I was excited to read the following in the Friends of CSNTM July E-Newsletter:

Today the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) announces that it is now available on iTunes U, a dedicated area of the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) that offers free audio and video content from leading educational institutions.

The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) has always been committed to helping others understand the reliability of our New Testaments, the history of translations, the study of the text, and significant figures who have made this possible.

Beginning today, CSNTM is making a series of videos concerning New Testament manuscripts, textual criticism, history of the New Testament, and expert commentary on key verses available as a free download on iTunes U.

Featured in the videos are interviews and footage shot around the world of important people involved in the work of the Center. Dr. Daniel B. Wallace will also be featured as he explains important aspects in the study of the text of the New Testament.

Visit CSNTM on iTunes U »»»

Peter Flint will be in Minnesota this July for Biblical Archaeology Review’s St. Olaf Summer Vacation seminar.  As it turns out, he will also be speaking on the Dead Sea scrolls July 15, 2010 at First Evangelical Free Church in Maplewood, MN.  The event begins at 7:00 PM.   You can find directions to First Evangelical Free Church on their web site:  www.firstefc.org.  If you’d like to learn more about Peter Flint and his work with the Dead Sea scrolls, be sure to visit www.deadseascrolls.org.

HT:   Tim Challies for pointing out an article from BBC News titled David Livingstone’s ‘lost letter’ deciphered.  David Livingstone wrote a four page letter around the margins of his journal in February 1871 from  Bambarre (modern day Democratic Republic of congo).  Fading and challenges caused by the iron gall ink bleeding through to the successive pages have left this letter illegible for many years.  Through the use of imaging technology, David Livingstone’s letter speaks once again.  A research team from Birkbeck College, University of London, working with colleagues at the National Library of Scotland and the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre used successive waves of light to separate the text layers and a 39 megapixel camera to scan the images.  The recipient of the letter was David Livingstone’s friend and future biographer, Horace Waller.

What caught my eye most in this article was the use of advanced imaging technology to make this letter legible once again.  It’s exciting to see ancient documents brought back to life and preserved electronically for generations to come.  This is also why I closely follow the ongoing work of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts, who travels the world digitizing manuscripts of the Greek New Testament.  You can learn more about the exciting work being done by CSNTM at their web site, www.csntm.org.  The article, David Livingstone’s ‘lost letter’ deciphered may be read in its entirety at the BBC News web site:  LINK.