The Database of Religious History as an Open-Access Digital Resource for the Study of the Ancient Mediterranean World

In the current digital world, there is an incredible amount of information at our fingertips. In fact, there is so much information that the sheer amount of data can be overwhelming. As historians, archaeologists, and cultural heritage experts, a significant amount of research or the use of assistants can be necessary simply to shift through centuries of publications to compile relevant resources before cultural questions can be adequately explored. This challenge compounds when attempting cross-cultural analyses. The Database of Religious History (DRH) was initially created in 2012 by Dr. Edward Slingerland as a digital tool designed to help offset these challenges and provide a means for experts, students, and historical enthusiasts to begin to explore significant religious questions without wading through centuries of data. In this article, the authors discuss how information for the DRH is collected from experts, and how it can be organized and queried to explore religious questions. While the database covers the global history of religion, this discussion focuses in particular on its use for exploring the ancient Mediterranean world. The authors also discuss pedagogical resources for incorporating the DRH into classrooms to improve students’ digital literacy.