The History of the Passion Play

In ancient Egypt the two were of course very entwined. The abidos passion play isn't a unique example of the idea of performance in Egyptian life. It's also been argued that the Egyptian Book of the Dead which dates from 1800 BCE is actually an oratorio. So it's not until we get to Greek theatre that we can see something very recognisable to us today. Theatre does not just speak to a community but can be an agent for change within that community. Posing of a question or distillation of truth goes right back to the Greeks.