrong with the Byzantium empire. If anything, Byzantium can be argued was a greater empire than Rome. Some believe he didn't research Byzantium enough to record accurate history on the subject. I am one of them.

Answer 3

#1. I recommend getting hold of a copy of "The Ennuma Elish" which is the Babylonian creation account. This is the story of Gilgamesh at Ur. Ur is recorded as the first city by the Tigris and Euphraties rivers in the Ancient Near East.

#2. the ancient Messapotamians believed you went underground and wandered miserably. Again, looking at "The Ennuma Elish" and ancient Messopotamian history is where you will find the information you want.

#3. Published in the 1700's the work was a scholarly publication at the time. Some 300 years have past. For an informed verdict on any possible errors made you would have to compare it to modern sholarship.

Answer 4

Throughout history and in every human society, the disposal of the dead has been given special significance. The practice was originally motivated not by hygienic considerations but by ideas entertained by primitive peoples concerning human nature and destiny. This conclusion is clearly evident from the fact that the disposal of the dead from the earliest times was of a ritual kind. Paleolithic peoples, such as the Neanderthals and later groups, not only buried their dead but provided them with food, weapons, and other equipment, thereby implying a belief that the dead still needed such things in the grave. This very significant practice can be traced back to great antiquity, possibly to about 50,000 BC. (see also primitive religion, Paleolithic Period
http://cyberspacei.com/jesusi/inlight/religion/rites/Death.htm
MANY ANTHROPOLOGIST RELATED THIS PRACTICE WITH THE IDEA OF A LIFE AFTER DEATH