Announcing CSNTM’s Updated Website

By: Leigh Ann Hyde

Today we announce a new CSNTM.org—launching this Monday, May 3rd—designed to improve the experience for all our website users. “Since we began our work in 2002, a core part of our mission has been to make it possible to view and study New Testament manuscripts from anywhere in the world,” CSNTM declared with the release of a new website five and a half years ago. The aim of providing access to Greek New Testament manuscripts remains significant. As the winds in the sails of travel grew quiet in 2020, our CSNTM team focused on improving the experience of interacting with digital manuscript images at CSNTM.org.

The first change involved a renovated manuscript viewer that emphasized the manuscript page to produce an experience reminiscent of reading an ancient book in a library. Now, we look toward transforming the rest of our website—the front door to the world’s largest digital repository of New Testament manuscripts and hub for CSNTM news and New Testament knowledge.

What’s New?

Fresh Look

We remodeled the face of our website to reflect a curious and inviting aesthetic, aimed to draw in users to explore CSNTM as if they were exploring a museum. Every area features different facets of our work and mission, leading to the highlight—the CSNTM digital manuscript collection. We hope the simple navigation and informative content result in smooth sailing, while the beautiful images and exciting news draw visitors to keep searching.

Enhanced User Experience

We reorganized informative content into two simple categories: “About Us,” which provides insight into the mission and work of CSNTM, and “Resources,” curated for the purpose of improving the experience of any user that comes to CSNTM.org. Whether a scholar immersed in the study of manuscripts or a curious individual drawn to the mystery and beauty of historic New Testaments, the website provides easy-to-find access to information and tools.

Showcase Page

We created a new page to act as a spotlight on special projects, discoveries, behind-the-scenes insights, and news. Check our showcase page regularly to learn more about the work of CSNTM. 

Manuscripts 101

We also added a resource for our website visitors who have not had technical or scholarly experience with manuscripts but want to learn more about the New Testament documents. This page explains the value of studying Greek New Testament manuscripts and walks through different features in them. Website users may follow Manuscripts 101 as a guide to interpret manuscript descriptions, tags, and filters in the CSNTM digital manuscript collection.

Providing access to the thousands of extant Greek New Testament manuscripts held by institutes across the world is just as important as capturing excellent images of each page. Both steps—digitization and presentation—extend the reach of the physical artifacts containing witness to the Greek New Testament, the largest textual tradition in history. The global pandemic which suddenly halted trips to physical libraries made the need  for access to digital images even more apparent. CSNTM strives to continuously improve our work to digitize Greek New Testament manuscripts and make them easily accessible for anyone who wishes to study them. We hope that the enhancements we announce now improve our website users’ experience and enhance our partnership with all who are engaged in the preservation and study of the New Testament.