Biblical Archaeology Review Archive $29.95

[Difflugia]

The Biblical Archaeology Review Archive 1975-2012 DVD, previously $129.95, is $29.95 until August 31. I'm guessing that they're getting ready to update the archive to 2015 and are trying to clear out old stock.

The DVD serves up a website that allows browsing or searching the full text and images of all the issues of BAR. It actually runs a webserver and displays it on Firefox right from the DVD without needing to be installed. There's no DRM as such, so individual articles can be printed or saved as web pages. The DVD contents can also be copied to a local hard drive or USB drive and run from there.

Note that if you also subscribe to the BAR digital edition (currently $19.95), issues from 2011-2015 can be downloaded as PDF, so it's possible to have the entire run of BAR in electronic format.

Unfortunately, it can only be displayed on a Windows PC or Mac (it won't run on Linux even with WINE and the webserver only serves to localhost, so I can't connect with a tablet or anything).

Tech note: The articles are stored in an unencrypted MySQL database as straight HTML and the web pages are PHP/perl, so the whole thing's pretty hackable if you have the inclination.

There's also an archive of the now defunct Bible Review on sale for $29.95, but that one's based on Libronix software and has DRM. Libronix software isn't too bad, but the inability to even copy/paste articles is a deal-breaker for me.

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Difflugia

The Biblical Archaeology Review Archive 1975-2012 DVD, previously $129.95, is $29.95 until August 31. I'm guessing that they're getting ready to update the archive to 2015 and are trying to clear out old stock.

The DVD serves up a website that allows browsing or searching the full text and images of all the issues of BAR. It actually runs a webserver and displays it on Firefox right from the DVD without needing to be installed. There's no DRM as such, so individual articles can be printed or saved as web pages. The DVD contents can also be copied to a local hard drive or USB drive and run from there.

Note that if you also subscribe to the BAR digital edition (currently $19.95), issues from 2011-2015 can be downloaded as PDF, so it's possible to have the entire run of BAR in electronic format.

Unfortunately, it can only be displayed on a Windows PC or Mac (it won't run on Linux even with WINE and the webserver only serves to localhost, so I can't connect with a tablet or anything).

Tech note: The articles are stored in an unencrypted MySQL database as straight HTML and the web pages are PHP/perl, so the whole thing's pretty hackable if you have the inclination.

There's also an archive of the now defunct Bible Review on sale for $29.95, but that one's based on Libronix software and has DRM. Libronix software isn't too bad, but the inability to even copy/paste articles is a deal-breaker for me.

Great find.

For those who are not familiar with BAR, it is excellent. I think that their intended audience is the layperson (the editor, in fact, does not have any degree in archaeology or any related field). But, some of the articles do get pretty technical, so it is not for the casual reader or someone who just has a passing interest in Biblical archaeology.

Archaeological data, like data in any other scientific field, are subject to interpretation. There are liberal and conservative Biblical archaeologists in this regard. The primary point of difference between the two has to do with how much of the Bible's history is accurate. The liberals in Biblical archaeology are known as "Minimalists"--as their name suggests, they take the position that very little, if any, of the Bible is historically accurate. BAR generally seems to take a conservative approach, although they do publish articles from Minimalists.

The $29.95 price is a real bargain. As Difflugia mentioned, the price for one year's subscription is $19.95. Recently, I've needed to buy a couple of single issues to do some research, and paid $6 each at the Books-A-Million. BTW--the material in BAR does not really go out of date, but builds upon what has been written in the magazine in the past.

I have seen offers of archives from them occasionally for the same, or about the same, price. I've been tempted, but so far haven't bitten. My issue is trying to keep my holdings up to date. For example, if I buy the archive and the 2011-15 supplement, what will I do next year? Is there a yearly supplement? Even if there is, that could be a hassle; besides, I would like to read each issue of the magazine as it comes out, not wait until the supplement has been produced. (I'm honestly asking for suggestions here.) There are other magazines that I've been tempted to buy their archive CD/DVD, and had the same issue--e.g., National Geographic.

[Athens80]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

My issue is trying to keep my holdings up to date. For example, if I buy the archive and the 2011-15 supplement, what will I do next year? Is there a yearly supplement? Even if there is, that could be a hassle; besides, I would like to read each issue of the magazine as it comes out, not wait until the supplement has been produced. (I'm honestly asking for suggestions here.)

The digital subscription is $34.95 per year; digital access to the archives only is $29.95 per year.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by GtrsRGr8

I have seen offers of archives from them occasionally for the same, or about the same, price. I've been tempted, but so far haven't bitten. My issue is trying to keep my holdings up to date. For example, if I buy the archive and the 2011-15 supplement, what will I do next year? Is there a yearly supplement? Even if there is, that could be a hassle; besides, I would like to read each issue of the magazine as it comes out, not wait until the supplement has been produced. (I'm honestly asking for suggestions here.) There are other magazines that I've been tempted to buy their archive CD/DVD, and had the same issue--e.g., National Geographic.

The 2011-2015 issues that I mentioned are available as PDF with the $19.95 Digital/Tablet subscription from Athens80's link. As each new issue is published, the PDF is added to the collection and they send you an email as long as your subscription is current, so if you subscribe right now, you can download all of the issues back to 2011 and then the next six new issues as they're published. The only downside for me is that any issues after 2012 aren't included in the DVD's search function. The $29.95 and $34.95 options get you one-year access to their archive database, which is really similar to what's on the DVD (with a few extras).

The Digital/Tablet subscription also includes Android and iOS tablet apps, but at least the Android one is slower and more painful to use than just downloading the PDF.

I don't think they produce supplements the way some other periodicals do. In the past, when they've updated the electronic archive, they've created a brand-new product (the previous archive was Libronix format, like the Bible Review one).

[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Difflugia

The 2011-2015 issues that I mentioned are available as PDF with the $19.95 Digital/Tablet subscription from Athens80's link. As each new issue is published, the PDF is added to the collection and they send you an email as long as your subscription is current, so if you subscribe right now, you can download all of the issues back to 2011 and then the next six new issues as they're published. The only downside for me is that any issues after 2012 aren't included in the DVD's search function. The $29.95 and $34.95 options get you one-year access to their archive database, which is really similar to what's on the DVD (with a few extras).

The Digital/Tablet subscription also includes Android and iOS tablet apps, but at least the Android one is slower and more painful to use than just downloading the PDF.

I don't think they produce supplements the way some other periodicals do. In the past, when they've updated the electronic archive, they've created a brand-new product (the previous archive was Libronix format, like the Bible Review one).

Thanks for the elaboration. It will help me greatly in deciding what route to go. For me, it sounds like the thing to do is to buy the archive DVD, take the $19.95 digital subscription, and download 2011-15. That way, I'll have "everything," all of the time. And the wallet will be happiest. The downside is the loss of DVD search function--search capability is one of the huge advantages, to me, of digital vs analog.

This is an example of how digital media has made some things much simpler and easier than analog, but made some things much more complex and difficult. I remember the good ole days when I used to get my BAR once every two months, peruse or read it, and then put it in the magazine file box to be easily retrieved when I wanted to see it again . . . .

Thanks for your help.