Sacred writings of religions, comprising a large portion of the literature of the world.
Scriptures vary in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness. Nearly all scriptures were originally oral and were passed down as memorized texts through several generations before being put in writing. In some religions, notably Islam , Hinduism , and Buddhism , there is still strong emphasis on the value of reciting or chanting the scriptures aloud. The Hebrew Bible ( Old Testament ) is the scripture of Judaism ; the Bible (Old and New Testament s together) is the scripture of Christianity ; and the Veda s and Upanishad s. See also Adi Granth ; Avesta ; Book of Mormon ; sutra ; Tripitaka .