Verbum 9 Tip 8aj: Faceted interactives: Manuscript Explorers

MJ. Smith

Docx files for personal book: Verbum 9 part 1; Verbum 9 part 2; Verbum 9 part 3; Verbum 9 part 4; Verbum 9 part 5; Verbum 9 part 6; How to use the Verbum Lectionary and Missal; Verbum 8 tips 1-30; Verbum 8 tips 31-49

Reading lists: Catholic Bible Interpretation

Please be generous with your additional details, corrections, suggestions, and other feedback. This is being built in a .docx file for a PBB which will be shared periodically.

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Manuscript explorers

Verbum offers reference data on three Bible manuscript types:

• Hebrew Bible documented internally in Brannan, Rick, ed. Hebrew Bible Manuscript Explorer. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2015.
• Greek New Testament documented internnally in Brannan, Rick, ed. New Testament Manuscript Explorer. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2015.
• Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) documented internally in Brannan, Rick, ed. Septuagint Manuscript Explorer. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2015.

Notably missing are:

• Syriac Bible (primarily the Peshitta)
• Latin Bible (Vetus Latina and Vulgate)

For most of us, the primary purpose of these interactives is to provide basic information about a manuscript referenced in a commentary or academic work.  The data usually drills down to links to web sites with images of the texts. These links range from wikimedia commons to academic research sites. Note that a title is marked as locked on two conditions:

1. The resource is not owned
2. The resource is owned but not downloaded on this device

In all cases the facets may be shown either by count as is traditional or alphabetically as is required when there is no search function.

Note the tag “available in Logos” which implies either a facsimile or a transcription is available in the Faithlife catalogue.

Hebrew Bible manuscript explorer

 

Facets:	Data columns:
Contents Group Date Language Script Tags Holding institutions	Lock status Title Contents Date Group
	Data expansion:
	Language Contents Online manuscript Holding institutions

Note that the link for online manuscript takes one to Wikimedia commons which again has links not only to high resolution images but also to a transcription project.

This contrasts to the Nash papyrus at the University of Cambridge site which is oriented towards scholars – obtaining rights to the document contents, standardized input formats for academic tools . . .

The holding institution for the Aleppo Codex lacks a live link. For the Nash papyrus, the link is to the Cambridge University Library.

New Testament manuscript explorer

This manuscript explorer is tied closely to the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, making it a bit more cohesive than the Hebrew Bible Manuscript explorer.

 

Facets:	Data columns:
Type Contents Textual categories Date NTVMR coverage Language Tags Holding institutions	Lock status Title Type Contents Date Language Textual categories
	Data expansion:
	Gregory-Aland identifier Contents NTVMR coverage NTVMR manuscript Dimensions Leaves Columns Lines Holding institutions

NTVMR is the virtual manuscript reading room.

In this case, the manuscript link opens an academic site that requests a login.

The holding institution takes one to the museum site.

Septuagint manuscript explorer

 

Facets:	Data columns:
Contents Rahlfs group Date Language Tags Holding institutions	Title Contents Date Rahlfs group
	Data expansion:
	Rahlfs number Language Contents Holding institutions

 Here the holding institution link is to the Vatican Apostolic Library which has been making a push to digitalize their manuscripts. There is no explicit manuscript link in the interactive.

In short, these interactives offer basic information with portals (links) into a wide variety of site which the user must learn to navigate on their own. Verbum does not offer a list of all the sites much less train to train you in their vocabulary and features.