Old Testament Elijah (as promised by the prophet Malachi, whose book now ends the Old Testament and precedes Mark's account of John the Baptist). None predicted a Messiah who suffers and dies for the sins of all the people. The story of Jesus' death therefore involved a profound shift in meaning from the tradition of the Old Testament. The name "Old Testament" reflects Christianity's understanding of itself as the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy of a New Covenant (which is similar to "testament" and often conflated) to replace the existing covenant between God and Israel (Jeremiah 31:31). The emphasis, however, has shifted from
Society for Old Testament Study 1973), The World of Ancient Israel: Sociological, Anthropological and Political Perspectives (ed. R.E. Clements; Cambridge, 1989), and SOTS at 100: Centennial Essays of the Society for Old Testament Study (ed. J. Jarick; London, 2017). The Society sponsors the SOTS Monograph Series, published by Cambridge University Press, and a series of Study Guides to the Old Testament, published by Bloomsbury T&T Clark. Since 1946 it publishes an annual SOTS Book List (appearing also as an issue of the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament), offering short reviews of hundreds of publications in the field of Hebrew Bible / Old