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Bible Resources: Internet Sites

The purpose of this guide is to point the way to information sources about the Bible. Last updated 05-23-2023

Internet Sites

Listed alphabetically.  For translations/versions of the Bible online, see the Translations/Versions section of this guide.  For online maps, see the Atlases section of this guide.

Biblical Studies on the Internet, Second Edition  Main BS 600.3 .W67 2008 might be helpful.

Agape

Maps the reception of the Greek Church Fathers in print throughout early modern Europe.  Records any edition of Greek patristic works printed in Europe from 1465-1600 in the original language, as well as in Latin and vernacular translations.  Links each work to the ID of the Clavis Patrum Graecorum (CPG), the standard authority in the field, also thoroughly describes all contents (text as well as paratext), relying on analysis of at least one copy of each edition.  Provides access to all editions printed in the 15th c. (Jan., 2023, c. 310).  Data related to 16th c. will be done by decade.  Search by keyword in all text, author, title, work, work reference, printer/publisher, year, place, country, format, language, translator, editor, author of paratext, dedicatee/addressee, type of paratext, bibliographic reference, authority file, remarks. 

America's Public Bible

Historian Lincoln Mullen, George Mason University, created this website to illuminate the role of the Bible in the American press and popular culture in 19th and early 20th centuries.  Identifies the 1700 most commonly quoted verses in newspapers held by Library of Congress.  And more. 

ATLA Digital Library

The Atla Digital Library brings together in a singular, searchable platform digitized collections from libraries, religious institutions, and other organizations worldwide who collect and preserve texts, records, maps, photographs, recordings, and other materials. The items found in the Atla Digital Library are of importance to those with an interest in researching, studying, teaching, and otherwise searching for historical and archival content in religion and theology.  Items found within the Digital Library are intended to be used for noncommercial educational and research purposes. Partner institutions, as a condition of participating in the Digital Library, have sole responsibility to ensure that the items they contribute to the Digital Library are either free of any copyright or other restrictions that would prohibit their display or that they have secured necessary permissions from copyright holders to digitize and display the contributed items.

BAS Library

BAS Library, from the Biblical Archaeology Society, contains full text access to all issues, back to 1975, of the periodical Biblical Archaeology Review Main/PRR BS 620 .A1 B52. This periodical covers both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and presents the latest discoveries and controversies in Biblical archaeology visually, with maps and diagrams, in articles by top scholars, leading researchers, and world-renowned experts in this field, in a nonsectarian way. The database also offers links to videos, all content from Archaeology Odyssey, 1998-2006, all content from Bible Review, 1985-2005, links to books the BAS publishes jointly with the Smithsonian Institution, and links to additional articles chosen by the BAS staff. This is more content than offered via ProQuest, http://magic.msu.edu/record=b4899377.  MSU Libraries now offers this as a database here: http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=https://www.baslibrary.org/

Bible Gateway

A tool for reading and researching scripture online. 56 searchable Bible texts, 12 audio Bibles, 13 e-books. 16 translations. 29 languages. Search by passage or keyword. Advanced search mode allows for limiting searches by a particular resource (e.g. Books of Moses), accessing a list of books of the Bible by version, and limiting the number of searches displayed on a page. Also includes Bible commentaries and studies, devotionals, lexicons, and dictionaries.

Bible Odyssey

A project from the National Endowment of the Humanities and the Society of Biblical Literature, Bible Odyssey is designed to help the general public examine and understand the Christian Bible. Site visitors can examine a variety of biblical topics through three different tabs: People, Places, and Passages.  Short essays examine the textual origins and post-biblical sources that have shaped common understandings. These essays are accompanied by historic art (much of which is accompanied by additional essays that provide context and insight into these pieces), short videos of scholar talks (many of which address issues of translation); and links to related articles. Also offers capacity to search the complete text of three Bible versions: the New Revised Standard Version, the Contemporary English Version, and the Kings James Version. Corresponding passages may then be compared across these three versions.

BibleStudyTools.com

Find here links to 16 commonly used English language Bible versions, plus some older translations and some versions in major European languages.  Also has links to reference works.

Biblical Art on the WWW

The aim of this site is to provide a helpful assistant in the search for biblical art on the Internet. The main content of the present version of the site is a database accompanied by a collection of thumbnail pictures. The author of the site, Rolf Staerk is a Norwegian theologian and schoolteacher, born 1967, and member of the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway. The database and the asp-files are made by his wife. He is building the database scanning sites hosting images of biblical artwork, registering each work with title, artist(s), time of execution, technique/material, and location (the last three only if available; normally no location for prints, like etchings, woodcuts etc.). When registering an artwork found on the Internet, he usually enters the information given by the host without further investigations. This means that his base may have errors not originating from him. So, he disclaims responsibility for this kind of errors. The core of the database is an updated edition of the chronological division mentioned above. All artworks are connected to one or several subjects, and to comprise all works in some way related to the Bible, the subject list includes portraits, and even non-biblical incidents and situations where biblical characters play a role. Search by artist also. Finally, the database normally contains links to the registered artworks.

