Holy Books of the World

When referring to religion it can be defined very broadly. Thus, the religious books in the world can also be similarly circumscribed. There are many Holy Books today that contain specific systems of beliefs, codes of ethics and philosophies of life. In almost every religion around the world, the congregation depends on a Holy Book. 

Many times these Holy Books are attributed to the Creator or various gods and some believe divine inspiration was involved. The skeptics, however, contend that all books were written by human beings and being inspired of a holy book is likened unto being inspired by such literary artists as William Shakespeare. Once again mankind finds itself at an impasse concerning the Holy Books that are circulating around the planet, especially when the majority of the world deems the divine books to be sacred. The following is a partial list of the Holy Books in circulation today:

The Apocrypha… the 14 sacred books of the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) that was rejected in Protestantism and Judaism; 11 books are accepted in the Roman Catholic biblical canon.

Bhagavad Gita… a Sanskrit poem, written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D., that is part of the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata. It describes the Hindu path to spiritual wisdom and the unity with God that can be achieved through karma (action), bhakti (devotion) and jnana (knowledge).

Dead Sea Scrolls… a compilation of eschalogical writings of the Essenes (an ancient Jewish race) which were written and protected over a 200 year span from c/132 B.C. to c/68 A.D. The Essenes were wiped out in a great war with the Romans in 68 A.D. and the scrolls were hidden in a multiple cave system near Qumran prior to their extinction. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a humble shepherd in 1947 A.D. and considered the greatest ancient discovery of the 20th century.

  

Hadith… is mainly a collection of Mohammed’s sayings (not considered revelations from Allah) and stories about the Islamic messiah’s life. This holy text was compiled in 9th century (A. D.). While several authors are credited with compiling the Hadith, al-Bukhari collected the most authoritative sayings of Mohammed.

New Testament… is the second portion of the Christian Bible, which forms the basis of Christian belief. The book contains the teachings of Jesus, the writings of the apostles, instruction for converting nonbelievers and performing baptisms, blessings and other rituals. It is believed the New Testament was written around 100 A.D.



Old Testament… is the Christian name for the Jewish (Hebrew) Bible; contains the sacred scriptures of Judaism and is the first portion of the Christian Bible. The Old Testament describes the origins of the world, the history of the Israelites, the various concepts governing social and religious behavior and many stories of heroes, kings and wars. Scholars generally agree that the Old Testament was compiled sometime between 1000 B.C. to 100 B. C.

Qur'an… also referred to as Koran, is the primary book of Islam which contains impassioned appeals for belief in Allah (God), encouragement to lead a moral life, portrayals of damnation and beatitude, stories of Islamic prophets, and rules governing the social and religious life of Muslims. The authoritative text of Islam was produced around 650 A.D.

Tanakh… is the basic text of the Jewish (Hebrew) Bible, which contains the Torah (the law), Nevtim (the prophets) and Kethuvim (the writings). According to the Talmud, much of the contents of the Tanakh were compiled by the “Men of Great Assembly” by 450 B. C., although modern scholars believe the finalization of the canon occurred between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.

Tao-te-ching… is the basic text of the Chinese philosophy and religion known as Taoism. It is a compilation of 81 short chapters and depicts a way of life marked by quiet effortlessness and freedom from desire. This book is attributed to Lao-tse, although it has not been positively proven. Some claim it was compiled by many writers over a long period of time.

Veda… is the sacred scriptures of Hinduism. It is a publication of prayers and hymns that are considered to be revelations of eternal youth written by seer-poets and inspired by the gods. The writings uphold that Brahman (Absolute Self) underlies all reality and can be known by invoking gods through the use of hymns. The Hindu texts were recorded between 1000 and 500 B. C.

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 In all religions, Holy Books are considered sacred and their texts are the central importance to their religious tradition. Many religions, as well as spiritual movements, believe that their consecrated writings are divinely or supernaturally inspired. Scholars agree that attitudes toward sacred texts differ.

Some religions make their texts available to anyone; while others hold that their hallowed texts must remain hidden from all but the loyal and just. Many religions view their sacred writings as the “Word of God” and not open to alteration. While the Holy Books of the world are intended to give mankind guidance and instruction, the ancient writings can produce many interpretations.

There are many people of faith who believe in an all powerful Omnipresence. And, most are convinced the holy texts of the world are not only the Creator’s instruction manual, but a road map leading to future events.

For more information, please visit - Who's ? Right: Mankind, Religions & The End Times