Jerome's Latin Psalter based on the Hebrew for BibleWorks7

I just posted a downloadable file of Jerome's Latin Psalter based on the Hebrew that can be compiled in BibleWorks7. Go to this post in the BibleWorks forum for more info and to download.

More Bible software

I realize that there are a bunch of Bible software programs out there that don't deal with original language texts (Ellis, iLumina, QuickVerse, WORDSearch, low end versions of PCStudy Bible or Logos, etc.) or try to provide English work arounds using Strong's for those who don't know Greek or Hebrew. I really don't have time (or money) to look at all such programs, and it appears that anyone reading this blog probably isn't interested in them either. I won't be commenting on them unless they offer some remarkable resource.
Bible Software Review Weblog notes the release of a new version 5 of Biblesoft's PCStudy Bible. Their "Professional Reference Library" edition is geared toward scholars using the original languages. I certainly wish Biblesoft well, and I think competition has been very good in the Bible software field to promote improvements, but I'm having trouble imagining that Biblesoft is going to be able to get much of a foothold in a field dominated by Logos, BibleWorks, and Accordance. Am I wrong?

Online academic research in biblical studies

I've commended David Instone-Brewer's Tyndale Tech Emails in the past, and the January 2007 issue has some helpful guides to doing online academic research. I want to highlight a few things and add some additional information.

• Note the suggestion about customizing search boxes, something that can be done in both IE7 and Firefox. I find that I use this feature regularly.
  
• The Tyndale House Library Catalogue (TynCat) is extremely useful. Searches return hits that are linked to bibliographical data and price comparisons, but you also get further linking to indications whether the publication is available online (using Amazon or Google) and links to reviews. Note that you can also 'browse' nearby books in the library based on your hits. (This is one of the things I like to do in a physical library.)
• He commends the Index Theologicus at Tübingen, and I concur, but biblical scholars should especially note the Scriptural Reference page. It a great help for finding articles on a specific verse.
• The SBL Forum has featured a couple articles on using Google Books and other online tools for scholars. I've previously commented on this latter article and provided a couple extra suggestions.
• TynCat noted above does a nice job of comparing prices for books, but if you use Firefox, I really recommend the "Book Burro" addin. If you are looking for a book (at Amazon, Abebooks, Alibris, etc...), it 'senses' the book and provides a transparent little bar at the top like this:

If you click on the bar, it opens up and looks like this:Not only does it do comparative pricing (user-customizable list of places to look), but you will note that I have also customized the addin to my location, and it searches WorldCat libraries and let's me know which libraries and how far away they are that have the book.

Textual Criticism Resource

It's posted on the BibleWorks Forum, but there is an incredibly thorough and useful Excel spreadsheet anyone can use and download for free that deals with the ancient manuscripts of the NT. There are sheets for Papyri, Uncials, Minuscules, Lectionaries, and Fathers with info on there identification number, contents, date, text type, name, provenance, comments, etc.
Thanks to pasquale and friends for sharing this great resource! (2007.07.21 update: This post in the thread is an updated version with the macro labels in English.)

Biblical fonts and the iPhone

Over on This Lamp, there is a posting on how Greek but not Hebrew fonts are available for viewing biblical and other texts on the iPhone.

BibleTech08

Hosted by Logos but not a Logos software demonstration, BibleTech08 will:

explore the intersection of Bible study and technology. This two-day conference is designed for publishers, programmers, webmasters, educators, bloggers and anyone interested in using technology to improve Bible study. BibleTech 2008 is an opportunity to meet others who share your interests and hear from industry leaders.

January 25/6 in Seattle, WA. I'll have to see if I can make it out there...

Biblical maps and mapping resources?

I've done a bunch of blogging on biblical maps and mapping that are available in digital format on the web or as part of software packages. I'm now in the process of trying to compose a more thorough, organized, and formal review for the SBL Forum. If you check my link, you will see that I've been cruising the web for sites/software, and I've checked the nice collections of links at such sites as Mark Goodacre's NT Gateway Listing of Maps and Bible Maps and Pictures at preceptaustin.org.
If I have missed something good, or if anyone has a particular site for biblical maps/mapping or preference for a kind of maps or specialized use of maps, please let me know, and I will try to incorporate it in my review. Thanks!

