I was looking at this resource and It is in Hebrew. Can someone give me insight how to use this if you don't know how to read Hebrew? Is this for someone who can read Hebrew or is this used in some research cross-reference way??
Qumran Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls Database is 260 resources: 1 English logosres:dssindex;art=title that has Bible Reference Index to 6 Greek resources and 253 Hebrew resources.
Dead Sea Scroll resources are morphologically tagged so mouse hover shows grammatical usage and a literal english translation. Also can right click on word => click lemma => click Bible Word Study - ring shows some range of lemma meaning.
Caution: morphological tagging does not provide Hebrew word range of meaning insight. George Somsel offers interlinear insight => http://community.logos.com/forums/p/30758/227880.aspx#227880
Dead Sea Scrolls are useful for textual comparison and criticism.
Keep Smiling [:)]
Well, first off, the Dead Sea Scrolls would give you excellent motivation to learn hebrew! Essentially you're looking at what Jesus looked at (same general time period).
But without learning hebrew, your DSS is still quite useful. Normally you want to look at them, when in your Bible, a bottom note (apparatus) in the OT indicates 'DSS' or similar. When they do that, a difference is sufficiently significant to warrant letting the reader know. So if you're use a reverse interlinear like the ESV in english, you can go to the DSS index that you just received, type the respective verse (or link to the ESV). And then review the actual fragments. You just move your mouse over the hebrew and watch the english, finding the difference.
Then if you also have the Septuagent (LXX: greek OT), and you find differences with the hebrew version (again often highlighted by Bible notes), you can quickly go to your DSS and see how it 'votes' on the difference.
But learning a little hebrew would be well worth your time; the language itself is not that complicated.
Do you use this database only as research tool? Am I correct to presume this is not used to read, but used to look up original text?
Yes, this is just a database of scroll transcriptions. Since the scrolls are ancient most/all of them have gaps or reconstructed words (letters illegible, scholars guessing what was originally written).
If you're looking for translations for just reading I suggest this prepub.
http://www.logos.com/product/8933/dead-sea-scrolls-bible
If you're interested in reading the non-Biblical writings from Qumran then you would want this
http://www.logos.com/product/8868/the-dead-sea-scrolls-a-new-translation
(The scroll transcriptions behind that would be this: http://www.logos.com/product/4242/qumran-sectarian-manuscripts )
Michael ... I guess the answer is relative to your word 'research'. Last Sunday, our pastor went into some of the bases for why passages in the OT were viewed as 'messianic'. And to do that, it was unavoidable to explain some of the hebrew words, and their syntax (morph-tags in Logos). After services, we had a luncheon for an older member, and at the table, he apologized for the sermon. Everyone laughed, but it illustrated that probably most folks prefer less 'nitty-gritty', while others won't be satisfied unless they 'see it'.
The Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts speak to folks that want to 'see it' ... you don't have to imagine the manuscripts somewhere in Israel or for the NT, some sort of llibrary or museum. So, yes .... they're good for research, especially since they're indexed and Logos allows easy comparison. But they're also good for the type of Logos user that enjoys the 'nitty gritty'.
The other thing is that after you get your feet wet with hebrew or greek, almost inevitably you'll find yourself wanting to use your new knowledge with 'the originals'.
