Orange Catholic Bible
the Accumulated Book
The Orange Catholic Bible, the Accumulated Book, was one of the most important religious texts of the known universe. Produced by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad, it sought to fuse all significant religious thought of human history under one supreme commandment.
The Orange Catholic Bible, called the OC Bible or OCB for short and also known as the Accumulated Book, was one of the most important religious texts in the known universe. It was meant to be a fusion of all significant religious thought in human history, with a strong emphasis on beliefs originating on Earth, and it was produced by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad. Among its prominent devotees were Doctor Wellington Yueh and Gurney Halleck. (Dune)
Purpose and origin#
The Orange Catholic Bible was intended as a fusion of all significant religious thought in human history, with a strong emphasis on beliefs originating on Earth. Among the traditions it drew together were the Maometh Saari, Mahayana Christianity, Zensunni Catholicism, and Budislamic teachings. It was produced by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad, the great revolt against the thinking machines, and its supreme commandment was "Thou shalt not disfigure the soul." (Dune)
Teachings and devotees#
The chief commandment of the Butlerian Jihad survived in the Orange Catholic Bible as "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind." Its influence reached even the Fremen of Arrakis, whose Hymn to Water was copied directly from the Orange Catholic Liturgical Manual, though it called for rain clouds their world had never seen. (Dune)
Among the more prominent devotees of the Orange Catholic Bible were Doctor Wellington Yueh and Gurney Halleck. Gurney quoted it constantly. Before the fall of House Atreides on Arrakis, Yueh gave Paul a tiny printed Orange Catholic Bible made for space travellers, a copy that had belonged to his wife Wanna. (Dune)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Orange Catholic Bible?
- The Orange Catholic Bible, also called the OC Bible, OCB, or the Accumulated Book, was one of the most important religious texts in the known universe. It was meant to be a fusion of all significant religious thought in human history, with a strong emphasis on beliefs originating on Earth.
- Who produced the Orange Catholic Bible?
- It was produced by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators in the wake of the Butlerian Jihad, the great revolt against the thinking machines.
- What religious traditions did the Orange Catholic Bible draw on?
- Among the traditions it drew together were the Maometh Saari, Mahayana Christianity, Zensunni Catholicism, and Budislamic teachings, with a strong emphasis on the religions of old Earth.
- What was the supreme commandment of the Orange Catholic Bible?
- Its supreme commandment was "Thou shalt not disfigure the soul." It also carried the chief commandment of the Jihad, "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."
- Who were the notable devotees of the Orange Catholic Bible?
- Among its more prominent devotees were Doctor Wellington Yueh and Gurney Halleck. Yueh gave Paul Atreides a tiny printed copy made for space travellers, which had belonged to his wife Wanna.
Gallery

Images via Dune Wiki
Sources
- BookDune, Frank Herbert, Chilton Books, 1965
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