In recent years our knowledge of the individual parts of the Bible has increased greatly, but our understanding of how they fit together has not kept pace. In particular, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments has been a neglected field of study.

The latest in IVP's developing family of New Dictionaries, the 'New Dictionary of Biblical Theology' is an essential tool for students, preachers and ministers, as well as for scholars and others seeking a better grasp of the Bible's teaching.

The aim of this prestigious dictionary is to integrate the various biblical books and themes into the overarching story of the Scriptures. The volume embodies three perspectives on biblical theology, which are reflected in its structure.

Desmond Alexander is senior lecturer in biblical studies and director of postgraduate studies at Union Theological College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. From 1980 to 1999, he was lecturer in Semitic studies at the Queen's University of Belfast. His main field of research is the Pentateuch, about which he has written extensively in academic journals and books. Alexander also has a special interest in the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. He is the author of From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Main Themes of the Pentateuchand Abraham in the Negev,and he is a coeditor (with Brian S. Rosner) of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (IVP, 2000).