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7 Historical Reasons for Fasting
Fasting has been practiced since ancient times as an act of purification in preparation for encounters with divinity, but also as a custom aimed at the vigor of the mind and body.
The earliest known peoples in human history, such as the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Phoenicians, knew and respected fasting. We have records of it since mythological times, as evidenced by the anecdote involving the trusted scribe of the god Enki, who fasted for 40 days and 40 nights while committing to writing the words dictated by the deity, never allowing himself to rest.
The ancient Egyptians were also proponents of fasting, observing it for 3 days each month. This exercise allowed them to enjoy excellent health and strong youthful vitality, so much so that the historian Herodotus described the Egyptian people as the healthiest of peoples.
The ancient Greeks practiced fasting in honor of the gods, as a requirement to be met before consulting an oracle, but also as an exercise to increase intellectual and physical performance.