Biblical Studies Carnival XIX

This site was linked at the latest Biblical Studies Carnival posted at Biblische Ausbildung. These carnivals are always worth checking to see what is going on in the blogosphere in biblical studies.

More on fonts

In my previous post, I referred to the SBL Greek and Hebrew fonts. From that link you can download the SBLHebrew, but the Greek is still in beta and under discussion on the SBL Fonts Forum. (The Greek font has been taken down for 'repairs,' but John Hudson says a new beta should be available sometime in July 2007.)
To get the new Microsoft fonts if you have not upgraded to Vista or Office 2007 requires a bit of work. I got Calibri, Cambria, Candara, Consolas, Constantina, Corbel, and Segoe UI by downloading a trial version of Microsoft Office 2007. (This new version is certainly improved in many ways from Office 2003, but I'm also finding some issues working with Greek/Hebrew and doing footnotes.)
In the meantime, as I had mentioned in another post, I am sticking with Cardo for all my Greek/Hebrew.

New Microsoft Fonts

Like AKMAdam who regularly blogs about it, I'm fascinated with fonts. With Microsoft's release of Vista and the new Office 2007 suite, they have provided ten new fonts. (For their appearance and some evaluations, check them out HERE and additionally HERE.) I personally find them to be quite attractive in general with a 'fresh' look to them while not becoming simply 'casual.' Interestingly, Calibri, a sans serif font, is the new Microsoft default font replacing Times New Roman. Calibri is nice, but I think I like Candara better. Still, I prefer a serif font for reading. Cambria and Constantia are the two new serif fonts, and I think I will find occasion to use both of them. BTW, Constantia was designed by John Hudson, the same person who is designing the SBL Greek and Hebrew fonts. Of the new Microsoft fonts, none of them carry Hebrew characters. Only Segoe UI (a Unicode font) contains a full set of Greek characters. For your viewing pleasure, I've included here a graphic displaying the still-in-beta SBL Greek, SBL Hebrew, and the new Microsoft Segoe UI. (click to enlarge)

Catching up...

Been away and simply catching up on some good sites:

• Tyndale Tech Emails: David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House has been providing an extremely helpful collection of online resources. I've previously referred to the font kit he provides on the site, but it is worthwhile to peruse his well-organized and annotated list of resources related to Bibles, fonts, translation, writing, etc. Be sure to check out the latest one on "Lexicons for Biblical Studies." In connection with this, he has provided an incredibly useful and handy lookup system for Hebrew/Aramaic, Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, and Akkadian at his 2LetterLookup site. Using data from the online lexicons, the user first chooses the language, then the first two letters of the word (this approach actually works quite well), and the entries appear in a linked pane. For Hebrew/Aramaic, you get links to Gesenius and Jastrow, for Greek to the Liddell&Scoot (from Persesus via Resurgence Greek Project = Re:Greek = the zhubert.com site now redesignated), for Latin to an abbreviated lexicon at Notre Dame, for Syriac to a PDF page from Payne Smith, for Coptic to PDFs of the Crum dictionary, and more.
• Rubén Gómez on his Bible Software Review site has posted a very thorough and positive review of Logos3 Gold.
• This is not new information, but if you have not yet checked it out, Roy E. Ciampa has been accumulating resources and has a great collection of links on his Resources for New Testament Exegesis page. There are some fine bibliography lists, and I especially like his Resources for Textual Criticism. On that page, you will want to consider downloading his Reference Charts for Textual Criticism PDF.
• Another great resource I just discovered is Vernon K. Robbins' Dictionary of Socio-Rhetorical Terms.

Unicode fonts for biblical studies

A post over on Tim Bulkeley's SansBlogue focuses on the advantages of Unicode. I want to add a few comments. (BTW, my comments are based on using WinXP. I'm not certain what differences are involved with Vista.)

