Timeline

BCE is Before the Common Era and CE Common Era with the same dates as BC and AD.

Judaism has origins in the rejection of Pagan polytheism and the history of a people and produced the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), the Tenakh (all the Hebrew Bible) and Talmud (Rabbinic tradition of writings).

Christianity emerged from Judaism believing in the and resurrection and subsequently incarnation of Christ. With its own New Testament, it shares the Tenakh as a living but subordinate Old Testament scripture.

The Bahai Faith is integrally connected with the militant Babi faith, but it has some Western and Christian influence and it regards Báha'u'lláh as the manifestation of God for this era who announced his mission from 1863 (with close associates; publically in 1867).

The Babi Faith emerged from Shaykhi Shia Islam in the expectations of the return of the hidden twelfth Imam around 1844, and became confused about the succession to the Báb.

Islam regards itself as existing through time with Muhammad as the final prophet who received the Qur'an, and replaced the polytheistic Pagan condition of the ka'aba, although from a non-believing viewpoint it might be said that Muhammad in his quest for unity was influenced in part by passing Jews and Christians.

The Sikh religion has origins before Guru Nanak, especially through the poet saint Kabir in Hinduism and Islam, and through the Gurus was a reform towards a simpler direct knowledge of God through the practice of the naming of God as Guru.

Mahavira was the 24th Fordmaker or Tirthamkara in Jainism. Parvsa the 23rd lived 200 years before him and is the only other person having searchable historicity. Mahavira spent 13 years in meditation and naked asceticism before enlightenment under the Sala tree and then preached for 30 years. It is extremely life affirming except in its own suicide by fasting and although the faith believes in mortal gods it does not believe in a supreme God.

Hinduism was a Pagan faith of a people but evolved into a multi layered faith of scriptures, practices and change.

Buddhism emerged as a development out of and part rejection of Hinduism. Like Jainism it does not believe in a supreme being but, unlike his contemporary Mahavira, the Buddha discovered the middle way of meditation from the cycle of suffering to the release of nirvana.

Zoroaster or Zarathustra was probably the son of a Pagan priest but himself received a revelation from the creator Ahura Mazda to purify the rites and beliefs so that fire worship succeeded animal sacrifice. He produced 17 hymns in the Avesta. Converting King Vishtapsa allowed reforms to take place in Persia but the Zoroastrian religion now exists mainly in India among Parsis.

Paganism means a primal faith that emerges with magic and usually has polytheistic elements. In many places, especially the West and Islamic areas, it was suppressed but now has a Western rewritten revival. It remains strong in Africa and emerges within certain successor religions.