The Associated Press
reports that U.S. Christian bookstores are reporting weekly
sales as much as 40% higher than last year following the September 11
terrorist attacks and in the runup to Christmas. A Canadian Bible
Society spokesman also is quoted saying that Bible sales "are way up
over past years." One religious bookstore in a Nashville suburb had
post-Thanksgiving sales six times higher than last year.
A number of good Bible study and resource programs are available for
the Mac. Here's a look at some of them, and apologies to the authors of
any such programs I've missed.
Accordance 5.2 Bible Study Software
One of the most comprehensive Mac Bible study packages is Accordance 5.2,
state-of-the-art in Bible software that offers an easy to use and
integrated approach to Bible study. Now on several CD-ROMs, Accordance
offers a full library of texts and study aids, powerful Greek and
Hebrew grammatical searches, and an interactive Bible Atlas.
With Accordance 5.2, Strong's numbers display and link to the Greek
and Hebrew. An Amplify palette gives instant access to all Bible texts,
lexicons, commentaries, and other resources. Virtually everything in
Accordance is accessible with a single click of the mouse, including
contextual help.
Advanced features include graphical searching, statistical analyses,
and global searching. Users can also add advanced Greek and Hebrew
resources that allow elaborate grammatical searches. Well over 150
Accordance-compatible modules are available on a variety of CD-ROMs;
all purchased modules are completely integrated into your Accordance
library. Select text in any window, and a single mouse-click lets you
find your selection in any text or tool. Five CD-ROMs contain
collections of texts and tools centered on particular Bible versions.
The interactive Bible Atlas lets you explore the lands of the Bible:
build your own maps, follow animated routes, and navigate
three-dimensional landscapes. Additional specialized CD-ROMs include
the Bible Lands PhotoGuide, Anchor Bible Dictionary, and Church
Fathers.
There are now more than 180 Accordance-compatible titles to choose
from, on a variety of CD-ROMs. Some, such as the Accordance Library 5
and Scholar's Collection, contain large selections of texts and tools.
Other CD-ROMs, such as the Anchor Bible Dictionary and Bible Atlas, are
dedicated to specialized modules.
Every Accordance-compatible CD-ROM comes with the Accordance
software, at least one Bible text, interactive guides, and all
necessary fonts. All Accordance modules are completely integrated, and
can be run in conjunction with any of the others.
The Library 5 CD-ROM is the core Accordance collection, offering the
widest selection of Accordance-compatible Bible texts, commentaries,
and other tools. It includes two Bible texts with Strong's numbers,
which give you instant access to the original Greek and Hebrew, as well
as a wide range of commentaries, parallel passages, topical resources,
and Bible dictionaries. The Library 5 is available at one of three
affordable levels, or as a custom package.
Accordance version 5.1 for OS X is now available It is native to
OS X (Carbon).
Accordance Library 5 sells for $59, but is on sale until December
31, 2001 for $49. Other Accordance titles and collections are also sale
priced until the end of the year.
Bible Viewer 2.01
HolyMac Software's
BibleViewer 2.01 is an electronic, searchable edition of the
Bible that I personally find very useful. I have had copies of
BibleViewer and its predecessor BibleBrowser on my hard drive for
several years.
BibleViewer is quick and easy to use and has a simple, clean,
Mac-like interface. Navigation within the text of the Bible is fast and
intuitive. User settable bookmarks can mark locations or selections,
and an efficient search engine provides nearly instantaneous access to
text matching any entered phrase or word criteria.
BibleViewer features:
- fast, so that you can search the contents
- small, so that you don't waste memory
- simple, so that you can use it easily
- smart, so that you can bookmark particular passages
- flexible, so that you can change its appearance
System requirements are modest and simple: BibleViewer will run
happily on any Macintosh or Mac clone running the Classic Mac OS.
