I agree with most of the analysis of Budha, however the oldes printed book in the world is the Diamond Sutra, printed in China in 868 AD. However it is true that VEDA is the oldes book in that the knowledge of veda and its contents were passed from generation to generation verbally. So to the cynics (sp?) of the 21st century, it might not technically have existed before the Dimanond Sutra in a book form but the knowledge and contentes in vedas predate the modern dating system itself. RBT Ciao