Which concept is one of the oldest human beliefs related to death?

The notion that life continues after death is one of the oldest human beliefs related to death, reflected in various cultures and religions throughout history. This concept emphasizes the idea that human existence extends beyond the physical life, influencing how societies understand mortality and shape their cultural practices around death.

Many ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, believed in an afterlife where individuals would continue to exist in a different realm. This belief often shaped their funerary practices, such as mummification and elaborate burial rituals, to ensure a safe transition to the next life. Such resilience of the concept across different cultures underscores its foundational role in human society’s approach to the inevitable reality of death.

The other options, while also significant aspects of death-related beliefs, may not reflect as universally foundational a belief as the continuation of life after death. Funerary rituals and the idea of judgment by deities often evolve from the broader and more fundamental belief regarding the afterlife and the existence of a soul’s journey beyond death. Similarly, while the concept of the soul's eternal journey is deeply connected to the belief in an afterlife, it is often a subset of the broader idea that life continues post-mortem.