To understand how traditions originate and how they evolve, we must first establish the relationship between learning, memory and social organisation. Not everything that is learnt becomes a habit, not every habit involves social interactions and not every social habit is transmitted across generations. We therefore need to know what learning entails, how patterns of behaviour are memorised and how they lead to the formation of traditions. Our purpose is not to describe the neural mechanisms of learning and memory, but rather to outline the psychological, ecological and social conditions that influence how behaviour patterns are generated, remembered and transmitted. ‘Learning’ and ‘remembering’ are not simple and unitary processes, however: different species rely to varying extents on several types of learning and memory. This affects the nature of the habits they develop, and whether or not and in what manner these habits form cultural traditions. To get a better understanding of the different types of learning and their consequences, we will return again to the Judaean hills and observe the behaviour of some of their inhabitants.