Religious works (e.g., Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Qur'an, Torah), classical works (e.g., ancient Green and Roman writings), and classical literature (e.g., by Shakespeare) are all cited like books.
Religious Works
Religious works are usually treated as having no author. If it is an annotated or translated version of a religious text, include the editor or translators name in the reference (see example 1). The year of original publication may be unknown or disputed and so is not included in those cases. If versions of the religious work have been republished, these dates are included in the reference (see example 2). If the religious work has canonically numbered parts (e.g., books, chapters, verses, etc.), use these numbers instead of page numbers.
Name of book (translator [if applicable] OR editor [if applicable]). (year). Name of publisher. (Original publication date [if applicable])
Example 1
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(The Qur'an, 1965)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(The Qur'an, 1965, 5:3-4)
References:
The Qur'an (E. H. Palmer, Trans.). (1965). Motilal Banardsidass.
Example 2
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(King James Bible, 1769/2017)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(King James Bible, 1769/2017, Matthew 22:39)
References:
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)
Classical Works and Works of Classical Literature
These works are treated as republished works. For ancient Greek or Roman works, use the copyright date of the version used in the date element and include the original publication date in parenthesis at the end of the entry. If the original publication date is approximate, use "ca." (abbreviation of circa, see example 3). If the work has canonically numbered parts (e.g., verses, lines, cantos, etc.) use these numbers instead of page numbers.
Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of republish). Title of work (translator [if applicable] OR editor [if applicable]).
Name of Publisher. (Original publication date [if applicable])
Example 3
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(Plato, ca. 380 B.C.E/1940)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(Plato, ca. 380 B.C.E/1940, pp. 38-40)
References:
Plato. (1940). The republic (A. D. Lindsay, Trans.). J.M. Dent and Sons. (Original work published ca. 380 B.C.E.)