Verse Tagging in OT/NT Manuscript Images

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

I was reading up a little on BibleWorks to see if it would be a tool I'd be interested in adding to my toolbox alongside Accordance and Logos. While BibleWorks looks interesting, I'm not sure if I really want to invest the funds in a separate program, plus invest the time in learning another program (and BibleWorks runs on WINE so it's not a "real" Mac app).

 

Also, about 99% of what I'd do in BibleWorks, I already have in Accordance or could easily purchase in Accordance (I have BHS/Apparatus, BHQ, NA28/Apparatus, NA27/Apparatus, UBS5/Apparatus, UBS4/Apparatus, CNTTS Apparatus, etc). I also have all the English and foreign texts I use already in Accordance, plus you can't beat Accordance for its interactive atlas and PhotoGuide.

 

I also have the Leningrad Codex manuscript images in Accordance. All I don't own that I'd use in BibleWorks are the NT manuscript transcriptions and the NT manuscript images. I'd likely be better off saving my money and investing it in those few Accordance modules or in an Accordance bundle that offers them.

 

The only feature of BibleWorks that would be super-handy to me is that BibleWorks adds verse tagging as an overlay to manuscript images. When I use the Leningrad Codex manuscript images in Accordance, sometimes I have issues figuring out the verse boundaries on my own, and the verse tagging overlay similar to what is done in BibleWorks would be super-handy when viewing these manuscript images.

 

Is it possible that Accordance could eventually update the manuscript modules to offer a similar feature to the OT and NT manuscript images (plus it could be configurable so it could be enabled or disabled for those who didn't want it)? If Accordance offered a feature in the future, it would make my use of the Leningrad Codex manuscript images better (plus it would allow me to keep all my biblical language studies in Accordance).

 

Thanks!

[Λύχνις Δαν]

This has been suggested before and I think it would be a good addition but I suspect there's a fair amount of work in it

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

It would require a great deal of work, and one I'd be willing to both patiently wait for and pay a generous upgrade fee to the manuscript images modules for it.

[Λύχνις Δαν]

Crowdsource for discount ? But even so a bunch of work

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

I purchased the Greek Manuscript images Monday and the transcriptions due to the sale. While my request on verse tagging would still be a nice plus, I'll have to say after spending quality time with the images over the past couple of days, I'm still able to study well with the images even without the verse tagging. I generally put the transcriptions in a parallel pane and look over the transcriptions first, then go to the images. The transcriptions show the verse tagging plus outline the columns of text on the pages of the images, so once I've looked over the transcriptions, I'll then go to the images and zero in on where I need to look. It's working well, and I can see the major benefit of consulting the transcriptions and images in my studies.

 

In terms of the Leningrad Codex for Hebrew, I'm getting better at reading the text in the images, as well as discerning the verse boundaries in the images. Verse tagging would be nice, but I'm getting better at reading the images as is, which feels great.

 

One thing that has helped is using Accordance on a 27" Retina iMac Pro. I can zoom into the manuscripts and crisply and in a detailed manner read the images.

[Rick Bennett]

Yes, it would be a nice feature to have the Leningrad images indexed by individual verse reference, etc. But, it is a huge amount of work that would require individual attention (i.e. no feasible programmatic way). We've discussed some of the technicalities of this, but as of yet have not made a decision to invest in it.

 

For what it's worth, BW's New Testament manuscripts collection is apart of a project / cooperation with Kent Clarke at TWU. 

[Michel Gilbert]

I already read through BHS once or twice a year. I could just substitute the manuscript for one of my passes and tag it for others as I do. So if you ever decide to go ahead with the project, feel free to contact me for part or all of it.

 

Regards,

 

Michel