Where did idolatry and paganism originally begin in the Bible?
Idolatry and paganism originally began at the Tower of Babel. There mankind changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like corruptible man, birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things, as Romans 1:23 states. That rebellion became the root of the Oriental religions and all idolatry.
Les teaches that Romans chapter 1 takes us all the way back to the Tower of Babel when all this junk really began. He explains that the roots of the Oriental religions, idolatry, and paganism started back there at the Tower of Babel. Romans 1:23 says they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things. They dreamed up every kind of god. Egypt was doing the same when Israel came out under Moses, and the plagues were directed against the gods of Egypt, even the flies, frogs, and Nile. Since mankind became saturated with worship of man-made idols, verse 24 says God gave them up to uncleanness because of their falling into idolatry. God judicially caused mankind to go deeper into sin, and when they went lower, verse 26 says God put them even lower because of their behavior, unbelief, and rebellion.
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
More Questions
Why did idolaters move from worshipping man to worshipping birds, beasts, and reptiles in Romans 1?
Making an image of a man did not satisfy the idolaters' craving, so they went on to worship birds, then four-footed beasts, and finally reptiles, the lowest of creatures.