Online Backup and Data Syncing Options

Do you need online backup? The obvious answer is yes if you are concerned about having your data saved in case anything goes wrong with your system, but there are a other reasons as well. For me:

• I used to carry USB drives around everywhere (and I still use them as an alternative backup), but with online storage, I can access my stuff from any internet-connected device, including my smartphone.
• An online syncing service gets rid of the multiple versions of files. I work at home, and when I go to work, the latest version of the file gets synced. 
• If you have a large file you want to send to someone, rather than trying to email it, it's much easier to store it online and share.
• If I have taken a bunch of photos at some event that I want to share with a group, it's easiest to do it this way. (
• I needed a way to keep the notes I make in BibleWorks in sync so that whether I added or edited something on one machine, it would show in the other.

For at least a couple years, I've recommended Sugarsync for online backup. The reasons for doing so were because A) it was free, B) you got 5GB free which was more than most were offering at the time, and C) and most importantly, unlike other such services, Sugarsync allowed you to choose which (sub)folders to sync rather than forcing you to put everything in a designated folder. With BibleWorks, that meant that you could do the normal installation, then use Sugarsync and point to the BW9 subfolders you wanted to sync. Sweet!

Sugarsync has now announced that they are discontinuing the free service and only offering paid services. You can't blame them, and it's not terrible expensive, but it is clearly geared for somewhat larger operations, since the minimum account starts at 60GB. If you are wanting to back up a bunch of pictures in addition to your data, it might be a good deal. For me, I'm backing up all my BibleWorks notes and some other related data along with all my daily working stuff, and I have less than 10GB. (I have external hard drives for backing up all the big stuff like pictures and music.)

So, if you are looking for a free online storage option, there are a few things you want to consider:

• Cost
• Amount of storage
• Focus of service: Is it intended simply for backup up data (and not necessarily sync)? How easily does it sync? Is it mainly intended for online document collaboration? How easy is it to share documents or folders with others?
• Does it have a desktop application to help make things easier to manage?
• What other platforms does it support? All of these are available through any web browser, but some have apps for Android or Apple mobile devices.
• How does the syncing work? This is important. Dropbox and Box have their own folder, and you need to put things in that folder to have them sync. Given the way you probably have your folder structure organized, this can be very inconvenient. SugarSync was easiest in allowing you to simply point to any folder in your existing structure to sync. Copy does have a different but still easy way to leave your folder structure intact.

If you mainly wait free backup and storage, consider these, and note that Google Drive and SkyDrive also work well for collaborative editing and sharing:

• Amazon Cloud Drive – 5GB free - You can save any digital content here, but it is not intended as a syncing service. 
• Google Drive – 15GB free - Not really a syncing service, but you can use Insync to do so. I have used Google Drive a lot in my classes for students to work collaboratively on documents, create forms and surveys, etc.
• SkyDrive – 7GB free - Part of Microsoft's online suite. If you are using Microsoft Office, this is a good way to share docs and collaborate on them. It also is a nice way for letting students see your PowerPoint slideshows.

 If you are also interested in syncing your data, consider these:

• Dropbox – 2+GB free - Dropbox really needs you to keep things in its Dropbox folder. (It is possible to make this work with the set folder of my BibleWorks note, but you would need to move your BW folders into Dropbox and then change a bunch of file paths by editing the bs900.ini file. Or, I suppose you could create symbolic links, but that's a pain too.) Apps for Android, Apple, BlackBerry, and Kindle.
• Box – 10GB free - Like Dropbox, Box wants everything to sync in its own folder. You can set a different default folder, but it requires that you edit your Windows registry or do the symbolic links thing. Not ideal... (Looks to be similarly tricky on a Mac.) Android and Apple apps are available.
• SugarSync - My old favorite... $75/year for 60GB of storage. Easy syncing; apps for desktop, Android, and Apple.
• Copy - 15GB free - This works well and 15GB to boot! Has its own syncing folder, but you can create shortcuts (Win) or aliases (Mac) to other folders, and simply put them in the Copy folder. Apps for Apple, Android, and Windows.

How do I keep all these services straight? Here is the best tip of all for you.

• Jolicloud – This is an online site that provides a way to aggregate all your accounts (including FB, Google+, Flickr, Picasa, etc.... but not Copy). You can even use it to view your docs or pics or listen to music right from that web page. Free (for now, at least!) and highly recommended.

