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Sacred Texts

Sacred Texts of World Religions: Names, Collections & Quiz

Sacred text can mean a single work, a group of texts or a collection formed over time. Bible and Vedas are collection names, while the Diamond Sutra and Tao Te Ching have different scales and contexts. This guide explains those levels rather than presenting every entry as an equivalent single book.

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16 current accepted entries · names & aliases

Names, context & references

These entries describe the current bank. Not being listed does not establish that an answer is false; unrecognized practice input can be edited or checked against the guide.

The Bible

Anthology of ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek texts; most widely translated work in history.

Other accepted names: Bible · Holy Bible

Reference/context: Christianity & Judaism

Quran

Arabic for "The Recitation"; comprises 114 chapters (Surahs) foundational to Islamic faith and Arabic prose.

Other accepted names: Koran

Reference/context: Islam · 114 Surahs

Diamond Sutra

The 868 CE Tang-dynasty Dunhuang scroll is the world’s earliest dated complete printed book.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Mahayana Buddhism · 868 CE Print

Heart Sutra

Distills Prajnaparamita philosophy into 260 Chinese characters in Xuanzang’s famous translation.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Mahayana Buddhism · 260 Characters

Tao Te Ching

Attributed to Laozi; 81 terse chapters exploring Wuwei, simplicity, and harmony with the Tao.

Other accepted names: Dao De Jing

Reference/context: Taoism · 81 Chapters

Talmud

Monumental compendium of Mishnah and Gemara preserving centuries of rabbinic legal and ethical debate.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Rabbinic Judaism · Oral Law

Lotus Sutra

Influential Mahayana scripture teaching universal Buddhahood and inspiring rich East Asian art.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Mahayana Buddhism · Saddharmapundarika

The Vedas

Four ancient Sanskrit collections (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva) forming the bedrock of Hindu tradition.

Other accepted names: Vedas

Reference/context: Hinduism · Earliest Sanskrit Texts

Bhagavad Gita

700-verse philosophical dialogue within the Mahabharata exploring duty, action, and devotion.

Other accepted names: Gita

Reference/context: Hinduism · Mahabharata Book 6

Upanishads

Sanskrit for "sitting near"; philosophical treatises exploring the unity of Brahman and Atman.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Hindu Philosophy · Vedanta

Agama Sutras

Collections corresponding to the Pali Nikayas, preserving the earliest strata of Buddhist discourses.

Other accepted names: Agama

Reference/context: Early Buddhist Discourses

Mishnah

A compilation of rabbinic oral law in six orders; the Talmud includes Mishnah and Gemara, so the titles are not interchangeable.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Judaism · six orders of the Mishnah

Pali Nikayas

Collections of the Pali discourses, with many parallels in the Chinese Agamas but differing texts and arrangement.

Other accepted names: Nikaya · Nikayas

Reference/context: Early Buddhism · five Nikayas of the Pali Sutta Pitaka

New Testament

The second part of the Christian Bible, listed separately from the whole anthology.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Christianity · biblical collection

Old Testament

The first part of the Christian Bible; the book collection varies by tradition.

Other accepted names: Use the names above

Reference/context: Christianity · biblical collection

Rigveda

A collection of hymns, one of the four Vedas rather than a synonym for the complete group.

Other accepted names: Rig Veda

Reference/context: Hinduism · one of the four Vedas

Turn the list into recall

  1. Attach two facts to each title: its tradition and whether it names one work or a collection.
  2. When reading a primary text, check the translation and passage. A short game note is an entry point, not a replacement for the text.
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Content review date: 2026-11-14 · current-4fbee918-104866 · Sources & corrections