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Last update - 04:36 05/06/2008 Religious texts to become available online for free By Ofri Ilani Tags: shimon peres, halakha  Thousands of Jewish religious and other texts in Hebrew will be made available online for the first time by Bar-Ilan University, as part of an initiative sponsored by President Shimon Peres. The texts, which will be accessible via a special search engine, will be funded by donations raised by Peres. "Bar-Ilan University seems like the most worthy place to found the 'Jewish digital book stand'," Peres said on Monday. Advertisement University officials estimated that the database dubbed "the Jewish digital book stand" will be up and running within a year. Bar-Ilan President Professor Moshe Kave described the project as "the greatest Jewish-cultural enterprise since the invention of scripture." He said teams are already at work in order to make the plans available. Over the past decades, many countries have operated similar projects making texts available to the public via the World Wide Web. For instance, the Google Books project has made over a million books - mostly in the English language - available online. Only a few such projects have been initiated in Israel. The already existing Ben Yehuda project, for example, has made works by Hebrew poets and authors Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Haim Nahman Bialik, Yosef Haim Brenner and Rachel (Bluwstein) available on the internet. Some 900 ancient scrolls in Hebrew have also been scanned and been placed online. Bar-Ilan University was chosen to carry out the project because of its experience in handling the "Questions and Answers" project which amassed a large volume of Halakhic and rabbinical texts and placed them online. The project, which has been operating for over 15 years, won the Israel Prize last year. Though the Q and A project charges Web surfers money to tap its database, the new project will be free. The works slated for inclusion in the project will be selected by academics from Bar-Ilan and other universities over the next few months. In addition, a section of the data us Hebrew texts, spanning the timeline from the Enlightenment until the modern era. The database will only include texts whose authors have been dead for over 70 years, and whose copyright has become available to the public. The Web site operators, however, plan to make excerpts of more recently written texts available to Internet surfers with the approval of the authors. Such excerpts will feature links to the publishers' Web sites where the books may be purchased in their entirety. Related articles: Is that so? Rupert Murdoch: Spreading technology in region can help Mideast peace Saving libraries from extinction Bookmark to del.icio.us   Religious pressure Tel Aviv supermarket chain agrees gradual Shabbat closure. Overgenerous diplomacy UN envoy: Israel has given Syria a 'huge gift' for free.   1.   Brain washing on line more like it 09:31  |  concerned citizen 05/06/08   2.   brain washing 10:40  |  shmuel gurewicz 05/06/08   3.   Digital libraries are great! 11:55  |  Ulf 05/06/08   4.   To#1: Jewish texts are as classics as Greek or Roman 11:59  |  Ulf 05/06/08   5.   Free Online Texts TODAY 19:15  |  Serious Student 05/06/08   6.   Most wonderful news 01:40  |  Humble Jew 06/06/08   7.   #1 is pure hatred, should not be posted 17:29  |  jb 06/06/08   8.   #1 don`t worry 19:41  |  observer 06/06/08   9.   #1 Brainwashing? - More like Brain Enriching!!! 07:48  |  Sammy G 18/06/08

Read & React UN envoy: Israel has given Syria a 'huge gift' for free Responses: 143 Nazi sheltered by Austria as too ill for trial, seen enjoying Euro 2008 Responses: 109 IAF kills 6 in Gaza strikes, including gunmen linked to Shalit kidnap Responses: 148 Defense Minister Barak: It is too early to declare calm in Gaza Responses: 81 Israeli sources: Hezbollah deal possible next week Responses: 67 More Headlines 08:33 Report: Israel okays cease-fire deal with Hamas in Gaza Strip 08:02 Meshal: Any Israeli violation of deal would not go unanswered 07:23 ANALYSIS / Cease-fire deal means Hamas is in charge 07:57 U.S. pushes for Israel-Lebanon peace talks, deal on Shaba 07:11 Syrian official: Peace with Israel will create harmonious Mideast 02:44 Civil Administration officials indicted in West Bank land steal 07:16 Holocaust survivors from former USSR denied reparations 07:18 ElBaradei: Syria lacks skills, fuel for nuclear facility 07:20 Czech leader pledges to advance EU-Israel relations 05:23 New detection tool pinpoints virus behind cervical cancer 06:16 Katsav could face civil suits over sexual assault charges 23:27 Sex and the Old City / Star of hit TV show Kristin Davis makes first visit to Jerusalem 02:56 Will Olmert and Assad be sitting together at the same table? Previous Editions Select Day 17 jun 16 jun 15 jun 13 jun 12 jun 11 jun 10 jun 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun

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