Scripture | Meaning, Religions, & Facts

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Parvati, Shiva's wife, holds Skanda while watching Ganesha (left) and Shiva string together the skulls of the dead. The bull Nandi rests behind the tree. Kangra painting, 18th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.</span></span> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <span class="link-blue">(more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="topic-header"> <div class="d-flex align-items-top justify-content-between"> <div class="d-flex flex-column"> <div> <div> <h1>scripture</h1></div> </div> <div class="topic-identifier font-16 font-md-20">religious literature</div> </div> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-flex flex-row"> <div class="mr-10 mb-15"> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="d-none d-sm-block md-topic-tools qa-action-buttons mb-15" data-topic-id="530020"> <button class="js-tooltip btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border pr-10 border-2" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="more_vert"></em> More Actions </button> <div class="md-more-popover popover popover-sm p-0 font-14 z-1"> <div> <button class="js-print-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=530020] .md-print-modal" > <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="print"></em> Print </button> <div class="md-print-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">print</em> Print </div> <div class="mt-20 mb-10"> Please select which sections you would like to print: </div> <form action="/print/article/530020" method="post" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <div class="print-box-items"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><label><input class="mr-10" type="checkbox" name="sequence[]" value="0">Table Of Contents</label></li> </ul> </div> <input type="submit" class="btn btn-blue md-disabled" value="Print" /> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-modal qa-cite-modal-button btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=530020] .md-cite-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="verified"></em> Cite </button> <div class="md-cite-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom mb-15"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10">verified</em>Cite </div> <div class="font-serif"> While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.worldatlas.com/religion/sacred-texts-of-major-world-religions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">WorldAtlas - Sacred Texts of Major World Religions</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/worldreligionsthespiritsearching/chapter/chapter-2-sacred-texts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project - World Religions: the Spirit Searching - Sacred Texts</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/S/scripture.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Scripture</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: sacred literature, sacred scripture</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-28T00:00:00CST" >Nov 28, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/scripture/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>sacred scripture</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle" topicid="447019">St. Paul the Apostle</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Saint-Peter-the-Apostle" topicid="453832">St. Peter the Apostle</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Muhammad" topicid="396226">Muhammad</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Isaiah" topicid="295133">Isaiah</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Jeremiah-Hebrew-prophet" topicid="302676">Jeremiah</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/biblical-translation" topicid="64500">biblical translation</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/biblical-source" topicid="64499">biblical source</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Bible" topicid="64396">Bible</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Sufi-literature" topicid="719922">Sufi literature</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/canon-sacred-literature" topicid="92851">canon</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/scripture"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/530020/66268027fbcf4b48972d1d62541f0b16" rel="nofollow">'AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divine</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 28, 2024, 2:51 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref228523"></span>scripture</strong>, the revered texts, or Holy Writ, of the world’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/religion" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">religions</a>. Scriptures <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="comprise" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprise" data-type="MW">comprise</a> a large part of the literature of the world. They vary greatly in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness, but their common attribute is that their <span id="ref228524"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/word" class="md-crosslink ">words</a> are regarded by the devout as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/sacred" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">sacred</a>. Sacred words differ from ordinary words in that they are believed either to possess and convey spiritual and magical powers or to be the means through which a divine being or other sacred reality is revealed in phrases and sentences full of power and truth.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref284196"> <h2 class="h1">Characteristics</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Most sacred scriptures were originally <span id="ref228525"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/oral-literature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">oral</a> and were passed down through memorization from generation to generation until they were finally committed to writing. A few are still preserved orally, such as the hymns of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Native Americans</a>. Many bear the unmistakable marks of their oral origin and can best be understood when recited aloud; in fact, it is still held by many <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hindus</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Buddhists</a> that their scriptures lack, when read silently, the meaning and significance they have when recited aloud, for the human voice is believed to add to the recited texts dimensions of truth and power not readily grasped by the solitary reader.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Not all scriptures, however, were originally oral, nor were they in all parts directly effectual in rituals that sought the granting of magical and spiritual powers. The greater part of recorded scripture has either a narrative or an expository character. The types of sacred and semisacred texts are, in fact, many and varied. Besides magical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/rune" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">runes</a> (ancient Germanic alphabet characters) and spells from primitive and ancient sources, they include <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/hymn" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hymns</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/prayer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">prayers</a>, chants, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/myth" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">myths</a>, stories about gods and heroes, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/epic" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">epics</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/fable" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fables</a>, sacred laws, directions for the conduct of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/ritual" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">rituals</a>, the original teachings of major religious figures, expositions of these teachings, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="moral" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral" data-type="MW">moral</a> <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="anecdotes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anecdotes" data-type="MW">anecdotes</a>, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dialogues" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialogues" data-type="MW">dialogues</a> of seers and sages, and philosophical discussions. In fact, scriptures include every form of literature capable of expressing religious feeling or <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="conviction" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conviction" data-type="MW">conviction</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Types of sacred literature vary in authority and degree of sacredness. The centrally important and most holy of the sacred texts have in many instances been gathered into <span id="ref228526"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/canon-sacred-literature" class="md-crosslink ">canons</a> (standard works of the faith), which, after being determined either by general agreement or by official religious bodies, become fixed—i.e., limited to certain works that are alone viewed as fully <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="authoritative" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritative" data-type="MW">authoritative</a> and truly beyond all further change or alteration. The works not admitted to the canons (those of a semisacred or semicanonical character) may still be quite valuable as supplementary texts.