BOTTOM LINE: I use GoogleDrive for collaborative work. For online storage and syncing Copy looks like an outstanding solution. Then use Jolicloud to keep track of where you've stored all your stuff!

Logos releases Biblia Hebraica Westmonasteriensis with Westminster Hebrew Morphology 4.18

Logos announced a nice upgrade today of Biblia Hebraica Westmonasteriensis which is free to those who already owned Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with Westminster 4.2 Morphology. (Note: the 4.18 is 4.eighteen as compared to the previous 4.two.)

What’s new since 4.2?

Since the release of the 4.2—nearly a decade ago—a dizzying array of corrections and improvements have been made to the Westminster Hebrew Morphology. Here are some of the biggest changes:

• Better integration with Koehler-Baumgartner-Stamm’s Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament
• Significant expansion of the quantity and quality of textual notes
• A review of accentuation and improvements in Hebrew accentuation throughout the text
• And much, much more! Check out the product page for a comprehensive list of updates and improvements.

Nice!

Latin Study Companion

Just came upon this via LinkedIn. The link will bring you to the "Learning Latin" Facebook group where Steve McCain has shared a Latin Study Companion. He says:

I just uploaded a new version of my Latin Study Companion to https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningLatin . This is a program that I desiged, and developed, to complement Wheelock's Latin textbook, but is also very useful outside of this particular textbook. This application is a very good study aid, for those interested in learning Latin.

Below is a direct link to the XLSM file which runs out of Excel. (A very interesting application of Excel!) McCain notes:

This version of the Study Companion adds print functionality to the main forms, and "Chapter-by-Chapter" vocabulary study to complement the Wheelock textbook. This version also has the adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections that are studied in Wheelock's textbook.

The first time the application is opened, Excel will ask you to enable editing, and Macros must be enabled for this application to function. I have tested it pretty thoroughly on Excel 2010, but I am only one person. Please, drop me a line if you encounter any issues, or would like to see some functionality added to the application.

 XLSM link:  Latin Study Companion

Thanks for sharing!

ESV Study Bible Web App Available for Free (2013 November)

Click on graphic above to get the app

As part of their 75th anniversary as a Bible resource publisher, Crossway is making The ESV Study Bible available for free as a web resource through November 2013. (It is unclear to me whether it is free just for November of if you can obtain it for free and continue to use it.)

The ESV Study Bible Web App includes the study notes, maps, charts, illustrations, and theological articles found in the print edition—all integrated into ESVBible.org’s easy-to-use interface.

Though I have reservations about the ESV as a translation (particularly its decisions about inclusive language), it is basically a literal translation in the tradition of the KJV, ASV, and RSV. Since its initial publication in 2001, the ESV text has been largely given away for free, a decision that made it very popular on the web. With the publication of The ESV Study Bible, Crossway demonstrated how giving away the text could create a viable market for selling the Study Bible.

While I also have reservations about The ESV Study Bible, there is much to commend. (Click on that link for more info.) It forthrightly claims that it was "created by an outstanding team of 95 evangelical Christian scholars and teachers." One should not be surprised, then, that it leans toward 'conservative' readings and positions regarding authorship, dates, and harmonizations. On the other hand, it provides a nuanced introduction to Genesis and the creation story. It provides evidence for both the early and late date of the Exodus. It recognizes the difficulties of reading the Gospels in order to set the specific year of Jesus' crucifixion. More significantly, in addition to the information and background it provides in its running commentary, it is quite remarkable for its illustrations, maps, diagrams, and charts. These are really fantastic, and they are why I am commending this study Bible to my students.

As for the web app, it should be noted that it really is not an "app" but a well organized and linked web site. Here's how it looks:

Easy navigation via the top left icons. Biblical text is in the left column, and each page is a biblical chapter. Footnotes in the text appear in hover-over popups or links at the bottom of the page. In the screenshot above, you can also see that I have turned on the GreekTools Preview providing basic lexical information and gloss for words in the Greek NT. (There is a GreekTools module that provides more resources in connection with the NA27 Greek NT.) The resources of the study Bible are provided in the right column with linked materials opening in new windows.

There is not a mobile app, but since this is all web based, it is possible to use it on a mobile device's web browser. Here's what it looks like on my Galaxy Note 2.

The GreekTools Preview even kind of works but with font limitations. The study Bible resources must be opened in a separate window.

BOTTOM LINE: The ESV Study Bible web app is a fine resource that is surely worth getting for free! Thank you to Crossway for making it available. Click on the graphic at the top of this post or HERE to get it free through November 2013.

