A cup with the figure of the warrior god painted on it was recently found in Peru; Created in 2250 BC - a thousand years earlier than the religious findings found so far on the continent; Researcher: The Cup is rewriting Andean history
Lior Kodner, Haaretz
An ancient cup recently found in Peru indicates that religious belief in America developed at the same time as Judaism. The cup, on which the figure of the warrior god (Dios de los Baculos) is painted, is 1,000 years older than all the archaeological finds found so far in the Americas and attributed to religious phenomena. "Just like the cross for Christians, the warrior god is a distinct religious symbol," explains Jonathan Haas, one of the leaders of the research team in an interview with the journal "Archaeology". "This is the oldest religious find discovered in America. In fact, no one believed that the religions of the Andes developed so early."
Judaism is considered one of the oldest religions in the world - and the oldest of the monotheistic faiths. In their book "Dictionary of Religions" the researchers Mircea Eliada and Yoan Culiano estimate that the Jews appeared on the stage of history around the year 2000 BC, moving between Asia and Africa. The cup found near the capital of Peru, Lima, raises the possibility that the Andean religions were created at the same time as Judaism and maybe even before it. Unlike Judaism, the early religions of America were based on many gods and could not survive for long.
The three main religions of South and Central America are attributed to the Incas, the Mayans and the Aztecs. The earliest traces of the Mayans are from 200-300 AD, the Inca Empire was formed 1,000 years later, and the Aztecs settled in the Mexico region in 1325. The three cultures became extinct after an encounter with the Spanish invaders in the 16th century. Many researchers believe that the Spanish took advantage of the religious beliefs of the Mayans, the Incas and the Aztecs: the conquerors presented themselves as gods and in this way succeeded in taking over South and Central America.
"We proved how ancient religion was in the Americas"
The ancient cup on which the warrior god is drawn is found in an ancient burial site attributed to members of an ancient culture that lived in the area from 2600 to 2000 BC. According to the researchers, the members of this religion are the founding fathers of the Inca religion which developed 3,500 years later. In the tests conducted by the researchers on the ancient cup, it became clear that it was created around 2250 BC.
"This is a tremendous archaeological find," admits Peruvian culture researcher Abelardo Sandoval from the National Science Museum in Washington, "but I am concerned about the date. The worries will be removed, only if additional archaeological findings from that period are found in the burial area." According to him, until supporting evidence is found, the cup is an important evidence of the existence of the religion in America, but it is still too early to determine if it is really the earliest find. Jonathan Haas refuses to doubt the find: "The cup is rewriting Andean history. We proved how ancient and rooted the religion was in the entire continent of America."
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~505935682~~~162&SiteName=hayadan
