The authors explore the definition of a “prehistory of ideas,” and both its similarities and differences in comparison to the history of ideas. They propose the word-and-concept “ethics” in prehistory, explain the timing of its evolution, and then take it into historical time in the Levant, using Biblical references. They propose that new findings from cognitive science, neuroscience, and genomics may allow the eventual crossing of the prehistory/history borderline in tracing a time sequence for ideas.

Received 06 December 2019. Accepted without revisions 28 December 2019. Published online 07 January 2020

Prehistory of ideas, Ethics, Bible, Cognitive science, Neuroscience, Genomics,

http://dx.doi.org/10.26106/9KBM-A763