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref284197"> <h2 class="h1">Scriptures in non-Western religions</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">A striking instance of making a distinction between <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="canonical" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonical" data-type="MW">canonical</a> and semicanonical scriptures occurs in <span id="ref228527"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hinduism</a>. The Hindu sacred literature is voluminous and varied; it contains ancient elements and every type of religious literature that has been listed, except historical details on the lives of the seers and sages who produced it. Its earliest portions, namely the four ancient <span id="ref228528"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Veda" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Vedas</a> (hymns), seem to have been provided by Indo-European families in northwestern <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a> in the 2nd millennium <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>. These and the supplements to them composed after 1000 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>—the <span id="ref228529"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brahmana" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Brahmanas</a> (commentaries and instruction in ritual), the <span id="ref228530"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aranyaka" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Aranyakas</a> (forest books of ascetics), and the <span id="ref228531"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Upanishad" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Upanishads</a> (philosophical treatises)—are considered more sacred than any later writings. They are collectively referred to as <span id="ref228532"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shruti" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shruti</a> (“Heard”; i.e., communicated by revelation), whereas the later writings are labeled <span id="ref228533"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Smriti" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Smriti</a> (“Remembered”; i.e., recollected and reinterpreted at some distance in time from the original revelations). The former are canonical and completed, not to be added to nor altered, but the latter are semicanonical and semisacred.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="71603" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/60347-004-80983BBC/attendants-Buddha-ivory-sculpture-Kashmir-Height-Prince.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/530020/71603"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/60347-004-80983BBC/attendants-Buddha-ivory-sculpture-Kashmir-Height-Prince.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/60347-004-80983BBC/attendants-Buddha-ivory-sculpture-Kashmir-Height-Prince.jpg?w=300" alt="Buddha" data-width="230" data-height="300" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/60347-004-80983BBC/attendants-Buddha-ivory-sculpture-Kashmir-Height-Prince.jpg" data-href="/media/1/530020/71603">Buddha</a><span>Seated Buddha with attendants, carved ivory sculpture from Kashmir, c. 8th century <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>; in the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Mumbai. Height 10 cm.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><span id="ref228534"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Buddhist</a> sacred literature recollects <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Buddha-founder-of-Buddhism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gautama Buddha</a>’s life and teaching in the 6th century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span> and first appeared in the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dialect" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect" data-type="MW">dialect</a> called <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pali-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Pali</a>, allied to the Magadhi that he spoke. As time passed and his movement spread beyond India, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Buddhism</a> adopted as its medium <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sanskrit-language" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sanskrit</a>, the Indian classical language that was widely used in ancient Asia. A distinction arose between the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Theravada" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Theravada</a> (“Way of the Elders”), preserved in Pali and regarded as canonical, and the vast number of works written in Sanskrit within the more widely dispersed Buddhism called by its adherents <span id="ref228535"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mahayana" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mahayana</a> (“Greater Vehicle”). The Mahayana works were later translated and further expanded in Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="128671" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/132050-004-71544EBF/Confucius-ETC-Werners-Myths-and-Legends-China-1922.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/530020/128671"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/132050-004-71544EBF/Confucius-ETC-Werners-Myths-and-Legends-China-1922.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/132050-004-71544EBF/Confucius-ETC-Werners-Myths-and-Legends-China-1922.jpg?w=300" alt="Confucius" data-width="328" data-height="428" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/132050-004-71544EBF/Confucius-ETC-Werners-Myths-and-Legends-China-1922.jpg" data-href="/media/1/530020/128671">Confucius</a><span>Confucius, illustration in E.T.C. Werner's <em>Myths and Legends of China</em>, 1922.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Whether the basic texts of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="indigenous" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indigenous" data-type="MW">indigenous</a> Chinese <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/religion" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">religion</a> should be called sacred, in the sense of Holy Writ, is open to question. Neither classical <span id="ref228536"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Daoism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Daoism</a> nor <span id="ref228537"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Confucianism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Confucianism</a> can be said to have been based on revelation; the texts of these faiths were originally viewed as human wisdom, books written by humans for humans. They acquired authority, actually a canonical status, however, that caused them to be regarded with profound reverence and thus, in effect, as sacred. This certainly was true of the revered Daoist book, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tao-te-Ching" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Daodejing</em></a> (“Classic of the Way of Power”), and of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wujing" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Wujing</em></a> (“Five Classics”) and the <em>Sishu</em> (“Four Books”) of Confucianism.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":2,"pageId":530020,"pageLength":834,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Scripture | Meaning, Religions, & Facts | Britannica