On the 5th floor of Bizzell library at the University of Oklahoma there is a much publicized but little researched collection of religious texts dating from the 15th century to the present in Greek Latin and Hebrew, including translations that predate the King James Version of 1611, such as Tyndale, Coverdale, Cranmer and others.  It also includes commentaries, textual studies, histories ofthe Holy Land, works on the life of Christ, prayer books and hymnals, many of which include fascinating marginalia and personal, handwritten prayers.  We, a group of advanced Greek students at O.U., some of whom are also studying Latin and Hebrew, have the unique opportunity to study Ancient Greek outside the normal curriculum.  With the help of the UROP program, we intend to establish a long term Translation and Research Project, which will involve publishing research on the web, together with images of the texts,reproducing both their words and illustrations.

Using the skills we have learned in our Greek classes at O.U., we want to research the interaction between theological debates and methodologies or translation in the early printed Bibles of the Collection.  Transferring key portions of the books to a website, our priorities will be the introduction to the Bibles, the illustrations and the appendices.  We will be focusing on specific sections of the Bible, such as Daniel in the Old Testament.

The Librarian, Kerry Magruder, has generously agreed to share with us the equipment and software required to photograph the texts and digitize the resulting images, so long as we secure the funds for film and development.  A 36-exposure roll of Kodak Ektachrome 64-T costs approximately $17, including developing, a special rate made available by the History of Science Library's agreement with their film processor.  We will also be able to receive additional in-kind support, including research space on the fifth floor of Bizzell and access to the Collection.  In addition to the film expense, we will need funding for a copy card in order to photocopy invaluable journal articles and microfilm from Bizzell Library, as well as those we may obtain through interlibrary loan.

Kerry Magruder, the newly appointed Librarian of the History of Science Collection, has offered his invaluable assistance in the establishment of an undergraduate student research center for the study of the Bizzell Bible Collection.  Laura Gibbs, Assistant Professor in the Classics Department, will be able to assist us in reading the varieties of early printed Greek typeface, and other philological aspects of the Bibles that we will be studying.

Ultimately we foresee a long-term program in which undergraduate Greek, Latin and Hebrew students will be able to receive practical translation experience, as well as establish a viable Biblical Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma.  This is an incredible opportunity for undergraduate research not available at most universities, and we want to take advantage of the unique resources accessible to us through the Bizzell Bible Collection, as well as making these resources available to future scholars and students.