This is a very ancient feeling. Remember the book of Eccleseastis. We can be sure, though, that the feeling is much more ancient than the Bible. The realization of one's own mortal nature is a most fundamental distinctions between a human being and an animal. Rebellion against death is found at the source of religions, philosophies, and civilizations.
People look for a way to transcend the limit put on our lives by nature.
They look for a concept which would reconcile the impulse to live on, which is inherent to every healthy creature, with the inevitability of death. Some concept of immortality becomes necessary for keeping life meaningful. Ethics Up Prev.