“Which holy books [exist], and what is their purpose?”

The main holy books of the major world religions and their purpose:

1. Judaism: Tanakh

• What: The holy book of the Jewish people. The oldest part is the Torah, which contains the law of Moses.
• Purpose: The Torah forms the foundation of the Jewish faith and contains guidelines for living, laws, and regulations. It gives meaning to the relationship between God and humanity.

2. Christianity: Bible

• What: The holy book of Christians. It consists of the Old Testament (which is essentially the Tanakh) and the New Testament.
• Purpose: The New Testament contains stories about Jesus and his teachings. The Bible serves as a guide for living and describes the relationship between God and humanity.

3. Islam: Quran

• What: The holy book of Muslims. It is the youngest of the three, appearing about six centuries after the Bible.
• Purpose: The Quran is considered the literal word of God. It contains teachings, guidelines, and laws for Muslims and forms the basis of their faith. It gives meaning to the relationship between God and humanity.

Interesting to know:

• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic religions, meaning they believe in one God.
• They are often called “religions of the book” because holy scriptures hold a central place.
• The three religions share a common history and consider Abraham an important ancestor.
• The original language of the holy books plays a larger role within Judaism and Islam than in Christianity. Translations within Judaism and Islam are generally not considered equal to the original text.
• In addition to the holy books, traditions and practices also play an important role in the lives of believers, such as pilgrimages to holy places.

4. Other religions:

Other religions also have holy books or scriptures containing their beliefs and teachings. Examples include:

• Hinduism: Mahabharata and other scriptures.
• Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana scriptures.
• Zoroastrianism: Avesta.
• Heathenry (Ásatrú): Edda.

Purpose of these books:

• They form the foundation of the religion.
• They contain the collective experiences of people with a divine power.
• They serve as a guide for living.
• They seek answers to the big questions of life.
• Believers often experience them as divine revelation.