• What font should I use? Personally, I most use and have required my students to use David J. Perry's Cardo font. I like it because it is attractive, is weighted enough to be easily viewed when using PowerPoint or in print, is free, and contains all the characters needed for biblical scholars using Greek or Hebrew or doing textual criticism. That said, John Hudson working on behalf of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) has been creating Unicode fonts, and these are likely to become publishing standards. (Here is the SBL page. Note that keyboard drivers and the SBL legacy fonts are also available here.) For now, only the SBLHebrew has been released, though SBLGreek has been released in beta. When both are done, there will also be a SBLBibLit released that combines the two. There are quite a few other nice fonts out there, and the best place to see picture samples of almost all the Greek Unicode fonts is here. Links are provided to download sites. The beauty of Unicode, of course, is that you can any of these fonts for now, and it will be easy to change them to any other Unicode font later on.
• How do I install the font? This may seem like a simple question for many people who have been working with fonts and know to download, unzip, install. My experience has taught me that this is a confusing and frustrating process for many. For this reason, I set up a page of instructions for my students, but the bottom line is that the easiest way to install fonts is to go to: "Fonts for Biblical Studies" (Tyndale House). Use the "Tyndale Unicode Font Kit" available for either PCs or Macs. This will automatically install the Cardo font and setup keyboards (see below). If you just want to install Cardo on its own or the SBL Hebrew among some other fonts, try the GreekGeek.net's Font Installation Wizard. BTW, on my page of instructions, I also provide some guidance on making sure the fonts work in your internet browser. I also strongly encourage and give directions on enabling ClearType. It almost always makes a drastic improvement in font legibility.
• How do I type in Greek/Hebrew? If you use the Tyndale Unicode Font Kit I just mentioned, it provides very clear, step-by-step instructions for enabling typing in polytonic Greek and Hebrew. I am not, however, particularly fond of their keyboard, especially with its treatment of accents and breathing marks. (They have to be typed before you type the vowel.) I prefer the keyboards that Logos provides on this page. (A couple notes: I personally like having the Greek chi mapped to "x" and xi mapped to "z" as with the old SPIonic or SGreek font. I modified the Logos keyboard and you can follow steps to use it here. There appear to be a few quirks with how accents are rendered, and I have been having some troubles as I have been experimenting with the new Word 2007.)

Let me know if you have better solutions, or if you have experience with how Vista is dealing with fonts and such. Thanks.

Biblical Mapping - BibleMap.org update

I described the BibleMap.org site in an earlier posting and noted some of it strengths and limitations. They are indeed busy improving the site. In an earlier version of their site, I had chosen Acts 2 to see how all those difficult to pronounce places in the Pentecost story were located on the map, but only a couple places had shown up. I wrote to them and suggested this might be a worthwhile overview, and idou!, I just got an email back noting that the site had been updated. Nice work! Here's what it looks like, but why not go to the site and see for yourself.

Humor...

Something I was reading on another site made me think of this... just a bit of humor to lighten up this site.
I'm told this is a true story, but you can decide. Apparently someone wanted to make two banners for our seminary chapel for Reformation Sunday. So she took the opening and closing phrases of Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress." Two banners, then, with appropriate and tasteful decoration, one which read, "A Mighty Fortress is our God," and the other which read, "On Earth Is Not His Equal." Only one little problem... well, read the hymn verse for yourself:

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Hymn verse from CyberHymnal

Biblical art on the web

As I've searched for visuals to accompany work on biblical presentations, I've scoured the web for various resources. I posted on this topic before, but the occasion for this expanded posting is that I recently came across a new site (to me) for images to add to the list of links I've roughly compiled on this page.

• As noted there, if I am looking for artwork related to a specific text, I start with Biblical Art on the WWW. I like it because it is a large database, and thumbnails of the images are provided which saves me time. One can search by biblical subject, biblical text, artist, or even a word in the subject or artwork.
  
• The Art Index on Textweek is also very helpful, and though it doesn't list quite as many hits as the first site, it does provide some different ones. The listing are organized and can be found by theme, scripture text, or relationship to the readings of a given lectionary date.
  
