Why are these pictures better than I can find elsewhere?
We've written a page to answer this question.
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What are the minimum system requirements
to use the program?
You need a PC or a Mac with a CD-ROM and a video card and monitor that
supports 16-bit color. Nearly every computer made in the last 7 years will
work with no problem. You don't need any additional programs in order to
view the pictures (several free viewers are included). If you want
to manipulate the photos in a graphics program like Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, you'll need your own
copies of those programs.
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Do the CDs work on a Mac?
Yes, but there are a few things to note. If the computer has
PowerPoint installed, all of those files will work normally. The jpg
images are also normal in every respect except that the long PC filename is
abbreviated in some versions of the Mac OS (10.2+ reads the names correctly). A few "extras" like the autorun html viewer do
not work because of the long filename issue.
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I like the information on the website; is
there also text on the CDs?
Yes - the Pictorial Library includes extensive
annotations about the sites and photographs in the PowerPoint files. Altogether the amount of text
is equivalent to a 700-page book. For more detail and samples of the
explanatory text, see this page.
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How can I view the annotations if I don't
have PowerPoint?
The free PowerPoint viewer included on each CD does not allow viewing of the
notes. In this case, you can download the free
OpenOffice program.
This includes "Impress," a presentation program compatible with PowerPoint
files. After installation, open the "Impress" program, open a
PowerPoint file, and go to View/Workspace/Notes View. You'll be able to see all
the notes.
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How does the Pictorial Library of Bible
Lands compare with the new Slide Set CD from Biblical Archaeology Society?
Is there significant redundancy between the two collections?
The
Biblical Archaeology
Slide Set CD focuses on artifacts while the Pictorial Library images are
primarily sites and landscapes. The BAS CD fits on a single CD and includes 1200
images at a lower resolution for $180; the Pictorial Library includes 6,000 images
at a high resolution, fills up 10 CDs and
costs $189. The BAS CD has thorough explanations written by multiple experts;
the Pictorial Library has limited explanations written by a single college
professor (obviously not an expert on everything).
Kris Udd of Michigan
Theological Seminary has written reviews on both products for the Journal of
Biblical Studies (the review of Pictorial Library is
here; the review of the Biblical Archaeology Slide Set is
here). Both
products have 100% satisfaction guarantees so if you are unhappy with either,
you can return them. Nobody returns the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands.
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Can I use this if I teach with overhead transparencies?
Yes. One school district purchased multiple sets and printed hundreds
of the photographs as full-color transparencies. They look beautiful and
are being used with great impact in their classrooms.
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How do you install the program?
There is no program to install. This is born out of a dislike for yet
another program modifying the registry and stealthily stealing resources in the
background. Furthermore, these CDs are designed to be tools; the
pictures are provided for you to use and manipulate in whatever program you like
(PowerPoint, Photoshop, etc.) Usually when pictures are packaged with an
"engine," it makes it difficult if not impossible to use the pictures
in another way (often this is by design). The intent of these CDs is to provide
pictures for use in countless ways.
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How do you install the Pictorial
Library on a network?
Additional installation files and instructions are
here. You can also use these
instructions to create a single DVD from the Pictorial Library CDs.
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How does one locate a specific photograph on its related
CD and how would one copy it to one's hard drive or zip drive?
Each CD includes both
an index of all the images on that CD as well as a complete index of all 10
volumes (in html and pdf formats). You can search those files for a particular
site or object. The index identifies the location of the file by CD and by
region (e.g., photographs of the Mount of Beatitudes would be found on vol 1
(Galilee), in the "Sea of Galilee, west side" folder). You can then navigate to
that folder and right-click the particular image(s) and copy it. An alternative
is to use the Windows Find command to search the CD for all files with a
particular name in them; right-click the image(s) and copy it. If you are
building a PowerPoint file, it's easier if you open the appropriate PowerPoint
file on CD and copy and paste the relevant slide(s) into your own presentation.
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What happened to the "Aerials of Judah and
Jerusalem" CD?
The photographs from that collection have been incorporated into the
latest
edition of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, so that it is easier to find all of the images for any particular site
in a single section on a single CD.
In addition, it
should be noted that there are other aerial photographs on the Galilee and
Samaria CDs.
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Can you offer me a better price if I buy the
complete set?
Yes. The complete set of 10 CDs is available for
$189.
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What are your future goals?
We are currently developing new volumes in the "Historic
Views of the Holy Land" series, including a collection of early photographs
illustrating biblical manners and customs. We also are working on a
new volume for the Pictorial Library on the Greek Islands (Cyprus, Crete, Samos,
Patmos, Cos, Malta, etc.). And more.
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Do you have a question that's not answered here? Let
us know!
Revised:
January 04, 2008
