Religious Texts Through Time

Religious texts are important to various religions and comprise a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community. Some of these texts are accepted or categorized as canonical, some non-canonical, and others extracanonical, semi-canonical, deutero-canonical, pre-canonical or post-canonical. There is no definitive canon in some religions while in others canonical texts include a particular text. The terms sacred text and religious text are not necessarily interchangeable. Some religious texts are simply narratives or discussions pertaining to the general themes, interpretations, practices, or important figures of the specific religion. The term scripture comes from the Latin scriptura, meaning "writing", and most sacred scriptures of the world's major religions were originally a part of their oral tradition. Some religious texts serve a ceremonial and liturgical role, particularly in relation to sacred time, the liturgical year, the divine efficacy, and subsequent holy service. The term "canon" is derived from the Greek word "κανών", "a cane used as a measuring instrument". It connotes the sense of "measure, standard, norm, rule". The earliest known religious texts are the Kesh Temple Hymn of ancient Sumer and the Epic of Gilgamesh from Sumer. The Rigveda, a scripture of Hinduism, is one of the oldest known complete religious texts that has survived into the modern age. High rates of mass production and distribution of religious texts did not begin until the invention of the printing press in 1440.