Since the dawn of recorded history, language has been a primary means for creating and sharing ideas. Early stories and beliefs were first conveyed orally, while the invention of writing made it possible to preserve laws, logic, ethics, and moral teachings that became central to ancient religions and philosophies. Sacred spoken and written languages helped shape the values of early civilizations. These include Hebrew and Aramaic in Judaism and Christianity; Sanskrit in Hinduism and Buddhism; Classical Chinese in Taoism and Shintoism; Classical Arabic in Islam; and Koine Greek and Latin in Christianity. Monotheism, polytheism, codified law, and alphabetic and other writing systems developed as interconnected innovations that influenced the major religious and philosophical traditions of the ancient world. This overview course examines several major religions through their languages, writing systems, scriptures, core beliefs, translatability, and religious-cultural identities. Key topics include the spread of religion, major sacred texts, distinctive terms, translation challenges, and cultural contexts. Given the breadth of the subject, the course will focus on selected aspects of specific religions and the languages that played significant roles in their development.