CONCEPT OF A SPATIO-TEMPORAL GEOINFORMATION SYSTEM OF THE BIBLE EVENTS - DATABASE APPROACH

摘要

The paper presents the concept of a spatio-temporal geoinformation system of the Bible events. In 2006 in the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography in Warsaw, the research project dealing with the concept of a complex time related spatial information system was undertaken. The main goal of this project was to create a spatio-temporal system, which allows to connect the Bible contents, namely the geographical objects indicated in the Bible with the geospace, presented on various geographic and Bible thematic maps. The proposed spatio-temporal system consists of three databases: the reference maps database, the geographic objects database and the thematic database. The reference maps database consists of DTM and vector maps in three scales: 1:20 000 000, 1:1 000 000 and 1:200 000 depending on the extent of the mapped territory. The most up-to-date topographical maps in various scales, as well as, the satellite images and the digitalal terrain models (DTM) were used for compilation of reference maps. In the geographic object database the list of all geographical objects occurring in the Bible is located. For all objects the status of the degree of their identification in the geospace is given. The changes of names of the geographical objects within the various periods of history are introduced to the database. Also a brief description of each object is added. In the geographic object database the list of all geographical objects occurring in the Bible is located. For each one geographic name its appearance in the Bible text is indicated. Also the brief description of each object is added. In the thematic database, the Bible events are listed in chronological order and described in accordance with the Bible texts and non Bible sources. Due to the interaction of the information incorporated in these databases, the reader of the Bible, has a connection with the proper maps and location of the geographic object and has an access to the additional information regarding accuracy of identification, appearance of the name of this object in all chapters in the Bible and description of this object in the various periods of history.