Biblical Resources
By Genelle Austin-Lett
Categories: The Bible Question
I belong to a Bible study group. I'm always looking for new ways to expand my knowledge. What other Bible Internet resources are available?
BJM, St. Louis, MO
Answer
There is so much available that it's hard to know where to begin. Since you are interested in Bible study, I'd recommend the following annotated sites as a place to start:
What the Bible Says About… http://wbsa.logos.com
This is a simple site with ready access to a one-word search. Type in "Jesus," and you get 106 possibilities that connect you to www.biblegateway.com where you can read from over 20 different translations of that verse.
Bible Gateway – www.biblegateway.com
BibleGateway.com is a free service for reading and researching Scripture online--all in the language or translation of your choice! They provide advanced tools you can use to search the Bible by keywords or verse, as well as other tools to enhance your study of the Bible. They provide tutorials on how to use the site as well as resources including: find answers to frequently-asked questions; learn how to read and study the Bible.
On-line Collection of Bibles and Biblical Resources – www.bibles.net
From this website, you can: read the entire Bible in many different translations; locate any verse with an online concordance search; look up scripture cross-references & commentaries; access the original Greek or Hebrew for any verse; compare King James & Revised Versions side-by-side; learn about the fascinating history of the English Bible; download the complete text of several Bibles via FTP; review the classic writings of historic Christianity; hear any passage of God's word read aloud with real audio.
Biblical Archaeology Society – www.bib-arch.org
BAS educates the public about archaeology and the Bible through magazines, books, visual materials, and seminars. Readers rely on BAS for the latest that scholarship has to offer in a fair and accessible manner. BAS's most widely recognized publication is Biblical Archaeology Review. BAR presents the latest discoveries and controversies in archaeology with breathtaking photography and informative maps and diagrams. BAR is the only nonsectarian forum for the discussion of Biblical archaeology. [one of the editor's favorites]
Blue Letter Bible – www.blueletterbible.org
Their mission is to facilitate in-depth study of God's Word through an on-line interactive reference library that is continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith.
The Bible Workbench – www.bibleworkbench.com
A Bible-centered resource designed to help individuals or participants in a group understand the meaning of their own experiences rather than simply offering facts and opinions about the text from a teacher. The group first explores what is going on in the text, then shifts its focus to how this story is happening in the world, and finally questions how the story is an event in our lives. Registration required.
The Five Gospels Parallel – www.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis/
This HTML presentation of the Five Gospels (including Thomas) is designed to be a teaching tool for introductory level classes in New Testament and Christian Origins. Its advantage is that it allows more "play" than a printed synopsis and that it presents the materials in the same order as the canonical Gospels. Moreover, it offers texts that are not commonly included.
Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center – [www.abmc.org]
ABMC serves as an archive for accurate copies of original source materials of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. The mission of ABMC is two-fold: preservation and research. ABMC seeks to foster the use of original source materials by researchers engaged in the study of the Biblical text and the preparation of critically responsible texts of the Bible for use in universities, colleges, seminaries, synagogues, and churches, and for reliable translations. They offer access to the film collections both on-site and through Inter Library Loan (ILL).
Andover-Harvard Theological Library [www.hds.harvard.edu/library/search/]
The library serves as a source of materials on religion for the entire Harvard University community, and for researchers and laypeople throughout the world--especially those interested in the Unitarian and Universalist heritage--who have a scholarly need to consult the collections. AHTL boasts a 14 million volume catalog of books and articles. Example: Type in Sermon on the Mount in the search box and get 558 entries of books and articles. Of course, in many cases, you have to secure the books on your own. Yet, if you go into "Research Assistance" you will find on-line documents as well as "Ask the Librarian" for additional support. [another editor's favorite]
Nag Hammadi Library – http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html
The texts discovered at Nag Hammadi available in the Gnostic Society Library are indexed in alphabetical order and by their location in the original codices. A subject categorized list of the writings is also given below. You may also search the entire collection of texts for keywords or phrases using the search form. They also have a special collection of resources about the Gospel of Thomas. [another favorite]
Dead Sea Scrolls – www.ibiblio.org/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/intro.html The exhibition Scrolls From the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship brings before the American people a selection from the scrolls, which have been the subject of intense public interest. Over the years, questions have been raised about the scrolls' authenticity, about the people who hid them away, the period in which they lived, the secrets the scrolls reveal, and the intentions of the scrolls' custodians in restricting access. The Library's exhibition describes the historical context of the scrolls and the Qumran community from whence they may have originated; it also relates the story of their discovery 2,000 years later. In addition, the exhibition encourages a better understanding of the challenges and complexities connected with scroll research. [another favorite] The exhibition is divided into five sections:
Duke Papyrus Archive - http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/papyrus/
The Duke Papyrus Archive provides electronic access to texts and images of nearly 1400 papyri from ancient Egypt. The target audience includes: papyrologists, ancient historians, archaeologists, biblical scholars, and classicists.
Early Christian Writings - http://earlychristianwritings.com/
Early Christian Writings is the most complete collection of documents from the first two centuries with translations and commentary. Includes the New Testament, Apocrypha, Gnostics, and Church Fathers.
ECanon Online Search Engine for Canonical Texts - http://rosetta.reltech.org/ECanon/ECanon.html
The ECanon is designed to be a free online tool for scholars, students, clergy, and other interested people. It is a database of canonical texts, currently containing various versions of the Bible.
Noohra Foundation - http://www.noohra.com/
The Noohra Foundation presents direct modern English translations of ancient Aramaic biblical texts with their rich, sociological Semitic customs and traditions. This research work clarifies obscure and misunderstood scriptural passages. It further strengthens an affirmative image of God, humanity, the world and the universe. This teaching is not restricted to any particular denominational Biblical interpretation. It provides a broader understanding of Scripture and a practical application for modern living. The Aramaic approach is direct and uncomplicated.
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