What this is, and is not.

Sacred Atlas is a comparative library of the world's sacred texts, built for serious readers — students, teachers, clergy, the curious, the skeptical — who want to be able to read Genesis, Surah Yusuf, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Tao Te Ching without juggling seven tabs. It is academic in tone, comparative in structure, and devotional in neither direction. The tradition colours in the interface mean nothing more than "this is where it comes from".

Sources & translations

All scripture on this site is in the public domain. We are not using paid or licensed translations at this stage, both to keep the project free forever and to keep it legally unencumbered. That means:

• Bible: King James Version (1611) — the most influential English translation ever made, though sometimes archaic.
• Torah: the first five books of the KJV, identical in content to the 1917 JPS Tanakh arrangement.
• Qur’an: Arabic alongside a public-domain English translation (Sahih International is closest in tone; our current version is text-only public domain).
• Bhagavad Gita: Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885).
• Upanishads: F. Max Müller, Sacred Books of the East vols. I & XV (1879–1884).
• Dhammapada: F. Max Müller, Sacred Books of the East vol. X (1881).
• Tao Te Ching: James Legge, Sacred Books of the East vol. XXXIX (1891).
• Analects: James Legge, The Chinese Classics (1893).
• Rigveda: Ralph T. H. Griffith, The Hymns of the Rigveda (1896).
• Avesta: James Darmesteter, Sacred Books of the East vols. IV & XXIII (1880–1887).
• Mahabharata: Selections from the Adi Parva, Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883–96).
• Gilgamesh: the flood tablet from George Smith’s Chaldean Account of Genesis (1876).
• Code of Hammurabi: C.H.W. Johns translation (1903).
• Apocrypha: Gospel of Thomas (Mead translation) + 1 Enoch / Book of the Watchers.
• Book of Mormon: curated selections, 1830 edition.
• Pistis Sophia: G.R.S. Mead translation (1896).

Over time, we hope to add side-by-side modern translations as licensing permits, and original-language word tools.

Our editorial stance

Comparative religion has been practised badly in the past — flattening differences, smuggling in assumptions of one tradition while claiming neutrality, or reducing living faiths to specimens. We take those risks seriously. Three commitments:

1. We let each tradition speak for itself — the primary sources are the primary voices; editorial notes are labelled as such.
2. We name divergences plainly — the parallels entries are explicit where traditions contradict, not just where they agree.
3. We are open to correction — if a translation note, date, or comparative claim is wrong, we want to know. Contact us and we will fix it.

Keep the lamp lit.

Sacred Atlas is built and run by one person, funded by modest advertising and reader donations. There is no venture capital behind it and no business model beyond "stay alive and useful." If it has helped you — in study, in teaching, in prayer, in argument — please consider giving what you can.

What's already here

• Audio narration — 1,400+ chapters and growing (Bible + Qur’an + Gita + Dhammapada + Tao + Analects)
• Reading plans, daily-verse rotation, optional bookmarks/notes/highlights with a free account
• Full-text search across every chapter of every scripture on the site
• Commentary layers — Rashi on Torah, Matthew Henry on the Bible
• Apocrypha, Gnostic texts (Pistis Sophia), Book of Mormon, Mahabharata, Epic of Gilgamesh

On the roadmap

• Side-by-side translations (multiple English + original languages)
• Original-language word study (Strong’s numbers for Hebrew & Greek; Arabic root tools for the Qur’an)
• More commentary voices — Augustine, Ibn Kathir, Adi Shankara, modern scholarly notes
• Avesta, Bahá’í Writings, expanded Confucian and Vedic corpora

Stay in touch.

Sacred Atlas grows. New parallels, new scriptures, new commentary layers — sent only when there’s something to say.

Frequently asked.

Is Sacred Atlas free to use?

Yes — every chapter of every scripture is free to read, with no account required. Optional free accounts add bookmarks, notes, highlights, and reading progress that sync across devices.

Which translations does Sacred Atlas use?

Only public-domain translations. The headline set: King James Version (Bible, 1611), Sahih International–style PD text (Qur'an), Sir Edwin Arnold's The Song Celestial (Bhagavad Gita, 1885), F. Max Müller's Sacred Books of the East (Dhammapada, 1881; Upanishads, 1879–84), James Legge (Tao Te Ching, 1891; Analects, 1893), Ralph T. H. Griffith (Rigveda, 1896), James Darmesteter (Avesta, 1880–87), and the 1917 JPS Tanakh arrangement for the Torah. The full translator credits are listed under Sources & translations below.

What scriptures are included?

The Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Qur'an, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Dhammapada, Tao Te Ching, the Analects, and the Vedas — plus select Gnostic texts (Pistis Sophia, Mead 1896), the Apocrypha (Gospel of Thomas, 1 Enoch), the Mahabharata, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Code of Hammurabi, the Avesta, and the Book of Mormon. More public-domain scripture is added over time.

What is a 'parallel' on Sacred Atlas?

A parallel is a short comparative study of a shared story, teaching, or motif across multiple traditions — for example, the flood narrative in Gilgamesh, Genesis, and the Qur'an, or the Golden Rule across the Analects, Torah, Matthew, and the Dhammapada. Each parallel names what's shared and what diverges.

Is this a devotional site or a religious site?

Neither. Sacred Atlas is academic in tone and comparative in structure — built for students, teachers, clergy, and curious readers who want to read the world's scriptures alongside each other without a particular tradition's lens. The interface colours mean only 'this is where it comes from.'

Can I use Sacred Atlas for study or teaching?

Yes. The public-domain primary texts, cross-references, atlas of named places, archaeology layer, and reading plans are designed for classroom and seminary use. The glossary and commentary layers (Matthew Henry, Rashi) are built for serious readers.

How do I support Sacred Atlas?

The site is built and run by one person with no venture capital. Donations, monthly patronage, and one-time gifts keep it free and ad-light. See the 'Keep the lamp lit' section on this page.