137. What are the Holy Books?

The Bible contains the Holy Books recognised by Christians and their scholars. The Bible has 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Roman Catholic Bibles contain 14 additional books in the Old Testament, such as 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Esther 10:4-16:24, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (also known as Sirach), Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy, Song of the Three Children (Vulgate Daniel 3:24-90), Story of Susanna, The Idol Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, 1 and 2 Maccabees.

There are five Holy books in Islâm. The Qur’an, the Bible, the Torah (Tawrat), the Zabur (Psalms), and the Scrolls of Abraham (Arabic: صحف إبراهيم , Suhuf Ibrahim) are part of the religious scriptures of Islâm. These scriptures are understood by Muslims to have contained the revelations which Abraham received, which were then written down by Abraham (Ibrahim) himself, as well as his scribes and followers. Muslims contend that the Bible is not the original scriptures and changes were made based on religious and racial prejudice by the Jews and Christians.