How a ritual once reserved for the chosen few became a practice of personal discipline
Fasting is an ancient human practice. Ritual abstinence from food existed even among prehistoric societies. Anthropologists note that thousands of years ago fasting formed an integral part of shamanic initiations, preparation for the hunt, and various sacred rites.
Before the rise of the Abrahamic religions, fasting was not a regular obligation imposed on an entire community. It belonged to the sphere of ritual, and dietary restrictions applied only to participants and priests. Abstaining from food could also accompany, or precede, an individual spiritual or magical practice.
In Mesopotamia, among the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, fasting was closely associated with atonement, appeasing the gods, and seeking protection on a collective scale. It was typically proclaimed during natural disasters and epidemics, or on the eve of major religious ceremonies. In such times, the king and the people fasted together to seek divine favor and avert catastrophe.
In moments of extreme danger, the fast could even extend to animals and livestock. They too were deprived of food and water, intensifying the community’s appeal to the heavens and underscoring the urgency of the plea for divine intervention.
In ancient Persia, by contrast, excessive dietary asceticism was discouraged. The body was regarded as part of the good creation of Ahura Mazda and therefore not something to be tormented. Certain restrictions existed for priests, but only as part of a spiritual discipline aimed at achieving ritual purity and strengthening their connection with the divine.
In ancient Egypt, fasting was likewise seen as a means of purification and of drawing closer to the gods, yet it was far from universal. Priests were required to fast before entering temples or performing sacred rites. For the general population, abstaining from food was not mandatory. Still, individual mourning fasts were traditionally observed as an expression of grief, and collective abstinence could take place in times of large-scale crises such as floods or droughts.
In ancient Greece, dietary restraint formed part of many philosophical ways of life, though it was never an obligation. The Greeks believed that a full stomach clouded the mind and limited one’s ability to commune with the gods. One of the most well-known advocates of fasting was Pythagoras. In his view, fasting freed the soul from the “prison of the body” and sharpened memory and intellect.
In ancient China, fasting was required of the emperor and his court before sacrificial rituals. This discipline went beyond abstaining from food. It included ritual seclusion, as well as a complete renunciation of music and sexual relations.
Within the Abrahamic traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, fasting evolved into a distinct moral and religious practice. It became a means of self-discipline and, at times, an act of spiritual striving. Partial or total abstinence from food was firmly tied to specific periods of the religious calendar and made obligatory for all members of the community.
With the rise of monotheism, fasting gradually shifted from a ritual instrument used to appeal to cosmic forces into a practice of inner discipline. The body ceased to be viewed as an organic part of the cosmos and increasingly came to be seen as an obstacle to personal spiritual attainment, something to be overcome.
Do you see this transformation as a gain, or has something been lost along the way?
Text by Yulia Zemtsova
Cover photo by Zacharias Korsalka
