240-249A.D.; collected into one book in 1980

          Wang Bi's works include three Commentaries: On

          Laozi, On Zhouyi (Book of Changes), and On

          Analects (now only in fragments) and two Outlines

         (on Laozi and Zhouyi). Wang Bi is the lead

          phiosopher for neo-Daoist philosophy (a.k.a.

          xuanxue); his Commentaries On Laozi and On

          Zhouyi are the most authoritative, to the extent

          that the "standard texts" of Laozi and Zhouyi are

          transmitted through his Commentaries. Zhouyi, is

          the first of the Confucian Five Classics; Laozi, a.k.a.

          Daodejing, is the foundational text of Daosim. And

          yes, Wang Bi died when he was 24 years old.

          Final version by early 325A.D.

          Authoritative history of the early Church till time of

          Constantine; texts serve as basis of most medieval

          Christian historiography

          400-after 420A.D. (per Edmund Hill)

          St. Augustine is the most influential Church father in

          the Latin Church. Among the early fathers, Origen was

          ultimately not decided to be orthodox; the

          equivalent of St. Augustine in the Greek Church is taken

          by the three Cappadocian fathers and thus not

          selected, with some regret. St. Augustine's

          Confessions and On City of God are more famous,

          but I feel a leading father's direct work on the theology

          of Trinity would allow modern readers the best

          opportunity to understand the distinctiveness of

          Christian vs. other monotheistic theologies.

The Recognition

of Shakuntala 

          Assumed 1st half of 5th century A.D. 

          Kalidasa is considered the greatest classical

          Sanskrit author whose works includes plays, lyric

          poems and epic poetry. Shakuntala is selected as it

          is the most famous work of Kalidasa (at least in

          English), and as Indian poetry is already well-

          represented by Mahabharata.

          Zhiyi (538-598A.D. - per records he died in early

          598A.D. in Chinese calendar 597/598, thus many

          sources have his death year as 597A.D.) 

          595-598A.D. 

          Zhiyi is the founder of Tiantai sect - the first

          Chinese Buddhist sect (which clearly

          influences other sects like Huayan sect) and

          the only text-focused sect that sees multiple great

          masters emerging at different ages. Its

          Japanese offshoot (Tendai) is the most

          influential in Japan (from which all the

          Kamakura-era new Buddhist sect-founders

          arose). While his Fahua Xuanyi or Mohe

          Zhiguan are more famous, we select his  

          Commentaries on Vimalakirti Sutra (which in

          later history is transmitted as two books)

          because it is his self-authored work and

          his last work. This selection would also allow

          Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, an early Mahanyana

          sutra in drama-style (the more famous Lotus

          Sutra is probably a later example) which is also

          fundamental to Chan Sect, to be included in the

          list.

          Recitations from 610-632A.D. 

          Quran considered to be God's miracle. Many branches of

          Islamic learnings focused around this foundational text.