It goes back thousands of years. These definitions are very much centered on Europe. They do not apply to other parts of the world very well. They also tend to represent the politics and arts of the elite in society. In practical terms they have something to do with the amount of source that survive.
Modern historians have to select sources from a massive amount of material.
Ancient and Medieval historians have to work hard to fill in the gaps between the sources. The Jews are the only ancient people still around. One does not often meet Hittites or Goths in the street, but the Jews are still here. They absorbed a lot from Egypt and Mesopotamia -e.g. Monotheism - Belief in one caring God.