Technology has revolutionized the study of the Bible. With a click of the mouse, it is now possible to perform complex grammatical searches of the Scriptures or just find that verse you are trying to remember. Rather than needing a room to store your research library, it can now be contained on a handful of CD-ROMs or DVDs. The long-restricted Dead Sea Scrolls (or NT papyri) can now be viewed and studied at home on your personal computer. Imaging software like Adobe Photoshop can even be used to discern ancient Hebrew letters on a scroll that cannot be seen with the naked eye, or propose a plausible reconstruction of scroll fragments (see my Proposed Reconstruction of 1Q12 for an illustration of what can be done). The technological advancements are truly amazing — even more so when you realize the speed at which they were made!

While it is not possible to be exhaustive, in these pages I will highlight some of the best software for biblical studies. I will focus on two major areas:

• Search & Retrieval Software for Biblical Studies. This section highlights some of the major software packages for biblical studies, i.e., the actual search engines or electronic text retrieval software that make it possible to access the growing number of electronic texts available. Currently, this section profiles programs such as Accordance, Logos, BibleWorks, Pradis, and Gramcord.
• Electronic Texts & Resources for Biblical Studies. This section will highlight some of the electronic texts available for different software programs (or as stand-alone programs), including major commentary packages, theological dictionaries, and lexicons.

I have also made it easy for you to purchase some of the resources I recommend by providing links to Amazon.ca (for fellow Canadians) and Amazon.com (for others).

I hope you find these resources useful.

Shalom!