From the early days of the church to the present, the Old Testament Law has been a subject of much confusion, debate, and outright theological division. And with good reason: the way Christians understand the Law has massive implications for their individual lives and for the life of the church. To sort through the numerous interpretations and approaches to this thorny issue, we need to start with a solid knowledge of the Law itself. Richard Averbeck provides a comprehensive, accessible discussion of how the Law fits into the arc of the Bible and its relevance to the church today. Beginning with the way God intended the Law to work in its original historical and cultural context, he then explores the New Testament perspective on the Law. Averbeck identifies three biblical theological theses: the Law is good, the Law is weak, and the Law is a unified whole. Rejecting common partitions between categories of law, he makes the case that the whole Law applies to the Christian. Our task is to discern how it applies in the light of Christ. The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church invites readers to consider how all of Scripture is illuminating and useful for God's people. The church, as the new temple, has much to learn from the Law and about what it means for our doctrine and practice.

James Hoffmeier is a giant in the field of Egyptology. Among his many publications are two volumes of archaeological reports from Tell el-Borg, where he led excavations from 1999 to 2008. He is also well known for his interest in how ancient Egypt and the biblical world intersected, having edited and written several books on the subject, including the recent “Did I Not Bring Israel Out of Egypt?” Biblical, Archaeological, and Egyptological Perspectives on the Exodus Narratives, published by Eisenbrauns. Dedicated to Hoffmeier, this volume features essays written by more than thirty of his colleagues, former students, and friends. The contributions cover the second and first millennia BCE—from the Egyptian Old Kingdom through the Persian period—as well as New Testament times. The subjects covered include archaeology, biblical studies, Egyptology, and, of course, how these fields intersect with one another. Among the many contributors are Aaron A. Burke, Deirdre Fulton, Rick Hess, Edmund Meltzer, Alan Millard, Steven Ortiz, Donald B. Redford, Gary A. Rendsburg, and Nili Shupak. This volume will be of interest to scholars and students who, following in the footsteps of Hoffmeier, are interested in how the biblical world interacted with ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East.