The main change in BibleViewer 2.x from earlier versions is that it
uses a modern English translation, the World English Bible (WEB), a
public domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Bible
based on the American Standard Version of 1901, the Biblia Hebraica
Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament,
rather than the Authorized Version of 1611 (King James Version) that
was used in BibleBrowser. Traditionalists (like me) who love the KJV's
majestic cadences will not necessarily regard this as an improvement,
but it should broaden BibleViewer's appeal, and the KJV version is
available for those who prefer it. In addition, there have been
improvements in various interface elements of the program, including
the online help.
The American Standard Version (ASV) is a solid translation that has
earned the reputation of being the "Rock of Biblical Honesty." Your
reporter has used a print copy of the ASV as a reference for the past
25 years. While the English used in the ASV is somewhat archaic, it is
easier understood by modern readers than some passages of the better
known King James (Authorized) Version of 1611. The ASV is in the public
domain, since its copyright has expired. You can download, a copy in
HTML, a General Bible Format .zip file (asvgbf.zip), or a plain ASCII
text version in a zip file at http://www.ebible.org/bible/asv/.
The World English Bible used as the basis for BibleViewer 2.0 is
essentially the ASV translation with some simple word replacements and
a few grammatical adjustments that will be kept in the public domain.
You can download the current draft of the WEB as an HTML file, plain
ASCII text with poetry and prose formatting, General Bible Format text,
or one line per verse ASCII text (no poetry or prose formatting or
footnotes), at http://www.ebible.org/index.htm.
BiblePromise 2.4.2 For PPC
BiblePromise
is a shareware program for Macintosh by Rick Janson that presents a
different inspirational Scripture verse each day, chosen from its
database of nearly 365 quotations.
The verses in BiblePromise have been carefully selected to offer
wisdom and comfort. For many, BiblePromise serves as a means for daily
encouragement; for others it provides the starting point for daily
Bible reading and exploring the context of the Scripture verse for the
day.
BiblePromise includes options for a different Scripture verse each
time the application is run and a "Verse of the Day" setting.
The software is available for Macintosh and Windows, and in English
and Dutch versions. The English version allows the user to choose from
four translations:
- New International Version
- Revised Standard Version
- King James (Authorized) Version
- New King James Version
New In The BiblePromise 2.4.2 (US):
- U.S. English Version
- Interface and Scripture quotations use U.S. English spelling
- Minor enhancements.
Minimum System Requirements:
- Any PowerPC Macintosh or clone running Mac OS 7.6 or later.
BiblePromise is $15 shareware.
EZ Bible 1.3 Searchable Scripture Reference
Released
Ever wanted to read the Bible in a year? EZ
Bible will organize your reading of all 31,173 verses in 364 days.
EZ Bible's text is fully searchable, and searches can be saved and
reloaded later.
EZ Bible includes a full copy of the American Standard Version of
the Bible, and Version 1.3 adds the option of using other translations.
The King James Version is the first available alternate translation.
(Separate registration is not required for additional
translations.)
EZ Bible is available in both PowerPC-only and FAT (both PPC and
68k) versions, and the ASV Bible comes in ClarisWorks, RTF, text, and
FileMaker formats. The ASV Bible itself is free, while EZ Bible is
shareware that users may try free for two weeks.
Online Bible 3 For Mac
Online
Bible for the Mac has been updated to version 3. Features include
note searching, speech support, a contextual menu, and other
enhancements.
