This animated map recreates 5,000 years of religious history in 90 seconds

This animated map recreates 5,000 years of religious history in 90 seconds

In the beginning, there was... something. But when exactly was the beginning of that something? And where did these beginnings begin?

A person's religion isn't just a set of beliefs — it's the result of complex geopolitical and societal shifts that occurred as the world's major faiths were born, grew, fought for supremacy (or harmony, occasionally) and spread across the globe over millennia. To help visualize this evolution, Maps of War created a short animation of 5,000 years of religious history:

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Mike Barry

Mike Barry is the senior editor of audience development and outreach at TheWeek.com. He was previously a contributing editor at The Huffington Post. Prior to that, he was best known for interrupting a college chemistry class.