Jane Hart's Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013

Jane Hart recently released "The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013." Hart has been accumulating and evaluating teaching tools for quite a few years now, so it's helpful both to observe the trends and to discover what's new and possible. Click through the slideshare she has provided.

My comments/observations on some of the items... (Links can be found on the slideshare unless otherwise included.) 

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 from Jane Hart

• I have seen how Twitter can be helpful, but I just have not found it compelling to use very often.
• Google Drive/Docs has become a very important tool in my teaching. We use Moodlerooms for our class management system, but for collaborative work, Google Docs still works best for me.
• YouTube and PowerPoint: Until we're ready to step up considerably with our video production and hosting, I have found that for most of my online 'presentations,' what I've ended up doing is narrating/recording my PowerPoints. This internal PowerPoint feature became available in Office 2010 and generated huge WMV files. It is somewhat improved in Office 365 which generates MP4 files. The files are still quite large, so the best way to share them is to upload them to YouTube and then share a private YouTube link. (Note that you need to request a free educational YouTube account to upload large files.)
• Dropbox: I use this as one of my cloud backup systems, but I've had much better experience with SugarSync. You get 5GB free instead of Dropbox's 2GB, and I find it easier to manage the folders that I sync. (Signing up with this link gets you and me an extra 500MB storage. Thanks!)
• Facebook and Google+/Hangouts: I've been using it to set up private groups. Since most students are already on FB, it works pretty well. I'd like to move to Google+, and it has been helpful for more school business interaction rather than social. I also would like to use Hangouts more, but there is a lot of inertia with others about moving away from Skype.
• LinkedIn: It still seems to me that people are afraid not to be on LinkedIn rather than finding it so great to be in it.
• Prezi: It's not just a trendy alternative to PowerPoint. I have had some students do some really excellent presentations with it.
• Feedly: With the demise of GoogleReader, I went to Feedly, and it's been fine.
• Diigo: I use it, and I like it, but it's hard getting my students to use it. It really is a great way to share links and information.
• Jing, Camtasia, Snagit...: I have a very old version of Camtasia that is still helpful, but for easy and free screen video capture, I have my students use Jing. For screen captures, a really outstanding free and open source program I highly recommend is Greenshot. It has a variety of capture options, a handy editor for quick annotating of the capture, and a variety of save and share options. If you've read this far, learning about Greenshot is the payoff!
• Voicethread: I keep suggesting that my students try it to illustrate a biblical narrative...
• Adobe Photoshop and other photography stuff: For the photographs I've taken in Israel/Jordan/Palestine/Turkey/Greece, I primarily use Lightroom. It's great. If I need to do more elaborate touchup, I use Photoshop Elements which is more than enough for me. For a free but still quite robust alternative that I regularly use for quick viewing and touchup, I use Faststone Image Viewer. For sharing photos online, I can use Lightroom to create an attractive viewer on my own server, or I send photos to SugarSync if I want to share and make them easily downloadable, or I send them to Flickr (which has really improved) or to my Google+ since it's so well connected with my smartphone.
• SurveyMonkey: A great way to make quick surveys for my classes. The seminary got a commercial license, and it is now what we use for all our course evaluations.
• Google Maps and Google Earth: I recently blogged about these and clicking on the links will bring you to the posts with exercises showing ways to use these resources for biblical geography.
• I mentioned it last year, and I'll mention it again. The really significant omission on the list is Zotero. I have come to use this nearly daily as a way to organize books, articles, PDFs, and web pages I come across. It's such an outstanding bibliographic tool. I did buy the Scanner for Zotero app for my smartphone, so I'm prepared for Society of Biblical Literature meeting this year. Zotero also allows for collaboration with the sharing of libraries, so it's one way I share my bibliographies with my students and allow them to add to it. (There are Zotero mobile apps for other platforms too.)
  
  

Accordance for Windows Released

Accordance Bible Software has just announced that Accordance for Windows is ready for release. From the announcement:

Today is a great day to be a PC user, because Accordance is now available natively on Windows! It’s true, after 20 years of history on Mac we are pleased to announce Accordance for Windows. The release version is Accordance 10.3 and it includes all of the new features that were simultaneously released today in Accordance 10.3 for Mac. You can learn about those new features on our New Features in 10.3 page.
All Accordance 10 collections include a universal license that covers up to five personal Mac, Windows, and iOS devices. So, if you are a pastor who uses a Mac at home and a Windows PC at the church, you only need one Accordance 10 license to cover both devices. This also means that if you already own an Accordance 10 collection for Mac, you can download Accordance 10 for Windows right now at no additional cost!
To learn more, be sure to check out our new Accordance for Windows page, where you'll find a new Windows video and an FAQ.