Full Feature List
- Fast, easy, and powerful Macintosh interface
- Perform word searches in under 1 second
- Complete set of search operators including AND, OR, XOR, NOT,
wildcard, and proximity
- Search and view the original Greek & Hebrew words using
Strong's numbers
- Verb parsing information including tense, voice, and mood
- Greek & Hebrew lexicons with definitions in English
- Point and click hypertext linking
- Synchronized scrolling of search results, Bible passages, and verse
notes
- Open as many as 24 verse note/commentary sets at once
- Unlimited windows
- Bookmarks for Bible passages, verse notes, and topical studies
- New Speak command to read the Bible or notes
- New Contextual Menu for fast access to common commands
- Extensive collection of English as well as foreign translations to
choose from
- Actual Greek and Hebrew texts for original language work
- TrueType Greek and Hebrew fonts
- Over half a million cross references
- Commentaries by Matthew Henry, John Wesley, Adam Clarke, John Gill,
A.T. Robertson, C.H. Spurgeon, and others
- Topical studies by Naves, Thompson, Torrey, and others
- Integrated personal verse notes with built-in editor
- Bible FKey for quick and easy passage lookup without switching
applications
- View Bible passages and verse notes using any installed font
- Picture support with color maps and diagrams
- Print or export as a text file any Bible passage, search result,
verse note, or topical study
- Disk-based User's Manual with tutorial and reference sections
- Requires a hard drive and System 6.0 or higher.
- Runs on any Macintosh from a Mac Plus to the newest G4 Power
Mac
- No hidden unlocking fees required to access CD material
- More program features, more translations, and more add-on modules
than any other Macintosh Bible study package available
Those with FTP facilities can download the latest version from:
<ftp://members.aol.com/khamel/olbmac/olb29.hqx>.
A copy of the KJV New Testament is posted there as well.
Ordering Information (Note: The program disk is free when ordered
with any Bible text module listed below.)
- Online Bible 2.9 program with disk based User's Manual, $5
Bible Texts
- KJV with Strong's numbers, footnotes, and alternate readings (3.7
meg on 2 disks). $10.
- 1984 NIV with footnotes (2.1 meg on 2 disks), $25
- 1995 NASB with footnotes and xrefs (4.6 meg on 2 disks), $25
- 1982 NKJV with footnotes (2.1 meg on 2 disks), $15
- 1989 NRSV with footnotes (2.1 meg on 2 disks), $15
- 1993 Modern KJV by Jay P. Green, Sr. (2 meg on 2 disks), $15
- 1993 Green's Literal Translation (2 meg on 2 disks), $15
- 1973 Revised Standard Version (2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- 1901 American Standard Version (2.1 meg on 2 disks), $10
- 1898 Young's Literal Translation (2.1 meg on 2 disks), $10
- 1890 J.N. Darby Translation (2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Spanish 1989 RVA (2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Spanish 1909 RV (2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- French 1910 Louis Segond with Strong's (3.6 meg on 2 disks)
$10
- German 1912 Luther with Strong's (3.6 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Italian 1991 La Nuova Diodati (2.2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Russian 1917 Synodal Text (2.4 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Five Greek texts (1550 Stephanus with Strong's and full parsing,
1894 Scrivener, 1991 Majority, 1881 Westcott-Hort, and Nestle's
26/27th) and Biblia Hebraica consonantal text (8.2 meg on 4 disks)
$20.
Add-On Modules
- Thayer's Greek and BDB Hebrew Lexicons (3.7 meg on 2 disks)
$10.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (6.2 meg on 3 disks), $10
- Thompson's 1934 Chain Refs, Torrey's New Topical Textbook, and
other topical material (6.4 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Nave's Topical Bible (4.8 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Spurgeon's Morning and Evening (1.6 meg on 1 disk), $5
- Easton's Bible Dictionary (3.9 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Smith's Bible Dictionary (3.8 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Robertson's NT Word Pictures (5.7 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary (4.2 meg on 2 disks), $10
- John Wesley's Notes on the Bible (6.5 meg on 3 disks), $10
- 1599 Geneva Bible Notes (5.5 meg on 2 disks), $10
- Apocrypha - Oxford and RSV editions (1.7 meg on 1 disk), $5.
CD-ROMs (Note: These are version 2.5.3.See Appendix E in User's
Manual for a complete listing of CD-ROM contents.)
- Classic CD with over 400 meg of Bible texts and add-ons ...
$40.
- Deluxe CD containing Classic plus NIV, NASB, NKJV, & NRSV .
$90
- Classic or Deluxe CD upgrade (only if you purchased an earlier CD).
