High-tech heaven: gadgets take Bibles to a new plane

Black Issues Book Review, March-April, 2005 by Robert S. Anthony

When you think of Bible reading, do you envision a roomful of priests quietly poring over ancient, dusty tomes? Do you conjure up a classroom full of religion students loudly debating the meaning of specific passages? Or do you picture a lone diner casually reaching for his electronic organizer so he can get in a few Psalms between dinner and dessert?

If the last scenario doesn't seem far-fetched to you, you're either a confirmed geek or you've already stumbled upon some of the gadgets, software and Web sites that have put a high-tech twist on the time-honored custom of Bible reading.

Even miniature computers can search through hundreds of pages of Bible text very quickly, thus making life easier for scholars and casual readers alike.

Franklin Electronic Publishers Inc. (www.franklin.com, 800-266-5626) makes shirt pocket-sized electronic organizers with tiny but complete keyboards, small liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and a slot for removable software modules.

The 5.3-ounce Franklin BIB-1450 ($89.95) organizer includes the Old and New Testaments of the King lames and the New International Versions of the Bible. You can search through Bible text on the unit's five-line display by entering a keyword or browse by book, chapter or verse. The unit also has a data bank and a calculator.

You can change the content in the Franklin BIB-1450 by removing the Bible memory card that's installed and replacing it with another card, like the Franklin Read With Me Bible ($9.95), for children four to 10 years of age. The card includes 100 Bible stories, as well as a 700-word biblical glossary.

Software publishers offer Bibles that can be loaded onto handheld computers, like palmOne, Inc.'s Palm devices, or onto one of the many pocket PC units that run Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile software.

Handmark, Inc.'s (www.handmark.com, 816-474-3495) Bible CD-ROM ($29.99) contains 16 versions of the Bible for Palm-compatible or pocket PC devices. The Bible text is formatted to fit on the relatively narrow handheld computer screen, and icons at the bottom of the screen offer quick searching and browsing functions. You can insert bookmarks into the text to return quickly to specific passages.

By default, the CD-ROM installs the New King lames and American Standard versions of the Bible, but you can install as many versions as the memory in your handheld device will store. The search engine used by Handmark was developed by Olive Tree Bible Soft ware (www.olivetree.com), which sells its own Bible software and also offers free Bibles for handheld and desktop computers.

Handmark also sells Bibles preinstalled on different types of removable memory cards. The Handmark Bible Memory Stick and Handmark Bible MMC ($49.99 each) offer 11 versions on a Sony Memory Stick and a MultiMedia Card respectively.

On the Net

Many search engines and online databases have been developed specifically for Bible research.

Gospel Communications International, based in Muskegon, Michigan, operates The Bible Gateway (www.biblegateway.com), a free Web site that offers 89 Bibles in 40 languages, including 12 audio Bibles and 15 in electronic book format. Electronic books require the appropriate software to open the file. For example, Bibles in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Systems Inc.'s (www.adobe.com) free Adobe Reader.

You can search through Bible Gateway's content by entering a keyword or a specific passage reference. By default, The Bible Gateway uses the New International Version of the Bible, but you can use an "advanced search" option to look over other versions or search multiple Bibles.

Salem Communications Corp's Crosswalk Web site (www.crosswalk.com), which de scribes itself as a "Christ-centered, for-profit corporation" offers numerous online tools for Bible research. A "Daily Devotional" appears on its home page, as does a link to a Bible search engine and other Bible-study tools.

The site offers a selection of Bible Study Tools such as dictionaries. There's also a "Bible in a Year" service, which divides the Bible into 365 readings and allows you to track your progress. A database of sermons that can be searched by author and content is also available.

No, paper Bibles won't become obsolete any time soon, but high-tech Bible reading and research tools are here to stay.

Robert S. Anthony is a syndicated technology writer who lives in Brooklyn, New York.