• The latest site for art I just found is Art and the Bible. It is not intended to be comprehensive, but it provides a tasteful selection of works that are connected to the full KJV text that is provided. One can browse through the text and see the related art or search by text or artwork title. There are nice overviews of the Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel, and Rembrandt.
  

As always, be sure to use copyrighted works appropriately!

Jerusalem PhotoCarousel

Experimenting here... Enjoy this photo carousel that is a mashup using Microsoft's new Silverlight development tool on their Popfly site. This particular mashup uses the photo carrousel as one block, and then I set it up to draw in any picture from flickr that has a "Jerusalem" tag. (It's supposed to work on both IE and Firefox, but I can only get it to work on IE. Note that you can 'pull' the images around and click to magnify. BTW, this looks much better on a full screen like THIS rather than this small column.)

Do you speak Greek?

In light of a response to a previous post, I thought it would be interesting to see how people are dealing with the matter of the spoken word in NT Greek instruction.
I believe that some spoken familiarity is necessary, of course, simply because we have to be able to speak about words and letters in class. I also think that memorization is helped by hearing a word in addition to seeing and writing it. (Note that both BibleWorks and Logos have pronunciation aids embedded in their programs. In BibleWorks, you need to access the sound files through the vocabulary Flashcard module. In Logos, you can right click on a word in a Greek text to get the lexical pronunciation, or you can use the menu: Tools > Bible Data > Pronounce Original Language.) I also do a number of oral exercises with my students to aid in language familiarity, e.g., sing "Jesus Loves Me" (ο Χριστος με αγαπα..) and recite Matthew's version of the Lord's prayer.
This, however, raises the next issue. Which pronunciation scheme should one use? The so-called Erasmian one or one of its variants is helpful because it tries to help distinguish every letter so that there is an easier correlation between seeing and hearing. The problem is, though, that no native Greek speaker ever used this scheme. (I once was in Greece and spoke the Lord's Prayer as I had learned it. I gave them all a good laugh...) There certainly would be benefits to learning the original pronunciations, especially in terms of hearing wordplays and understanding how some text variants may have arisen, but there is more overlap between sounds that would make seeing/speaking more difficult. Another advantage of learning the ancient scheme, however, is that it is much closer to the modern pronunciation of Greek. On the other hand, learning biblical Greek is really not going to be all that helpful for getting directions to a restroom... (BTW, a good survey of the history of pronunciation schemes is HERE.)
So, how about another little poll? Whether you teach or were taught, how much emphasize was placed on speaking the Greek and which scheme did you use? If you have more to say on this topic, please leave a comment. Thanks!

Accordance Updates

Alerted by a posting on Deinde, I see that Accordance has updated and released some new resources (including the DSS Bible in English).

Tim Bulkeley's Biblical Studies Work

I've long admired the work that Tim Bulkeley has done on the web, especially his pioneering Amos Hypertext Bible Commentary that serves as the starting point for the larger Hypertext Bible Project. If you haven't done so already, it really is worthwhile to visit the Amos site. This project demonstrates a whole new approach to Bible commentaries, not simply because it is online, but also because it demonstrates the possibilities of linking all sorts of material together in ways that are simply impossible with a book. Furthermore, the project is envisioned as a collaborative and ongoing, peer-reviewed project.
Tim has also been busy with the podbible site, a collection of podcast readings of chapters from the Bible using the CEV. Even more interesting, I think, are the podcasts he is now sharing at his 5 Minute Bible site. These 5 minute or so reflections on biblical passages are a great way for people to grab some helpful perspectives on a text. Sort of like biblical studies in healthy, snack food packaging!
But wait, there's more... more of Tim's work is posted on his ebibletools site, but I especially want to highlight the work he is doing on images, descriptions, and video of archaeological sites. He shares some fine pictures of some selected sites in Israel, but I especially like the "Introductory Tour" videos he has produced. This provide excellent overviews that I find extremely helpful.
In all this work, I think Tim is exploring some new edges for biblical studies using the new technologies available to us.

Original Language Bible Software Poll

From my first poll, I can see now that I can be a bit more specific. I'm also trying to figure out which free polling service works best. Thanks for voting (or voting again!).