ABSTRACT
Sacred writings, which are writings beyond everyday life that inspire awe, respect and even fear, are associated with religion. As a complex phenomenon, religion and its sacred writings form an inextricable part of culture. One difficulty in discussing the variety of religions and their sacred writings is the borderline between what constitutes a religion and what constitutes a philosophy. Most translations were done by outsiders for outsiders who wished to gain insight into these religions by having access to their sacred writings. The sacred writings of the Jewish religion are traditionally divided into two categories, namely, the Written and the Oral Teaching or Torah. The Bible, consisting of the Old Testament and New Testament, contains the sacred writings of Christianity. The vast corpus of sacred writings of the Hindu religion is divided into two distinct categories, namely, sruti and smrti.
