Artificial intelligence is changing the way Bible researchers approach the study of Scripture. However, this is not just a privilege reserved for specialists—it is an adventure available to anyone with an internet connection.

In university laboratories, AI enables researchers to analyse ancient manuscripts without cutting them open for carbon dating. Anyone with an internet connection can access the AI algorithms behind the first completely free biblical chatbot, which was developed in Romania and is ready to instantly answer questions from beginners and advanced users alike.

An international study coordinated by Prof. Mladen Popović of the University of Groningen revealed that some of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be older than previously estimated, with some parchments proving to be contemporary with the authors of the original books.

One of these fragments, 4Q114, contains verses from the Book of Daniel and had previously been dated by classical palaeography to a generation later than the date determined by the Groningen study. The new dating places the fragment under study during Daniel’s lifetime. Similarly, a copy of Ecclesiastes appears to have been written during the time of King Solomon, who is believed to be its author.

To date the manuscripts, the researchers used artificial intelligence and statistical modelling, correlating the results with linguistic analysis to shed new light on the authorship of biblical texts in a revolutionary way. By identifying subtle patterns in the use of words, the researchers were able to hypothesise that some biblical texts appear to have been copied shortly after they were originally written.

While machine learning models help researchers decipher ancient scrolls, Adam—the first completely free Romanian Bible chatbot, launched by the AcademiaSperanţa.ro video course platform—provides users with quick answers and rich resources for studying Scripture.

Although designed for students of the Academia Speranţa (Hope Academy) platform, Adam is also accessible without creating an account and provides responses in English as well. Adam scans the entire Bible in under two seconds and can provide a relevant response in as little as 0.2 seconds. Extrapolating this performance, Adam could answer 10,000 questions in just five minutes. Powered by a vast library of resources, including biblical material equivalent to 40% of Wikipedia’s Romanian content, Adam is both a reliable companion for beginners and an intelligent interlocutor for advanced Scripture students.

How can all this knowledge be put to use in your studies? Simply by asking the right questions. A virtual assistant like Adam is all the more useful when you know how to challenge it. We have therefore organised the most common and productive dialogue prompts into 15 categories, each with two examples: one for “explorers” who are just starting out and one for “navigators” who are already familiar with Scripture.

1. Summary and synthesis:

Beginner: “Can you briefly summarise the story of Noah and his ark?”

Advanced: “Compare and contrast the literary structures of Genesis 6–9 and 1 Enoch 6–11, highlighting the common themes of judgement and salvation.”

2. Historical and cultural context:

Beginner: “What was daily life like in a Galilean village during Jesus’s time?”

Advanced: “Explain the impact of the Hasmonean political-religious alliances on temple practices in the first century BCE.”

3. Theological interpretation:

Beginner: “What does ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8) mean in a nutshell?”

Advanced: “Discuss the relationship between grace and justification in Romans 3:21–31 from a Pauline perspective, according to the new perspective on Paul.”

4. Practical applications:

Beginner: “How can I apply ‘Do not be anxious about anything’ (Philippians 4:6) to my exam tomorrow?”

Advanced: “Propose a biblical ethical framework for responsible investment decisions based on Proverbs 13:11 and Matthew 25:14–30.”

5. Original language

Beginner: “What does the word ‘amen’ mean in Hebrew?”

Advanced: “Analyse the semantic nuances of the word hesed in Psalm 136 by comparing the Septuagint, the Vulgate and the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

6. Connections and typologies:

Beginner: “In which other parts of the Bible does the idea of the good shepherd appear besides Psalm 23?”

Advanced: “Trace the typology of Joseph as a foreshadowing of Christ in Genesis 37–50, highlighting explicit parallels in the Gospels.”

7. Character study:

Beginner: “Tell me three important things about Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

Advanced: “Evaluate Peter’s development between the Gospels and 1 Peter using narrative discourse analysis.”

8. Contemporary ethical questions:

Beginner: “What does the Bible say about friendship, and how should I choose my friends?”

Advanced: “How can the theology of the cross inform bioethics regarding gene therapy?”

9. Spiritual disciplines

Beginner: “Help me to make a simple plan to read the Gospel of Mark in two weeks.”

Advanced: “Create a 30-day scripture reading plan centred on the theme of eschatological hope.”

10. Literary analysis and genres:

Beginner: “What is a parable, and why did Jesus use them?”

Advanced: “Apply the chiastic method to the structure of the Book of Ruth and explain its effect on the central message of divine hesed.”

11. Biblical archaeology:

Beginner: “Is there archaeological evidence that the walls of Jericho really did fall?”

Advanced: “Evaluate the discoveries in the destruction layer at Hazor (Late Bronze Age) in relation to the accounts in Joshua 11.”

12. Chronology:

Beginner: “Can you show me the most important moments in the life of Jesus in order?”

Advanced: “Reconstruct the chronology of Paul’s three missionary journeys.”

13. Biblical symbolism:

Beginner: “Why does the number 40 appear so often in the Bible?”

Advanced: “Analyse the significance of the apocalyptic numbers 666 and 144,000 in the context of first-century eschatology.”

14. Historical apologetics:

Beginner: “How can I easily explain that the Bible does not contradict itself?”

Advanced: “Harmonise the accounts of Jesus’s resurrection in the four Gospels, using the accounts of the guards and female witnesses, and the sequence of appearances, as criteria.”

15. Pastoral counselling and spiritual leadership:

Beginner: “What verse can I use to encourage a sad friend?”

Advanced: “Propose a biblical framework for trauma counselling that combines Psalm 42, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, and modern concepts of pastoral psychology.”

Artificial intelligence and risks

These categories and questions are just a starting point for discovering how to personalise dialogue with the Adam chatbot. The purpose of the dialogue is to deepen our understanding of Scripture, starting from where we are when we open the chat window. However, more sensitive questions naturally arise: Does artificial intelligence risk replacing the role of the Holy Spirit in interpreting Scripture, giving people the illusion of thorough study?

The answer lies less in the specifics of the technology and more in our attitude towards it. Risks materialise when we treat a chatbot as an all-knowing entity, or a confidant. However, if we consider artificial intelligence to be an information management tool comparable to an extremely well-organised library, capable of identifying the most relevant sources for our questions with great precision, our relationship with this technology is radically transformed. Rather than delegating discernment to a robot, we enrich our own discernment.

When discussing the danger of feigning profundity, we must acknowledge that the temptation to approach the Bible with intellectual pride predates technology. The risk of confusing the accumulation of knowledge with transformation—the profound spiritual change that occurs when humans glimpse God in the pages of Scripture—has always been present. What prevents this risk from becoming a reality today, as it always has, is sincere recognition of our limitations, and openness to divine guidance.

The call of the text

In a poetic sense, the millennia separating a Qumran scroll from a smartphone screen are transformed in milliseconds by artificial intelligence. However, this acceleration does not negate the essential prerequisite for studying the Bible: the willingness to accept the text as a call. This is why the real success of new tools lies less in their computational power and more in how that power is used ethically.

In academia, algorithmic models are refining the dating of manuscripts more and more, and are enabling the creation of lexical maps that would have taken a lifetime of research to compile. On a personal level, technology bypasses language barriers, reduces gaps in access to information, and compresses time. This allows users to engage in dialogue with the biblical text as if they had a permanent council of experts at their disposal.

This encourages a huge diversity of starting points for study, as everyone can tailor their questions to their level of preparation, and the challenges they face. If we view artificial intelligence not just as a tool for providing quick answers, but also as a non-judgemental framework for study, we can envisage an educational space where users feel freer to develop than in other contexts. This is a space that we should cultivate in our relationships with one another.