>>17859881
The supposed health benefits are a post facto explanation from modern times. Ancient peoples probably circumcised themselves as a masochism ritual like scarification, it was supposed to be painful (back then they had no anesthetic). Also it seems to have originated in the middle east, historically it was not present in Europe, the Americas, and East Asia.

Ancient Greeks and Romans abhorred circumcision and this was one of the reasons for their antisemitism and the likely reason Christianity got rid of circumcision as it would likely not have spread as far if they still mandated circumcision.