In the 17th century, the birth of religious studies took place. It arose from the question of the origins of gods, polytheism, and "idolatry." There was a consensus that monotheism represented the original religion: this was not the religion of revelation, but rather the religion of nature and reason, which is common to all people and can also be found in all pagan religions. Polytheism only emerged with the states; for governance requires gods to provide the people with political and moral guidance. Under these conditions, the original religion retreated underground: thus, the mysteries were born. The fundamental model of this development is Ancient Egypt, the first state in history, where this religious dual structure was particularly evident. The Egyptians had two writings, as the Greeks noted: one for the people.