Fasting is a very ancient phenomenon that was known in numerous civilisations as a religious and social ritual. The motives and forms of fasting varied from culture to culture. Its meanings ranged from purification and rapprochement with the gods to penance and preparation for rituals to physical and spiritual healing.
Self-discipline and piety
By examining fasting in ancient civilisations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and China, we can trace the development of this practice: from a symbolic ritual associated with authority and higher powers, to an organised moral-religious cult encompassing spiritual, physical and intellectual aspects, to fasting in the Abrahamic religions. There, it developed into a means of self-discipline and piety, practised under certain conditions that applied to all members of society.
Fasting to appease the gods
Fasting in Mesopotamia (among the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians) was not merely abstinence from food, but a profound spiritual ritual. It was closely related to the atonement of sins, appeasing the gods and seeking protection from disasters. Fasting was usually only ordered in times of crisis, such as natural disasters, epidemics or in the run-up to important religious rituals.
Cuneiform texts contain references to the renunciation of food and pleasures as a means of atoning for sins committed. Fasting was not a daily or monthly obligation, as it later became institutionalised in the Abrahamic religions, but was linked to specific situations. These included, in particular, attempts to appease the wrath of the gods, for example during solar eclipses, devastating floods or epidemics. In such times of crisis, the king and the people fasted together in order to obtain divine mercy and avert disaster.
Mourning ceremony of kings
Fasting was also practised as part of funeral rites and was an integral part of the mourning ceremonies for kings or other important figures. Fasting was not limited to abstaining from food and drink, but also included other forms of abstinence. Bathing and perfuming were prohibited. Kings took off their magnificent robes and wore simple, coarse clothing instead. Sitting on ashes served as a visible sign of humility, submission and repentance towards the divine powers.
In cases of extreme threat, as recorded in various historical and narrative texts, fasting extended not only to humans but also to animals and livestock. They were also deprived of food and water in order to reinforce the collective cry for help to the heavens and to underline the seriousness of the plea for divine intervention.
Fasting in ancient Persia
In ancient Persian civilisation, fasting was a central part of the Zoroastrian religion, which prevailed before Islamisation. It was understood as a means of purifying the body and soul and achieving harmony with Ahura Mazda, the supreme god of good and light. Unlike in some other cultures, fasting was neither a punishment nor a means of penance, but rather a psychological and spiritual practice. The aim was to prepare individuals for the correct observance of religious rituals and to deepen spiritual contemplation. This was intended to strengthen moral discipline and the connection to cosmic forces.
From this perspective, Persian fasting can be described as a tradition that reconciles the renunciation of certain physical pleasures and meals with the promotion of inner serenity and the ability to actively and consciously participate in the ritual life of the community.
Fasting in ancient Egypt
Fasting played a central role in ancient Egypt, especially in the religious system of the Pharaonic period, and was a fundamental pillar of both religious and social life. However, the form, duration and intensity of fasting differed significantly between the general population and the priestly elite. Fasting was generally regarded as a means of “purifying the body and soul” and drawing closer to the gods.
Priests in particular were required to fast before entering temples or performing sacred rituals. The aim of this practice was to achieve physical and spiritual purity. Fasting involved not only abstaining from certain foods, but also sexual abstinence. However, there was no general obligation to fast for the entire population; fasting was mainly limited to the religious class and closely linked to ritual acts and ceremonies.
Public fasting
The ancient Egyptians distinguished between several forms of fasting. Priestly fasting was considered the most rigorous, as it was directly linked to entering sacred spaces and performing sacred rituals. It usually began with seven days of complete abstinence; for priests of high spiritual rank, this fasting period could be extended to up to forty-two days.
In addition, there was public fasting, which was practised in connection with major religious festivals or in times of crisis and natural disasters, such as when the Nile was threatening to recede. In addition, the population regularly fasted on four days of the month, which marked the beginning of a “week” consisting of ten days in the ancient Egyptian calendar.
Finally, there was also mourning fasting, which was observed upon the death of a loved one or a king. It served as an expression of grief, respect and spiritual connection with the deceased.
Abstinence from meat, fish and wine
Fasting among the ancient Egyptians did not necessarily mean complete abstinence from food and drink, as is prescribed in Islamic fasting, for example, but took various forms. Particularly common was the renunciation of so-called “forbidden” foods such as meat, fish and wine. Another form of asceticism consisted of restricting one’s diet to vegetables and water for certain periods of time. In addition, fasting also included abstaining from sensual pleasures, including sexual abstinence and the use of perfumes and oils.
Fasting in ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, fasting was not only a religious ritual, but part of a comprehensive philosophy of life that combined medicine, physical exercise and spiritual elevation.
The Greeks believed that a full stomach impaired mental clarity and limited a person’s ability to communicate with the gods. Pythagoras was one of the most famous advocates of fasting, which he practised not only for religious reasons, but also as a means of purifying the mind and refining the soul.
He required his students to fast for long periods before revealing the secrets of mathematics and philosophy to them. In his view, fasting freed the soul from the “prison of the body” and strengthened memory and intelligence. Socrates and Plato are also said to have fasted for short periods in order to achieve mental acuity and improve their ability to think deeply. Hippocrates, considered the “father of medicine,” ultimately regarded fasting as a therapeutic remedy. He recommended it to patients with certain ailments, as he was convinced that “the diet of the sick person during his illness feeds the disease itself.”
Fasting in ancient China
Fasting in ancient China was characterised by a close connection between political rituals, spiritual practices and preventive medicine. It was not just about the physical experience of hunger, but about a symbolic “restart” of the relationship between humans and the cosmos.
A particularly formalised form was the so-called Zhai fasting or “imperial cleansing”, which was practised by the emperor and his entourage before sacrificial rituals to the heavens. This fasting was based on the principle of “fasting of the heart” and not exclusively of the stomach. It was therefore not limited to abstaining from food, but also included ritual seclusion in specially designated rooms and abstaining from meat, wine, music and sexual contact for a period of three to seven days. The aim of this practice was to put the emperor into a state of ritual purity that enabled him to represent the people worthily before the higher powers.
Fasting among the Aztecs and Maya
In the Aztec and Maya civilisations of Central America, fasting was closely linked to the cosmic worldview. It was not understood as individual asceticism or moral practice, but as a necessary ritual to maintain the balance of the universe and the continuity of the relationship between humans and gods. The Aztecs believed that the sun, as the centre of the cosmic order, had to be continuously nourished with human blood, and regarded fasting as a central preparation for sacrificial rituals. In this context, fasting was often limited to abstaining from meat, salt, pepper and alcoholic beverages. In addition, only simple foods were consumed and sexual abstinence was practised. This was accompanied by ritual acts such as staying awake for long periods or self-bleeding, with the aim of preparing the body for its role as a ritual tool and thus enabling closeness to the gods.
From symbolic ritual to religious practice
Fasting is older than the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. However, over time it developed from a predominantly symbolic ritual into an integrated moral and religious practice. In early civilisations, it served primarily to appease the wrath of the gods and obtain protection from natural disasters and social crises. In the Abrahamic religions, however, fasting became an institutionalised means of self-discipline and piety. It was bound to specific conditions, certain times and clearly defined periods and basically involved all members of the community.
Further information:
www.tuenews.de/ramadan-beginnt-was-bedeutet-fasten-im-islam/
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasten
By Youssef Kanjou
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