Computer asisted research on the Bible in the 21st. Century

The application of computer technology to the edition and linguistic analysis of biblical texts has provided, in the last thirty years, advanced tools for research purposes as well as for teaching the Bible in the classroom. This discipline requires, nonetheless, a critical evaluation from a historical perspective, examining past and present achievements and failures. There is a necessity to evaluate the current tools and to consider what is needed to satisfy the increasing demand of software related to the analysis of the biblical texts. This has been the task of the International Conference on Bible and Computers hold in El Escorial in 2008, organised by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. This collection of essays includes the most relevant lectures and papers that have been presented there, and offers a wide overview of different trends in computer assisted technology on the Bible. Research and teaching demands are raised, as well as particularities dependent on the different biblical traditions and languages used in the biblical sources. The contributors of this volume have all long term research and teaching experience in the use of computer technology applied to the linguistic and literary study of the biblical texts. The volume will be of value to Bible scholars of any kind, as well as theologians interested in biblical interpretation and biblical criticism.

Luis Vegas is Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and President of the Spanish Association for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He has published on the language of the Dead Sea Scrolls, on the apocalyptic literature, and on the verbal system of biblical Hebrew.

Javier del Barco, Ph.D. (2001) in Hebrew Philology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, is currently a researcher at the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). He has published on. the verbal system of biblical Hebrew, on the Jewish translations of the Bible in medieval Spain, and on Hebrew manuscripts.

Guadalupe Seijas, Ph.D. (1992) in Hebrew Philology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, teaches at this same university. She has published on biblical literature, on the language and style of the book of Isaiah,, and on the verbal system of biblical Hebrew.