Transformation of the Codex Sinaiticus into a digital tool

The aim of the project, which is scheduled to take two years, is to provide a future-proof, IIIF-based online portal devoted to the Codex Sinaiticus which not only grants scholars detailed access but also allows them to work directly in the portal and enables simple machine processing.

The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest surviving Bible manuscripts and the first to contain the New Testament in its entirety, is held in different-sized portions by the British Library in London, Leipzig University Library, St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, and the Russian National Library in St Petersburg. Between 2005 and 2011, significant work was carried out under a project funded by the DFG German Research Foundation, the results of which can be accessed on the platform www.codexsinaiticus.org.

The platform includes above high-resolution digital copies of all pages, a letter-exact transcription of the complete text and detailed descriptions of non-textual irregularities of the parchment leaves. However, all information relevant for research has been primarily prepared for on-screen viewing and can only be accessed via interfaces in a rudimentary, largely non-standardized form. Moreover, the software’s interface functions no longer meet the expectations of today’s users. Significantly improving the current portal would require disproportionate effort owing to the technical architecture used.

Therefore, to permit the optimum use of the digital data, it has been decided to employ established standards for data storage and provision. The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) is to be used for the transmission and display of digital images and related data. A broad community of renowned institutions, including Leipzig University Library, is continuously working to improve the standard interfaces and to develop open source software that will considerably simplify subsequent enlargements of the planned portal.

The project involves the creation of a IIIF-based portal for the Codex Sinaiticus with the implementation of two modes of use: a) directly working in a virtual environment; and b) the further processing of the enriched data in a modern, extensible form and under free licenses. There will be no loss of functions compared to the current portal. Design and UX experts will be involved to guarantee an outstanding user experience, and feedback will be requested from representatives of the primary target groups, i.e. international Bible researchers and Bible experts across the world.

Leipzig University Library independently hosts the current presentation and also plans to operate the new portal under its own steam. All development results of the project will be made available for free reuse under open-source licenses.