{"id":35,"date":"2007-12-16T14:14:28","date_gmt":"2007-12-16T18:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.openbible.info\/blog\/2007\/12\/digital-resources-for-bible-mapping\/"},"modified":"2016-02-06T11:08:05","modified_gmt":"2016-02-06T15:08:05","slug":"digital-resources-for-bible-mapping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.openbible.info\/blog\/2007\/12\/digital-resources-for-bible-mapping\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Resources for Bible Mapping"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark at Biblical Studies and Technological Tools has been preparing for his BibleTech08<\/a> talk on Biblical mapping by asking his readers for their thoughts on Bible maps<\/a>. Here are my responses to some of his questions.<\/p>\n

First, I can see Bible software moving in two directions as it relates to mapping:<\/p>\n

Outsource It: Mapping in Bible Software, Approach #1<\/h3>\n

Mapping has never been a strength of Bible software (with the possible exception of Accordance<\/a>). But that\u2019s not necessarily a problem.<\/p>\n

Why should Bible software try to reproduce Google Earth\u2019s features, with 3D terrain, zooming, rotating, layers, etc.? It\u2019ll inevitably pale in comparison to Google Earth. In other words, no Bible software company is going to out-feature Google.<\/p>\n

Rather, Bible software companies should build on existing software and innovate where they can.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what a Bible software company that wants to take this approach should do:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. License or commission attractive maps that allow minimal interactivity. I imagine that a lot of people simply want a map to print or to use in a class. Google Earth doesn\u2019t support this task well.<\/li>\n
  2. Identify place names in Bibles and reference works in their software and link these places to geocoded data. People will be able to see quickly where a location is without disrupting their immediate tasks. This kind of deep integration among resources is invaluable.<\/li>\n
  3. Allow the export of this data into KML or other open formats so people who want a particular view can use Google Earth (or a similar program) to create it. They can then share these views with others.<\/li>\n
  4. Release geocoding data under a Creative Commons license to allow people to reuse it. A lot of biblical regions don\u2019t have any boundary data available on the web at the moment, for example, and it\u2019s better to have people who know what they\u2019re doing draw these boundaries instead of random people with lots of free time. (This last step may not be appropriate for every company.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Integrate It: Mapping in Bible Software, Approach #2<\/h3>\n

    Maybe a Bible software company really wants to add a Google Earth-style application to their program (perhaps to make sure their data stays proprietary, which I can understand). How should they do it?<\/p>\n

    They should integrate World Wind<\/a>, an open-source earth viewer developed by NASA. It comes in both .NET and Java flavors. The i-cubed layer has 15-meter full-color resolution for most of the earth, which is sufficient for most purposes. It can also use Microsoft\u2019s Virtual Earth imagery.<\/p>\n

    I think you could create a lot of interesting maps and geographic applications if you were willing to customize the World Wind interface for Bible mapping and integrate this data deeply into your software.<\/p>\n

    The following image, for example, from a post about Herod the Great\u2019s tomb<\/a>, uses the i-cubed imagery in World Wind:<\/p>\n

    \"View<\/a><\/p>\n

    What Makes Maps Useful?<\/h3>\n

    I\u2019m only answering for myself here, but I tend to judge a map on its aesthetics\u2014in other words, I prefer a nice-looking map even when it\u2019s otherwise inferior to an ugly map. A lot of Bible maps on the web just aren\u2019t very attractive.<\/p>\n

    If two maps are equally attractive, I\u2019ll use the one that gives me more flexibility to accomplish what I want or to increase my understanding\u2014enabling layers or places, for example.<\/p>\n

    Finally, I don\u2019t find static 3D cutaways (like the above image of Herod the Great\u2019s tomb) very useful\u2014they\u2019re cool to look at, but the distortion in perspective makes it hard to measure distances or see how places relate to each other. However, I do find it useful to pan down in Google Earth. So I like standard overhead views for static maps but prefer dynamic maps to give me maximum flexibility.<\/p>\n

    How People Use the Maps Here<\/h3>\n

    Judging from their search keywords on Google, people are looking for three main things when they come to OpenBible.info. Of course I don\u2019t know what their ultimate aim is, but here are their immediate goals:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. An overview of Bible geography.<\/li>\n
    2. The location of a specific place that they probably encountered in their Bible reading.<\/li>\n
    3. Integration of Bible places and Google Earth or Google Maps.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Map Features<\/h3>\n

      Here are some things I\u2019d like to see in Bible maps in the future:<\/p>\n