Blue Letter Bible

Contains 14 searchable versions of the Holy Bible, an encyclopedia, a dictionary, 23 text-based commentaries, and 30 audio/visual commentaries. Also charts, outlines, timelines, maps, four streaming audio versions and over 2,700 hymns (lyrics shown with link to a MIDI file to play music). Compare passages in different versions. From the website: ''Our mission is to facilitate in-depth study of God's Word through an on-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith. We desire to operate the Blue Letter Bible as a ministry. This is a zero revenue project. There will be no charge for any services, nor are there any banner ads on the website to generate revenue. Development and programming labor, hardware and webspace have been provided by our sponsor, Sowing Circle, a non-profit Bible-centered ministry committed to serving Jesus Christ.'' This website is one of the 2009 ''Best Free Reference Websites'' described in Reference and User Services Quarterly, 49#1, pp. 43-48.

Christian Classics Ethereal Library

From Calvin College. Contains these Bible versions:  American Standard, English Standard, King James, New International, Darby Translation, World English, Young’s Literal Translation, SBL Greek New Testament.  Contains these commentaries:  John Calvin’s, Matthew Henry’s, and Jamieson, Fausset, Brown.

Codex Sinaiticus

Extracts from the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete copy of the New Testament, whose ownership has been fought over by four countries (Britain, Russia, Egypt, and Germany), are being brought together by the British Library online. The British Library owns 347 pages, while other portions of text are housed in libraries in Leipzig, St. Petersburg, and at the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt. The whole Codex, which has been divided since 1844, will become available online. In 2008, the Book of Psalms and Gospel of Mark, along with translations, may be viewed.

Dead Sea Scrolls Online

Written between the third and first centuries BCE, the Dead Sea Scrolls include the oldest known biblical manuscripts in existence. In 68 BCE, they were hidden in 11 caves in the Judean desert on the shores of the Dead Sea to protect them from the approaching Roman armies. They weren’t discovered again until 1947, when a Bedouin shepherd threw a rock in a cave and realized something was inside. Since 1965, the scrolls have been on exhibit at the Shrine of the Book at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Among other topics, the scrolls offer critical insights into life and religion in ancient Jerusalem, including the birth of Christianity. Now, anyone around the world can view, read and interact with five digitized Dead Sea Scrolls. The high resolution photographs, taken by Ardon Bar-Hama, are up to 1,200 megapixels, almost 200 times more than the average consumer camera, so viewers can see even the most minute details in the parchment. For example, zoom in on the Temple Scroll to get a feel for the animal skin it's written on—only one-tenth of a millimeter thick.

Digital Orientalist

Link goes to Biblical Studies: Material Culture Online and in the Classroom.  This article offers suggestions of websites where material culture information relative to Biblical studies can be found and how to cite things. Other sections of the site offer links to material on ancient Near East studies, DH in practice, Biblical Studies, Online Resources, and Teaching.  Site author is Jonathan Robker, PhD., faculty, University of Munster, Old Testament Studies.

From Jesus to Christ: the First Christians

An intellectual and visual guide to the new and controversial historical evidence which challenges familiar assumptions about the life of Jesus and the epic rise of Christianity.For an overview of the series read the Synopsis. It includes links to some of the stories and material on this web site which expand the narrative.This site is anchored by the testimony of New Testament theologians, archaeologists and historians who serve as both critics and storytellers. They address dozens of key issues, disagreements and critical problems relating to Jesus' life and the evolution of Christianity.

GEMMS Gateway to Early Modern Manuscript Sermons' Project

Being developed at the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.  Available independently here, or also as a free resource in the ITER database.  It is " an open-access, group-sourced, comprehensive, fully searchable, online bibliographic database of early modern sermon manuscripts from the British Isles and North America."

Giant Bible of Mainz

Digital version from Library of Congress. One of the last great handwritten giant Bibles in Europe. It represents the culmination of hundreds of years of transmission of text through the handwritten manuscript. The Giant Bible is composed of 459 vellum skin leaves, each measuring 22 x 16 inches.

