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In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. — John 1:1

Sacred Texts

Books are central to many of the world's religions. They arise from oral traditions.

The oldest of our modern religions, Hinduism, has a holy book referred to as the Vedas - texts which date back to around 1400–1200 BCE.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are often referred to as the ‘religions of the book’ as they each have one religious text at their centre: the Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an respectively.

The word ‘bible’ derives from biblio, the Latin word for book. ‘Torah’ is translated as ‘teaching’ or ‘word’, while ‘qur’an’ is translated as meaning ‘the recitation'.

In many cultures, religious texts are venerated as sacred objects in themselves, to be treated with respect and ritual. For example, in Buddhism, Dharma texts are touched to the head and never placed on the floor. In Judaism, Torah scrolls that have become worn with age are buried, often in special areas within Jewish cemeteries.