Google Earth Exercise for Biblical Geography

In the previous post, I provided an exercise for learning how to use Google Maps in the service of biblical geography. I've now prepared another exercise for learning how to use Google Earth. Google Maps has incorporated some features of Google Earth and vice versa, but there are features in Earth that remain unique and particularly helpful for biblical studies. 

If you are not familiar with Google Earth, this exercise provides a step-by-step introduction to it. If you are acquainted with it, the exercise highlights features related to biblical geography. In particular, I have pasted in section 7 of the exercise below which provides links to some of the most helpful addins (KMZ files) for biblical geography.

This exercise was composed simply based on my experiences with the program. I certainly may have overlooked something significant, so please share what you know in the comments.

HERE is the PDF exercise you can download.

Section 7 of the exercise: 

RESOURCES FOR BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY

Now that you have a general idea of how Google Earth works, how can we maximize its use for doing biblical geography? Here are files and links you will want to use that can be saved in the My Places panel on the left. 
(Note: Google Earth uses KMZ and KML to store location data. Clicking on the KMZ or KML links below. You cana open them in Google Earth, and they will appear in your Temporary Places at the bottom of the My Places panel. If you decide you want to save that collection, right click on it and “Save to My Places.” When you exit Google Earth, it will ask if you want to save the files that are in the Temporary Places.)

• Bible Places (ISBE) KMZ with info from ISBE and Easton Bible Dictionaries
• Note that the ISBE is from 1939 and Easton is from 1897. Use this dated information with discernment! (This file originated with the Bible Places group in the Google Earth Community, but I have corrected some errors and grouped sites alphabetically for easier navigation in Google Earth.)
• Complete list of Bible Place KMZ (from OpenBible.info; cf. below) with listing of every biblical mention and live links to the online ESV Bible
• Note that when you click on a Bible text, it will open a browser pane in Google Earth. You can open the window in your usual internet browser by clicking in the upper right corner [Open in ...]. To get back to the Earth view, click on “Back to Google Earth” at the upper left.
• Also available: KMZs arranged by biblical book and by chapter. Turn book or chapter layers on and off to see patterns across the Bible.
• Biblical Rivers and Bodies of Water KML (OpenBible.info)
• Jerusalem Overlays (OpenBible.info) Historical map overlays for Jerusalem
• Bible Mountains addins
• Sacred Destinations addins: Over 1000 sacred spots around the world
• Jerusalem Temple Overlays: Quite a few overlays and markers for spots at and around the Jerusalem Temple
• Sites of Jesus addin
• Google Earth and journeys of Paul
• Viewing Biblical Sites in Google Earth - Some helpful tips and a collection of links to KMZ files including Journeys of Paul (from Tim Schumacher)
• Paul's Missionary Journeys kmz file (get file HERE)
• Paul's first journey (annotated) kmz file
• Paul's second journey with locations in Athens kmz file
• Gerasa (by Stephen Langfur) is great example of using GoogleEarth to demonstrate city geometry

Google Maps Exercise for Biblical Geography

I'm teaching a survey course on the lands of the Bible. Google Maps is an outstanding (and free) resource for experiencing the lands virtually. To help those who are not fully familiar with the features in Google Maps, I composed a brief exercise to help students see what is possible, especially as it pertains to biblical geography. In the exercise, step by step directions are provided to:

• learn basic navigation skills in Google Maps
• use Map, Satellite, Earth, Terrain, and Street Views
• see Panaramio photos

HERE is the PDF file to use. If you have other good suggestions, let me know.

I have now posted another exercise for Google Earth.

SBL releases new SBL BibLit font!

I just received this excellent news from SBL. What this Unicode font does is combine the previously released SBL Hebrew and SBL Greek Unicode fonts and add transliteration characters. Click on the links to obtain the font.

The Society of Biblical Literature is pleased to announce the newest font in the SBL fonts series,  SBL BibLit.  This font contains Latin, Greek, and Hebrew characters, including the characters suitable for the transliteration of Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean languages. When combined with appropriate software keyboards, SBL BibLit allows for the use of one font for all biblical languages. This release is of a regular weight only; italic and bold weights will not be released at this time.
In addition to the release of the SBL BibLit font, SBL is also making available software keyboards for both Windows and Macintosh OS X operating systems that give easier access to the diacritics necessary for the transliteration of Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean languages. These keyboards, along with the font file and the previously-released SBL fonts, can be downloaded from the SBL website.

