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The Dead Sea Scrolls: Electronic Reference Library

There is an instruction booklet that accompanies this CD-ROM; if you need additional assistance after reviewing this helpsheet, please ask an Etext staffer for the booklet.
Note: The Etext Center also has available another CD-ROM on the Dead Sea Scrolls, titled The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed. The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed is aimed at general users and non-specialists; it contains translations of the Scrolls, places the Scrolls in historical context, and is presented through an appealing interface with multimedia clips. The Dead Sea Scrolls: Electronic Reference Library is intended for serious study of the Scrolls and contains electronic images of the actual scroll fragments themselves.

I. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND CONTENT:

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Electronic Reference Library is a CD-ROM containing an electronic archive of several thousand electronic images made from scrolls and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with software that allows you to access these images. Using this CD-ROM you can find scrolls using a variety of standard reference schemes, display and manipulate images of the scrolls, and display textual information concerning the scrolls. You can also view multiple images simultaneously for comparison.

II. STARTING UP THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS:

  1. There are two CD-ROM discs for The Dead Sea Scrolls. Place the first disc on the CD-ROM tray of the PC, and close the tray.
  2. Click the Start button (in the lower left-hand corner of the screen). Move to Programs, then to Dead Sea Scrolls, and from the submenu that appears click on Dead Sea Scrolls. If you do not see these menu options, please ask a staff member for assistance.
  3. The program will launch, and the Index window will appear automatically.

III. USING THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

The Index Window

The Index window allows you to locate images of scrolls and fragments using any one of several standard reference schemes, including:

  • Reference number, which will be one of the following:
    • PAM (Palestinian Archeological Museum) number (e.g. 40.123)
    • SHR (Shrine of the Book) number (e.g. 1234)
    • IAA (Israeli Antiquities Authority) number (e.g. 123456)
  • Cave number, which indicates the cave the scroll was found in and the number of the scroll (e.g. 4Q123).
  • Title, which indicates the scroll's contents (e.g. Hymnic compositions).
  • Inventory number, as assigned by the IAA.
  • Brill microfiche number.
  • Facsimile edition number, from the facsimile edition published by the Biblical Archaeology Society.
  • Biblical passages, with which you can locate scrolls according to corresponding biblical passages that they contain.

In the Index window, click on the reference scheme you wish to use, and then browse through the list or type in the number of the scroll you want.

When you have located the index number of the scroll you want, click once on the number to select it. Click the Show Topics button to display a list of related index items, including which CD-ROM disc (disc 1 or disc 2) contains each image.

(For more information on the Index window, see pages 17ff. of the printed manual.)

The Image Window

To display an image of the scroll you have selected, click the Show Image button. The Image window will appear, containing an electronic image created from a black-and-white photograph of the scroll or fragment you selected.

NOTE: Because there are two CD-ROM discs, the scroll you have requested may be contained on the CD-ROM disc that is not in the drive. If this happens, you will receive a message to that effect. Simply eject the disc currently in the drive, insert the correct disc, and click Retry.

In the Image window, you can zoom in on a section of the fragment using the Zoom control, and you can adjust the Brightness and Contrast of the image. Note that the scrolling in this window is "live" -- that is, when you click and drag the scroll-bar thumb, the image moves as you move the mouse. (For more information on the Image window, see pages 22ff. of the printed manual.)

The Information Card Window

To display text related to the scroll you are currently viewing, click the "Bibliographic info" button (which looks like a stack of index cards.) An Information Card window will appear.

The Information Card window gives the various reference numbers corresponding to the scroll you are viewing, along with a bibliography of scholarly publications on that scroll and a list of related PAM numbers.

(For more information on the Information Card window, see pages 26ff. of the printed manual.)

Advanced Features

Please refer to the printed manual for information on the more advanced features of the user interface. The following features are available:

  • viewing a History list of the scrolls you have viewed so far (page 28)
  • using Bookmarks to mark certain scrolls to which you wish to return later (pages 29-31)
  • searching for a word or phrase (Chapter 5, pages 32-43)
  • working with search results (Chapter 6, pages 44-48)
  • using a Memo Pad to make notes as you explore the archive (pages 50-52)

IV. EXITING THE PROGRAM AND REMOVING THE CD-ROM:

When you are finished working with The Dead Sea Scrolls CD-ROM:

  • Exit the user interface by choosing Exit from the File menu.
  • Press the eject button for the CD-ROM tray of the PC and remove the CD-ROM. Please place the CD-ROM discs back in their cases and return them to an Etext Center assistant.