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The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed

The CD packaging includes a brief instruction booklet. If, after reading this helpsheet, you need further assistance, please consult the booklet.
Note: The Etext Center also has available another CD-ROM on the Dead Sea Scrolls, titled The Dead Sea Scrolls: Electronic Reference Library. The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed is aimed at general users and non-specialists; it contains translations of the Scrolls, places the Scrolls in historical context, and is presented through an appealing interface with multimedia clips. The Dead Sea Scrolls: Electronic Reference Library is intended for serious study of the Scrolls and contains electronic images of the actual scroll fragments themselves.

I. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF STRUCTURE AND CONTENT:

The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed is an interactive CD-ROM that allows you to explore the actual Dead Sea scrolls and their translations, as well as to understand the historical context of the scrolls by navigating among various hypertext links. When you begin the program, it will automatically take you to the Main Menu (seen below) where you will find the first six textual links.

This Main Menu presents you with the six program choices which encompass the entire range of content of the CD-ROM:

  • History: Explains the Time, People, Languages and Historical Sources from the Second Temple Period, the time in which our story occurs.
  • Location: Explores Israel at the time when Christianity was taking shape and Judaism was evolving into the form that we know today.
  • Scroll Work: Explains how the scrolls were written in ancient Israel and the modern tasks of deciphering and analyzing them.
  • The Debates: Documents the debates surrounding the scrolls.
  • The Discovery: Highlights the amazing stories of tracking down the scrolls after they were discovered and the various excavations which were initiated in hopes of finding more antiquities from this period.
  • The Scrolls: Provides you with the knowledge and background to begin your quest of understanding the scrolls themselves.

II. STARTING UP THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS REVEALED:

Place The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed CD-ROM in the PC. Click on the "Start" button, select "Programs", then select "Revealed". From the pull-out menu, you should see a README file and an icon labelled "Revealed". Click on this icon to start the program. If you cannot find this icon, please ask a staff member for assistance.

The CD-ROM begins with drum music as the image of the Main Menu (seen above) appears.

III. USING THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS REVEALED:

This CD-ROM can be navigated in several ways. While you can begin immediately by clicking on one of the six program text links--History, Location, Scroll Work, The Scrolls, The Discovery and The Debates, we recommend that you spend a few minutes acquainting yourself with the functions of the button bars and pull-down windows. Since the program requires extensive memory, it is best to open only 4-5 windows at a time. These windows can be moved and arranged however you choose on the screen.

Using the Button Bar (or palette):

The Button Bar, located in the top lefthand corner of the screen, contains four buttons: Links, Connections, Navigation and Help. In order to activate one of the three or four buttons, click once.

  • To exit out of The Dead Sea Scrolls at any time, press the "Escape" key on your keyboard.
  • To go back to the Main Menu at any time, click on the Navigation Button, and then click on "Main Menu."
  • To go back one screen, click on the Navigation Button, and then click on "Path."

Links Wall Button: Presents you with information directly related to the current topic. Click once on any available options. (i.e. Video, Picture, Text, and Timeline.)

Connections Button: Click once to open. As you move through the program from topic to topic, this palette will provide you with items of associative interest. These items maybe directly or indirectly related to the current subject.

Navigation Button: Contains five functions. Click once to open and then once on a function. A moveable palette displays seven more functions:

  1. Path: Allows you to go backwards one screen at a time.
  2. Main Menu: Takes you back to the Main Menu.
  3. Glossary: Works like an electronic dictionary. Can be accessed two ways. Click on glossary or click on a word in a text window.
  4. Marker Palette: Works as a bookmark. To mark, click on the square marked box located in the upper righthand corner of the window. A check mark will appear to ensure the function was done properly. To remove, click on the marker box to un-mark; an X will reappear.
  5. Memory Palette: Due to the vast amounts of information available, this function allows you to regulate how much information is available at a given time. Set by clicking or dragging (defaults to five).
  6. Set-up Palette: Use to adjust volume and turn-off or on autoplay features.

Help Palette Button: Click once to access, will halt all normal functioning. Displays a small image with a written explanation.

IV. Exiting and Removing the CD-ROM:

After you have enjoyed exploring The Dead Sea Scrolls Revealed, you can exit by pressing the Escape key or by clicking on the Navigation button and choosing Quit. If you would like to avoid the "Credits" at the end, just click on the mouse button, and you will find yourself back at the Windows desktop. You can then eject the CD-ROM by pressing the button below and to the right of the CD carrier. Please place the CD-ROM back in its case and return it to an Etext Center assistant.