$25.
The Bible in FM
J. Rick Adams,
M.D., and JRAd consulting, Inc. offer a 30 day demo of their
software Bible, The Bible in FM, version 1.0 for the Mac.
The Bible in FM is the complete text of The Bible in a form
developed for easy reading, reference, and study. Text lookup, rapid
goto, and full bookmarking capabilities highlight the comprehensive set
of features found in this program.
The Bible in FM is available for both Macintosh and Windows-based
computers for US$25. A bundle deal with the companion software,
Prayers, is available for US$40.
Prayers provides a simple means of listing, categorizing, and
searching the daily list some of us keep, our prayer list. Answers may
be entered into each prayer and remembered through simple search
functions. The program optionally utilizes another JRAd consulting
product, The Bible in FM, to look up, reference, and remember scripture
so that each request is based on biblical principle.
System requirements are:
- A Macintosh or MacOS clone (680x0 or PPC)
- 8 MB of RAM required for PowerPC systems
- 4 MB of RAM required for 68OxO systems
- Mac OS version 7.1 or later
QuickJournal 2.02 Personal Journal, Bible
Study, Prayer Guide
QuickJournal for the Macintosh is designed to assist you in
keeping a personal journal, a consistent prayer time, with scripture
memory, and Bible study.
Journal
- Quick, easy way to journal your thoughts and goals for each
day.
- View the entries sorted by date using a "QuickList"
- Fast Keyword search quickly retrieves data based upon any word or
phrase you have typed.
Scripture Memory
- Type Bible Verses from your favorite translation of the Bible
- Quick online self-test for the entire memory Verse(s) and/or the
Reference
- Print memory verses on Avery business card-size stock to keep your
scripture memory program with you at all times.
Bible Study
- Dynamic Bible study method helps to study and personally apply a
passage
- Using the fast Keyword search you can quickly retrieve notes from
any study
- Quick reference for all the passages you have studied
Prayer Guide
- Assign prayer request items as daily, weekly, or monthly.
QuickJournal will remind you to pray on the appointed days.
- Click to record and track answers to prayer. Answered prayer list
to encourage you to keep on praying.
- Complete list of all prayer requests - answered and pending.
- Half-page (Dayrunner format) list of current prayer requests that
you can print, and carry with you in a small notebook.
Contacts database
- QuickJournal's Contacts database contains a contacts list, phone
list, call list, 30-up address labels and a QuickFind.
- Contacts are automatically added to your prayer names popup
list.
- QuickFind: type the first few letters of a first name, last name or
even a nickname and QuickJournal instantly provide a QuickList of
appropriate contacts.
- Call List: lists names and phone numbers and you can mark each
contact with Yes, No, or No Response.
- Address labels: Use any of the standard 30-up address label sheets
to print labels for mailings to your contacts list.
New in this version:
- Additional prayer guide reports, contacts database, new database
engine with speed and power enhancements, new search and sort features,
functionality with both U.S. and non-U.S. Macintosh systems.
System requirements:
- Any Power PC Macintosh including G3 and G4 processors
- Mac OS 7.5.5 or later
- 10 MB of disk space
- 8 MB of free RAM
- Minimum CPU: Power PC 601
- 640 x 480 pixel monitor (13" or larger, or a PowerBook)
QuickJournal is freeware
PandoCalendar 5.7.5 Small Christian
Calendar
This useful Mac-only program places a fully functional calendar on
your desktop. The look is completely customizable. You can change the
calendar font and its size, and the calendar's background color; you
can center the current week (so you are always able to look back and
ahead a full month at a time), display the numerical number of the
weeks of the year, display the calendar with European style weeks
(Monday being the first day and Sunday being the last), assign notes to
any day of the year by clicking on the day in the calendar, and set
alarms to remind you of time sensitive events. You can also have
PandoCalendar automatically plot the days you work.
Great for people who don't have a Monday-Friday work schedule.
