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Show HN: Bible as RAG Database

crosscanon.com|95 points|65 comments|by jacksonastone|Jun 25, 2026

Cross Canon: A Biblical RAG Implementation

Show HN: Bible as RAG Database

Cross Canon is a specialized tool designed to let users explore scripture through thematic queries. By treating the Bible as a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) database, it moves beyond simple keyword matching to find passages based on conceptual meaning.

🛠️ How it Works

The system utilizes vector embeddings to calculate the distance between a user's theme and the biblical text. Mathematically, this is often represented as: similarity=cos(θ)=ABAB\text{similarity} = \cos(\theta) = \frac{\mathbf{A} \cdot \mathbf{B}}{\|\mathbf{A}\| \|\mathbf{B}\|}

🔍 Search Interface

Users can input a specific theme to find related verses. While the search can be global, it can also be narrowed down by specific books.

Search Parameters:

  • Theme: Search for passages about... (e.g., "Grace" or "Justice")
  • Scope: Search all books \rightarrow Filter by specific book

Indexed Library

The database includes the following volumes:

TestamentBooks Included
Old TestamentGenesis through Malachi
New TestamentMatthew through Revelation

Full Book List:

  • Pentateuch & History: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.
  • Poetry & Wisdom: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs.
  • Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
  • Gospels & Acts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts.
  • Epistles & Revelation: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.

🚀 Execution Flow

When a query is submitted, the application follows these steps:

  • Initialize query vector
  • Loading text...
  • Loading scripture text...
  • Display matches in the results area

Bible RAG Concept

Example Query Logic:

{
  "query": "faith and works",
  "filters": {
    "books": ["James", "Romans"],
    "threshold": 0.85
  },
  "action": "retrieve_passages"
}

Scripture results will appear here once the loading process is complete.