Sacred Atlas
The ConstellationParallels across civilizations

Watch the ideas propagate.

Five thousand years of scripture, laid flat across one horizon. Each dot is a book at its best-guess composition date; each gilt arc is a parallel — a story or teaching that travels between traditions. Trace the flood story from Gilgamesh to Genesis to Mahabharata, or the golden rule from Analects to Torah to Matthew to Dhammapada.

Traditions:
Parallels
160%
125 scriptures · 172 parallelsdrag · scroll-zoom · pinch · arrows · 0 reset
Bronze AgeLate Bronze CollapseMedievalEarly ModernAncient Near EastHinduismZoroastrianismJudaismBuddhismTaoismConfucianismChristianityIslam3000 BCE3000 BCE2500 BCE2500 BCE2000 BCE2000 BCE1500 BCE1500 BCE1000 BCE1000 BCE500 BCE500 BCE250 BCE250 BCE00250 CE250 CE500 CE500 CE1000 CE1000 CE1500 CE1500 CE2000 CE2000 CEEpic of Gilgamesh — Th…Rigveda — Selected HymnsAvestaDeuteronomyExodusGenesisLeviticusNumbersHoseaIsaiahProverbsHabakkukJudgesPsalmsJeremiahLamentationsEzekiel1 Kings2 Kings1 Samuel2 SamuelJobRuthZechariahThe AnalectsSong of SolomonMalachiJoelJonahMahabharata — SelectionsTao Te ChingDhammapadaBhagavad Gita1 Enoch — Book of the …DanielUpanishadsGalatiansJames1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansRomansColossiansEphesians1 Peter1 TimothyTitus2 TimothyHebrewsMarkMatthewActsLukeJohnRevelationGospel of ThomasSurah 1: Al-Fatihah (T…Surah 2: Al-Baqarah (T…Surah 3: Ali 'Imran (F…Surah 4: An-Nisa (The …Surah 5: Al-Ma'idah (T…Surah 6: Al-An'am (The…Surah 7: Al-A'raf (The…Surah 9: At-Tawbah (Th…Surah 11: Hud (Hud)Surah 12: Yusuf (Joseph)Surah 13: Ar-Ra'd (The…Surah 14: Ibrahim (Abr…Surah 15: Al-Hijr (The…Surah 16: An-Nahl (The…Surah 17: Al-Isra (The…Surah 18: Al-Kahf (The…Surah 19: Maryam (Mary)Surah 20: Taha (Ta-Ha)Surah 21: Al-Anbya (Th…Surah 22: Al-Hajj (The…Surah 24: An-Nur (The …Surah 26: Ash-Shu'ara …Surah 27: An-Naml (The…Surah 28: Al-Qasas (Th…Surah 29: Al-'Ankabut …Surah 32: As-Sajdah (T…Surah 33: Al-Ahzab (Th…Surah 35: Fatir (Origi…Surah 36: Ya-Sin (Ya S…Surah 37: As-Saffat (T…Surah 38: Sad (The Let…Surah 39: Az-Zumar (Th…Surah 40: Ghafir (The …Surah 41: Fussilat (Ex…Surah 42: Ash-Shuraa (…Surah 47: Muhammad (Mu…Surah 50: Qaf (The Let…Surah 51: Adh-Dhariyat…Surah 52: At-Tur (The …Surah 53: An-Najm (The…Surah 55: Ar-Rahman (T…Surah 56: Al-Waqi'ah (…Surah 57: Al-Hadid (Th…Surah 59: Al-Hashr (Th…Surah 62: Al-Jumu'ah (…Surah 66: At-Tahrim (T…Surah 67: Al-Mulk (The…Surah 69: Al-Haqqah (T…Surah 73: Al-Muzzammil…Surah 75: Al-Qiyamah (…Surah 76: Al-Insan (Th…Surah 81: At-Takwir (T…Surah 82: Al-Infitar (…Surah 85: Al-Buruj (Th…Surah 87: Al-A'la (The…Surah 90: Al-Balad (Th…Surah 91: Ash-Shams (T…Surah 93: Ad-Duhaa (Th…Surah 94: Ash-Sharh (T…Surah 95: At-Tin (The …Surah 96: Al-'Alaq (Th…Surah 99: Az-Zalzalah …Surah 101: Al-Qari'ah …Surah 102: At-Takathur…Surah 104: Al-Humazah …Surah 107: Al-Ma'un (T…Surah 108: Al-Kawthar …Surah 113: Al-Falaq (T…Surah 114: An-Nas (Man…Book of Mormon
Each dot is a scripture placed at its best-guess composition date. Click a dot to open the book. Pick a parallel above and the thread illuminates between the scriptures it connects. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom; 0 resets, arrow keys nudge.