New in this version:
- Worked around a bug in Mac OS 9 that would cause importing and
exporting to fail.
- Fixed a bug that would cause importing of recurring notes from
versions 5.0-5.0.3 to fail.
- Fixed a bug that could cause search result windows to display very
thin and not be able to resize wider.
- Worked around a bug in Mac OS 10.1 that would cause sheets attached
to the calendar window to display in the wrong place.
- Fixed a bug where all note balloons, except those that appeared to
the lower right of a date box, wouldn't point to the proper date.
- PandoCalendar will now directly overwrite the preferences file when
a temporary preferences file can't be created.
- Fixed the formatting in the About window on OS 9 with Chicago as
the system font.
- When opening the Preferences window fails, because the Frames
folder can't be found, there is now a more descriptive error message.
System requirements:
- Mac OS 9.1 or higher with CarbonLib
- Mac OS X 10.0 or higher
Don't have Mac OS 9.1? Download the older non-carbon 5.5.6 version
of PandoCalendar. Requires Mac OS 7.5 or greater and Appearance Manager
1.0 or greater.
PandoCalendar is freeware.
MyBible for the Palm PDA And
Compatibles
And finally, for Palm users, the Bible particularly lends itself to
digitalization, because it is so frequently used as a reference, for
which a search engine facilitates things immensely. I have three
digital Bible applications on my PowerBook hard drive, and now Palm
users can have a digital, searchable Bible database that they can carry
in their pockets. MyBible
gives you instant access to the entire text of the Bible on your Palm
or Palm-compatible PDA.
Laridian's MyBible gives you instant access to the entire text of
the Bible on your PDA. A tap the top of the screen scrolls up; tap the
bottom to scroll down, or use the "up" and "down" buttons on your Palm
to move through the text. Stroke right to go to the next chapter or
left to go to the previous chapter.
To go to any verse in the Bible, tap the Bible reference in the
upper right-hand corner of the screen and select the book from this
list. Then enter the chapter and verse in the writing ("Graffiti")
area.
To find all occurrences of any word or phrase in seconds, enter
"command-F" (or select "Find" from the menu) then write a word or
phrase. Select how much of the Bible you want to search and tap the
Find button. Excerpts from verses containing the word or phrase you're
looking for are displayed. Just tap one to instantly view the full
verse in context.
You can set a bookmark on any verse in the Bible by tapping the
bookmark icon on the top of the screen and selecting "Set Bookmark." Go
to any bookmarked passage by tapping the bookmark icon and selecting
the verse to which you want to go. And delete a bookmark by first going
there, then selecting "Delete Bookmark" from the bookmark list.
If you want to compare translations, just purchase and install two
(or more) Bible databases. Tap the name of the translation to quickly
switch between them to compare wording. Instantly, you'll be looking at
the same passage in the new translation.
Each Bible database in MyBible requires 1.5 MB RAM. If that's too
much, each of the Bibles is delivered in pieces from which you can
select individual books to remove if you don't have room for the entire
Bible. For example, if you don't want to take up most of the available
RAM on your 2 MB Palm VII, you can install just the New Testament,
Psalms, and Proverbs. But a 4 MB Palm IIIx can easily hold two
entire Bibles, and an 8 MB Visor Deluxe or Palm Vx handles 3 or 4
without difficulty.
The MyBible program and its accompanying Bibles are sold separately.
You need to purchase the program itself and one or more Bibles when you
order. Some Bibles come with the translator's footnotes. These can be
optionally installed.
MyBible with the KJV Gospels is free.
MyBible is the only Bible software product for Palm organizers to
offer the NIV.
MyBible Program for Palm is $10 demoware.
Bible version modules:
- King James Version (KJV) $19.99
- New American Standard Bible (NASB) $29.99
- New International Version (NIV) $29.99
- New King James Version (NKJV) $19.99
- New Living Translation (NLT) $19.99
- Revised Standard Version (RSV) $19.99
And a Merry Christmas to all!