Instructions for their installation and use are also available in the updated Biblical Fonts FAQ,

including platform-specific instructions for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Macintosh OS X.
Joining SBL Hebrew and SBL Greek, SBL BibLit is the third font of the SBL font series. All of these fonts were commissioned by the Society of Biblical Literature to assist in the society's mission to foster biblical scholarship. John Hudson of Tiro Typeworks designed each font, ensuring that each one represented the cutting edge of font technology, maintained full Unicode compatibility, and that each would be as beneficial as possible to scholars in biblical studies and related disciplines. SBL is pleased to present this font as the final installment and the culmination of the initial font series.

The NET Bible iOS

The NET Bible is now available for free for iOS devices. (Click on the graphic above to get it from iTunes.)
As the description notes:

The NET Bible is a completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes! It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.

This App allows you to experience the translation and all of the notes for free in a visually friendly and intuitive way.

- Read the Bible like the book that it is, by swiping through its pages without worrying about chapter boundaries.
- Tap the current passage title to change passages.
- Learn and grow by reading the 60,932 translators’ notes and the associated Bible cross references in popups.
- Bookmark your favorite passages by tapping a verse number.
- Take notes that are tied to verses, or just a date.
- Sync your notes and bookmarks with net.bible.org and other iOS devices running this App.
- See an indication of your notes when reading the text.
- Search the bible using our fuzzy search that doesn't require you to know all of the words or even the translation it came from.
- Share verses via Twitter, Facebook, Email, and Messaging by tapping a verse number.
- Choose books by using a grid, canonical list, or alphabetical list of books.
- Two-finger swipe left/right to navigate your history during sermons and Bible studies.
- Change the font and size of the text.

I believe there are plans to get it on Android devices at some point. In the meantime, anyone whose device has an internet browser can get the full text and all those notes by going to net.bible.org. That site works well on my Android smartphone, but you cannot necessarily get the full NET Bible Environment experience, and it can be pretty flaky depending on the browser you use (Dolphin, Chrome, IE, etc.)

Bible.Is and Bible App for American Sign Language

Bible.Is is another online Bible web site. It doesn't have any ancient Hebrew or Greek, but it does have over 700 modern language versions which are available in some combination of Old and/or New Testament in audio and/or text versions. Among English versions, there is the ESV and KJV (both full Bible, audio and text), NRSV (audio for OT and NT), World English Bible (text for OT and NT), and English Version for the Deaf (text, naturally, for OT and NT).

Nothing particularly remarkable about the site beyond basic search functionality, but the inclusion of the English Version for the Deaf points to a more notable offering, the Deaf Bible.Is ASL App available for free from iTunes, GooglePlay, and Amazon Appstore.

Experience the Bible like never before! The first translation of God’s Word in American Sign Language (ASL) is now available in an interactive, easy to use, Bible app, featuring skilled deaf signers in sharp, close-up, color video. Immerse yourself in a complete Bible experience – interacting in rich Bible content accessible in video and TEXT! [It also includes] 61 "Jesus" film segments in ASL.

Glad to see something like this is available. Check it out.

HT: ChurchCrunch

BibleMap App

Introducing the BibleMap App…a Must Have for Everyday Bible Study | Parchment and Pen
Only available for iOS for now but promised for Android in the fall. Looks interesting and only 99cents at iTunes.
If you are working on the web, be sure to check out Bible Geocoding at OpenBible.info.

Tyndale Launches Online STEP Bible Study Resource

Tyndale House Cambridge Launches Beta-version of Scripture Tools for Every Person (STEP), a new free Bible study resource

Tyndale just released their STEP online Bible resource. From their announcement:

Today the STEP development team of Tyndale House Cambridge launched the Beta-test version of a new free Bible study resource at www.StepBible.org.

STEP software is designed especially for teachers and preachers who don’t have access to resources such as Tyndale House Library, which specialises in the biblical text, interpretation, languages and biblical historical background and is a leading research institution for Biblical Studies.

The web-based program, which will soon also be downloadable for PCs and Macs, will aid users who lack resources, or who have to rely only on smartphones or outmoded computers.

