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Scripture is a technical term for writings that are definitively characteristic of particular religious traditions.^{[citation needed]} It is more specific than the term religious text, which scholars can apply even to mythological and ritual texts from ancient religions, where records of their authority (or heresy) have not survived. The word was coined in 1250-1300, during the Middle English period, from the Latin word, scriptura, meaning "writing."^[1] One of its earliest English uses was by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) who wrote, "I have put it in scripture and in remembrance."^[2] Another English writer, John Gower (1330-1408), also used the word in his Latin writing, "Dicunt scripture memorare novissima vite," translated into English as, "They say in Scripture to remember the end of life."^[3]

Scholars of comparative religion investigate the different reasoning that lies behind why various traditions determine some writings to be scripture and others not.

This can be illustrated by the ancient documentation of an Egyptian cult of Aten,^{[citation needed]} which lasted little more than a generation, having been suppressed as heresy. Although texts in praise of Aten, like the Great Hymn to the Aten, perhaps were Aten scriptures, they cannot be considered definitive of the mainstream ancient Egyptian scriptures.^{[citation needed]} On the other hand, the Nicene Creed is an early Christian description of their beliefs.^{[citation needed]} However, although this is clearly a religious text, and is still highly valued by Christians today, they do not consider it scripture.^{[citation needed]} Scriptures are a very specific type of religious text,^{[citation needed]} the truth of which is received by faith/belief.^{[original research?]}

The term, scripture, arose as an English translation of Judaeo-Christian usage^{[citation needed]} and was applied, by analogy, to the scriptures of other traditions. It is commonly used in reference to the Bible and Koran.

The word, scripture, has been firmly attached to the Bible in that it is used 32 times in 32 verses in the King James Bible.^[4] An example of its usage in the New Testament is in John 10:35b, "...the scripture cannot be broken;" John 10:35, KJV Bible and in the Old Testament in Daniel 10:21a, "...I will show thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth." Daniel 10:21, KJV Bible

• [1] MP3 Sephardic-style Hebrew Bible
• [2] MP3 Complete Hebrew Bible
• [3] MP3 תורה נביאים כתובים
• [4]The Westminster Leningrad Codex (4.9)
• [5] The Hebrew Bible in XML (BHS/Parallel/KJV)
• [6] MP3 Greek New Testament
• [7] Multilingual Bible: Search, Read, Study