Europe an ▁languages . ▁Some ▁argue ▁that ▁regardless ▁of ▁its ▁definition , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁appropriate ▁to ▁apply ▁the ▁term ▁religion ▁to ▁non - West ern ▁cult ures . ▁O thers ▁argue ▁that ▁using ▁religion ▁on ▁non - West ern ▁cult ures ▁dist ort s ▁what ▁people ▁do ▁and ▁believe . ▁ ▁The ▁concept ▁of ▁religion ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries , ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁ancient ▁sacred ▁texts ▁like ▁the ▁Bible , ▁the ▁Q ur an , ▁and ▁others ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁word ▁or ▁even ▁a ▁concept ▁of ▁religion ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁languages ▁and ▁neither ▁did ▁the ▁people ▁or ▁the ▁cult ures ▁in ▁which ▁these ▁sacred ▁texts ▁were ▁written . ▁For ▁example , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁precise ▁equivalent ▁of ▁religion ▁in ▁Heb rew , ▁and ▁J uda ism ▁does ▁not ▁distinguish ▁clearly ▁between ▁religious , ▁national , ▁ra cial , ▁or ▁eth nic ▁ident ities . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁its ▁central ▁concepts ▁is ▁hal ak ha , ▁meaning ▁the ▁walk ▁or ▁path ▁sometimes ▁translated ▁as ▁law , ▁which ▁gu ides ▁religious ▁practice ▁and ▁belief ▁and ▁many ▁aspects ▁of ▁daily ▁life . ▁Even ▁though ▁the ▁belief s ▁and ▁trad itions ▁of ▁J uda ism ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁ancient ▁world , ▁ancient ▁Jews ▁saw ▁Jewish ▁identity ▁as ▁being ▁about ▁an ▁eth nic ▁or ▁national ▁identity ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁ent ail ▁a ▁comp uls ory ▁belief ▁system ▁or ▁reg ulated ▁rit uals . ▁Even ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁CE , ▁Joseph us