Be sure to read the announcement page for more info about this project and how it developed. You will see that this is a product of many volunteers and contributors, and the primary focus is to make it downloadable for persons in the Majority World. "Ten language interfaces are available and another 83 are ready for volunteers to work on."
Here are some of my initial impressions of this online beta version.

TEXTS:
Ancient texts available include:

• Hebrew: Leningrad, Aleppo - All have vocabulary encoded and some have extra grammatical coding and interlinear capability.
• Samaritan Pentateuch: with Hebrew MT, with MT & DSS, with DSS, (and in KJV English)
• LXX Greek: Orthodox LXX, Rahlf's LXX (and Brenton's English)
• NT Greek: Orthodox NT, Byzantine, Elzevir TR, TR, Tregelles, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort w/ NA & UBS variants
• Syriac NT Peshitta: in Syriac and with Etheridge and Murdoch English translations
• Latin: Jerome's Vulgate, Sixti, Clementine, (and Douay-Rheims English)

Modern texts include a wide variety of non-English versions, but among the English versions are: AKJV, ASV, BBE, ESV, JPS (OT), KJV with Apocrypha, Lexham, Tyndale, WEB, and Young's. Of these, the KJV and ESV are most useful because they are capable of the 'sympathetic' highlighting of Greek or Hebrew, and the KJV additionally has grammatical information for every word.

DISPLAY: It took me a while to figure out how to manage the display features. I ended up choosing a two-panel display and keeping the right in sync with the left. (The sync did not work well for me.) With most panes, you also have the option of choosing a Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced view. You can set up a display like I have pictured above. Note the capability of sympathetic highlighting. Clicking on a word in any language will popup original language information on that word. With the Advanced view option, you can set up text to be viewed as interlinear or interleaved. Cf. the graphic below. Note that hovering your mouse over a highlighted chapter:verse reference will pop up vocabulary data for every word in that verse. Using the Advanced option for that popup will not only give the basic Strong's information but also include LSJ data as well. With the KJV, you can also enable grammatical coding. I could not figure out its coloring scheme, but there is full English grammatical analysis of every word provided.
Pointed Hebrew and marked Greek did display nicely, but the text critical marks of the SBLGNT did not show up correctly.
Navigation to texts and selection of options is intuitive, but a bit clunky. (E.g., you can type a passage reference to get there directly, but using the dropdown boxes takes some clicking and scrolling.)
I did try viewing the web page on a smartphone browser, but it was a frustrating experience. The menu bars and center column take up quite a bit of screen room leaving little space for the text.

SEARCH: Searches can be conducted from the text (click on a word and in the popup, you have the option of searching for the same word or all related words) or from a search pane. You can conduct your usual passage, text, or subject searches, but you can also conduct Greek/Hebrew searches using Unicode. Doing a Greek search, you can choose to search multiple versions, so that means you can search the LXX and Greek NT simultaneously. I was getting inconsistent results determining whether the search ignores diacritical marks. There are no diacriticals in the LXX or BYZ versions (so no problems), but STEP can sometimes search the SBLGNT--which does have diacritical marks--using unmarked Unicode Greek entries. With the Text Search, you cannot search for Greek lemmas, so it helps to use an asterisk wild character to get results. The Advanced Text Search in Advanced mode allows for English double queries with something like a 'fuzzy' search capability. (E.g., a search for "Include spellings similar to run" returns hits with run, sun, ran, runs, Nun... Perhaps the most interesting and useful capability is the Original Word Search. You can search for "words meaning" and start typing an English word. A drop down list of Greek and Hebrew words will appear, and you can choose from the list or choose all. Note my example of a search for "test" and the Hebrew/Greek results it displays. The results can be grouped by Scripture order, lemma, or original spelling. Very nice! (Note that all of this searching capability seems to be enabled by use of Strong's numbers and definitions.)

SUMMARY: There are still some beta-version issues to be worked out, but this is a useful web resource. I found the display to be a bit cumbersome, but it has some nice features to display multiple versions and languages. One of the best features is the ability to do an original language word search from the English and discover all sorts of related words. It's great that this is available online, but remember that it is intended to be a downloadable resource, especially for those in the Majority World who might not be able to afford or have access to a major software program. For now, STEP is mostly restricted to biblical texts with no associated resources other than lexical and grammatical info. For an online Bible resource, I still think that the NET Bible Study Environment offers a better selection of texts, especially the NET Bible with all its notes. The interface is a bit cleaner and does not use popup windows. There are many more 'social' options on the NET Bible site, but it doesn't have the search capabilities of the STEP Bible site.