"The collected volume represents only a fraction of Bahá'u'lláh's output during his 40-year ministry, when He revealed thousands of tablets which altogether represent a volume more than 70 times the size of the Qur'an and more than 15 times the size of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible." www.bahaiworldnews.org/story.cfm?storyid=163.

Over the years there has been periodic reporting of the collection and classification of the Sacred Texts. In 1983 the "Seven Year Plan 1979-1986 Statistical Report" published at Ridvan 1983 reported that:

The original letters and tablets housed at the World Centre numbered 15,000 documents. The authenticated copies for which no originals had yet been received constituted 46,000 items.

Together these 60,000 plus documents were broken down into 15,000 Tablets of Baha'u'llah, 27,000 Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha and over 17,500 letters of Shoghi Effendi.

In 1994 David Ruhe mentioned in the preface of his book 'The Robe of Light' that there are now more than 21,000 Tablets and letters of Baha'u'llah held in the Baha'i Archives.

I would very much like to know the comparable figures as of 2001 and if possible the ratio or proportions of originals to authenticated copies. Also if there are any statistics regarding the Tablets and Writings of the Bab that would be useful. Failing that, the last published figures would be appreciated."

• Authenticated items: Originals or reproductions of Tablets and letters as dispatched to or received by their addressees.
  
  
• Transcribed items: Secondary copies of Tablets or letters, copied by scribes of varying degrees of reliability, sometimes copied from an authenticated item, sometimes copied from another transcribed item.
  
  
• Draft copies or Working copies: These include copies prepared by a scribe/secretary for checking prior to preparing the final copy, copies kept by the scribe/secretary or by Shoghi Effendi for later reference.