b'BIBLICAL STUDIES AND THEOLOGYThe Ichthus Christogram and Other Early Christian SymbolsJ. Daniel HaysScattered around the Mediterranean world, attentive modern-day visitors will notice a symbol depicting an eight-spoked wheel carved into stone walls, floors, and funerary art. This symbol has long been considered the remnants of an ancient game or the work of vandals, but author J.Daniel Hays argues its proliferation was the work of the early church, and it should be included in the greater corpus of Christian art, iconography, and symbolism. In The Ichthus Christogram and Other Early Christian Symbols, Dr. Hays examines the early churchs visual symbolic world and its his-tory following the acts of the apostlesfrom the Great Persecution to the Christianization of the pagan world. Along the way, he takes the reader to key cities of ancient Turkey, Greece, and Israel to explore the political, architectural, and religious backgrounds of local churches and how such contexts informed their use of the eight-spoked Ichthus Christogram to teach orthodoxy and combat heresies, to remind illiterate believers of the basic tenets of the faith, and to declare victory over demonic forces. This is a must-read for students of church history and ancient Christian art.Christiansymbols(includingthisone)playedavisualrolein Christian victory over paganism, protection from the spirits, and the cleansing of spaces. There are aha moments throughout this wonderfully readable book. I highly commend it to all curious Christians looking for a peep into our past. E. Randolph RichardsResearch Professor of New Testament, Palm Beach Atlantic UniversityThis book makes an important contribution to the material cul-ture of the earliest Christians and offers new insights into their faith and courage.Dana M. HarrisProfessor and Department Chair, New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity SchoolJ. Daniel Hays (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Ouachita Baptist University. He is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of seventeen books, including The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, Grasping Gods Word, Gods Relational Presence, and The Temple and the Tabernacle. He has led a number of biblical studies trips to the Holy Land.KREGELA C A D E M I C RELATED TITLES978-0-8254-4821-8$27.99 The Prophets ofFaith-Affirming Paperback6 x 9272 pages Israel Findings978-0-8254-4572-9978-0-8254-4885-0 RELIGION / Antiquities & Archaeology $47.99 $46.99Kregel AcademicRights: WorldAvailablekregel.com/academic13'