This nonfiction volume examines the development of religious culture from prehistoric societies through the earliest centuries of Christianity. It treats religion as a broad cultural phenomenon, considering how communities understood the sacred, marked rites of passage, explained origins, death, and the natural world, and organized ritual practice. The book situates ancient beliefs and institutions within their historical settings, showing how religious ideas changed as societies became more complex and as new theological traditions emerged. As the first volume in the *Culture religieuse* series, it provides a chronological framework for readers interested in the long history of religious thought and practice. Its focus on the transition from prehistory to the beginnings of Christianity makes it useful for understanding the roots of later religious traditions and the cultural contexts in which they developed.