End of the world

Origin

The concept of the "end of the world" is as old as civilization itself, woven into the fabric of countless myths and religions across every continent. Ancient Babylonian, Egyptian, Norse, and Hindu texts all feature dramatic narratives of cosmic destruction and renewal. However, it's the Abrahamic traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—that perhaps gave the phrase its most enduring and widespread form, particularly through biblical prophecies in books like Daniel and Revelation, which vividly describe a final epoch of judgment and cataclysm. These texts didn't just paint a picture of physical destruction; they infused the notion with moral and spiritual weight, transforming a simple concept of an ending into a profound and often terrifying vision of ultimate reckoning.