Internet Bible Catalog

This is a catalog of printed editions of the Bible, primarily focussing on English language translations, but it has many entries for Bibles in the original languages and non-English versions.  Sections: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles.  Bibles in English.  Sample verses.  Bibles in English dialects, slangs, pidgins.  Bibles in other modern languages.  Bibles containing multiple translations.  Biblical books not usually considered canonical.  Catalogs and bibliographies.  Also see the Bible Reader's Museum, which is dedicated to making historical and current Bibles available online.

Internet Sacred Text Archive

Nonprofit, privately maintained archive of religious texts not affiliated with any religious organization or institution.  Includes full texts of works from/about/on Ancient Near East, Judaism, Islam, Bible, Ancient Egypt, etc. in the public domain, in English translation and, where possible, in the original language.

Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library

"The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) is very proud to present the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library, a free online digitized virtual library of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Hundreds of manuscripts made up of thousands of fragments -- discovered from 1947 and until the early 1960's in the Judean Desert along the western shore of the Dead Sea -- are now available to the public online. The high resolution images are extremely detailed and can be accessed through various search options on the site.".

NetBible.org

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. Turn the pages and see the breadth of the translators’ notes, documenting their decisions and choices as they worked. The translators’ notes make the original languages far more accessible, allowing you to look over the translator’s shoulder at the very process of translation. This level of documentation is a first for a Bible translation, making transparent the textual basis and the rationale for key renderings (including major interpretive options and alternative translations). This unparalleled level of detail helps connect people to the Bible in the original languages in a way never before possible without years of study of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It unlocks the riches of the Bible’s truth from entirely new perspectives.

New Testament Gateway

From University of Birmingham, England. "...provides a plethora of Web information about the New Testament and its background." It is called New Testament Gateway because it provides avenues into other web sites which have the documents: Greek New Testament, Bible translations, Gospels and Acts, Paul the Apostle, Hebrews to Jude, Book of Revelation, Ancient World, Historical Jesus, Women and Gender, Art and Images, Jesus in Film, etc.

Oxford Bibliographies Online: Biblical Studies

Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies Online offers exclusive, authoritative research guides. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource guides researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.  This is a subscription resource available to M.S.U. community.

Religion Online

From Yale University Divinity School. A growing digital library of over 1,500 English language Western Christian theological classics and contemporary works, including essays, monographs, chapters, and speeches. Does not cover Eastern Orthodoxy Be careful in using these web documents for class work; many are partial, taken from works published in periodical articles, etc. as noted at the beginning of the texts.  Upon entry, there is a section “The Bible” at top left, with sections on Authority, Old Testament, New Testament, and Bible Commentary.

Religious Studies Web Guide

Created by two people at University of Calgary and Library of Congress.  Biblical Studies is a section in the part of this guide called "Resources Organized by Religious Group/Selected Topics." The part called "Resources Arranged by Format" has links to sacred texts, reference works, etc.

Theopedia, an Encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity

Theopedia is a growing online evangelical encyclopedia of biblical Christianity, a network of interconnected pages.  The goals are to centralize the efforts of thousands of Christians into a free, comprehensive encyclopedia on biblical Christianity for the benefit of God's people around the world, to promote sound theology, to build Christian community, and to promote the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Vatican Library

Site is beginning to offer digital versions of manuscripts.  Has links to its online catalogue, manuscripts, printed books, archives, incunabula, prints and drawings, coins and medals, and general catalogue.  Over 4,000 ancient mss digitized.

Virtual Religion Index—Biblical Studies

Contains various online versions of the Bible as well as links to other primary and secondary sources about Jewish and Christian scriptures.

Visual Commentary on Scripture

VCS "is a freely accessible online publication that provides theological commentary on the Bible in dialogue with works of art. It helps its users to (re)discover the Bible in new ways through the illuminating interaction of artworks, scriptural texts, and commissioned commentaries. The VCS combines three academic disciplines: theology, art history, and biblical scholarship. While the project’s main commitment is to theology, it is responsibly informed by the latter two disciplines. Each section of the VCS is a virtual exhibition comprising a biblical passage, three art works, and their associated commentaries. The curators of each exhibition select artworks that they consider will open up the biblical texts for interpretation, and/or offer new perspectives on themes the texts address. The commentaries explain and interpret the relationships between the works of art and the scriptural text."

Wabash Center: Guide to Internet Resources for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion

The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion of Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, presents a collection of Internet resources for those interested in the study and practice of religion. The collection offers access to electronic publications, syllabi, bibliographies, discussion groups, liturgies, and more.

Yale Divinity School Library's Biblical Studies Guide

Goal is to direct you to the best databases, reference tools, and online resources for Biblical Studies. For additional Biblical studies web sites see their Internet Sites section.