Melchizedek

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For other uses, see Melchizedek (disambiguation).
Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67
Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek — by Dieric Bouts the Elder, 1464–67

Melchizedek is an enigmatic figure twice mentioned in the Hebrew Tanakh and in the Christian Old Testament. His name is known in several forms: Melchizedek or Malki-tzédek or Melchisedech. In Hebrew his name is pointed as מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק or מַלְכִּי־צָדֶק, pronounced in standard Hebrew as Malki-ẓédeq or Malki-ẓádeq and in Tiberian vocalization as Malkî-ṣéḏeq or Malkî-ṣāḏeq. In Greek he appears as Μελχισεδέκ (both in the Septuagint and the New Testament). In Latin he appears as Melchisedech (in the Vulgate) or Melchisedec. In English in the Authorized King James Version he originally (in 1611) appeared as Melchizedek in the Old Testament and Melchisedek in the New Testament. He is commemorated as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 30.

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[edit] Name and titles

Melchizedek's name can be translated (from Hebrew) either as King of Zedek or as King of Righteousness. The former translation treats Zedek as a proper noun presumably referring to a Canaanite deity with that name. In Genesis, Melchizedek is also referred to as king of Salem (possibly the same as ancient Jerusalem),[1] and priest of El Elyon. El-Elyon can be translated as most high god, and is usually interpreted as a reference to the sole God of the Old Testament. Some scholars believe however that it refers to Zedek - regarding El Elyon as referring to the most high god, and using Melchizedek's name as the indicator of who the deity was. [2]

If those scholars who take the name as a reference to Zedek are right, it would imply that Zedek was the main deity worshipped at Salem at that time. Jerusalem is possibly referred to as city of Zedek (ir ha-zedek) in the Book of Isaiah[3], as well as home of Zedek (neweh zedek) in the Book of Jeremiah[4] and as gates of Zedek (sha'are zedek) in the Book of Psalms[5], though in each of these cases zedek is usually, and equally plausibly, translated as righteous (as in city of righteousness).[6]

[edit] Biblical Narrative

Statue of Melchizedek. Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome.
Statue of Melchizedek. Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome.

The name Melchizedek occurs just twice in the Tanakh, at (Genesis 14:18) and at (Psalms 110:4). In the first of these references, Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abram after Abram's victory over the four kings (led by Chedorlaomer) who had overrun Sodom and Gomorrah and had taken Abram's nephew Lot prisoner. Melchizedek is also described as blessing Abram in the name of El Elyon (see name and titles section above). Then "he gave him a tenth of everything" (a translation which preserves the ambiguity of the original).[7]

[edit] Classical Rabbinical interpretation

In the Midrash, the Rabbis identified Melchizedek with Shem son of Noah. (E.g., Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 32b; Genesis Rabbah 46:7; Genesis Rabbah 56:10; Leviticus Rabbah 25:6; Numbers Rabbah 4:8.) Rabbi Isaac the Babylonian said that Melchizedek was born circumcised. (Genesis Rabbah 43:6.) Melchizedek called Jerusalem “Salem.” (Genesis Rabbah 56:10.) The Rabbis said that Melchizedek instructed Abraham in the Torah. (Genesis Rabbah 43:6.) Rabbi Eleazar said that Melchizedek’s school was one of three places where the Holy Spirit manifested Himself. (Babylonian Talmud Makkot 23b.) The Rabbis taught that Melchizedek acted as a priest and handed down Adam’s robes to Abraham. (Numbers Rabbah 4:8.) Rabbi Zechariah said on Rabbi Ishmael’s authority that God intended to bring forth the priesthood through Melchizedek’s descendants, but because Melchizedek blessed Abraham before he blessed God (in Gen. 14:19-20), God brought the priesthood forth from Abraham’s descendants. (Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 32b; see also Leviticus Rabbah 25:6 (crediting Rabbi Ishamel).)

Rabbi Judah said in Rabbi Nehorai's name that Melchizedek’s blessing yielded prosperity for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis Rabbah 43:8.) Ephraim Miksha'ah the disciple of Rabbi Meir said in the latter's name that Tamar descended from Melchizedek. (Genesis Rabbah 85:10.)

Rabbi Hana bar Bizna citing Rabbi Simeon Hasida identified Melchizedek as one of the four craftsmen of whom Zechariah wrote in Zechariah 2:3. (Babylonian Talmud Sukkah 52b; see also Song of Songs Rabbah 2:33 (crediting Rabbi Berekiah in the name of Rabbi Isaac).) The Talmud teaches that David wrote the Book of Psalms, including in it the work of the elders, including Melchizedek (in Psalm 110). (Babylonian Talmud Baba Batra 14b-15a.)

The Zohar finds in “Melchizedek king of Salem” a reference to “the King Who rules with complete sovereignty,” or according to another explanation, that “Melchizedek” alludes to the lower world and “king of Salem” to the upper world. (Zohar 1:86b-87a.)

[edit] Shem and Melchizedek

Shem lived five hundred years after fathering Arkpasad, and then died at the age of six hundred (Gen. 11:10, 11). Therefore, his death took place thirteen years after the death of Sarah (1881 B.C.) and ten years after Rebecca and Isaac married (1878 B.C.) In that light, it has been opined that it is possible that Shem might have been Melchizedek (which does translate to King of Righteousness), the priest-king to whom Abraham paid tithes (Gen 14: 18-20). This interpretation was supported by Jewish midrashim.

[edit] The Melchizedek Priesthood and Christianity

Main article: Melchizedek priesthood

In the New Testament, references to Melchizedek appear only in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Jesus the Christ is there identified as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek"[8] and so Jesus plays the role of High Priest once and for all.

Abraham's transfer of goods to Melchizedek is seen to imply that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham, in that Abraham is tithing to him. Thus, Melchizedek's (Jesus') priesthood is superior to the Aaronic priesthood, and the Jerusalem temple is unnecessary.

[edit] Latter-day Saint Beliefs Concerning Melchizedek

The Book of Mormon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints describes the work of Melchizedek in Salem in Alma 13:17-19. According to Alma, Melchizedek was King over the wicked people of Salem, but because of his righteousness, his people repented of their wickedness and became a peaceful city. With respect to Old Testament prophets, Alma declares that "there were many before [Melchizedek], and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater."

Also, in Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible, Melchizedek is described as "a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions." Because of his fear of God, Melchizedek was "ordained an high priest." The Translation also describes Melchizedek as establishing peace in his city and being called "the king of heaven" and "the King of peace" (JST Bible Gen 14:18-24).

Other Latter-day Saint views on Melchizedek closely match the King James Bible. They focus heavily on Melchizedek as having the Melchizedek Priesthood named after him.

[edit] Gnostic Beliefs

A collection of early Gnostic scripts found in 1945, known as the Nag Hammadi Library, contains a tractate pertaining to Melchizedek. Here it is proposed that Melchizedek is Jesus Christ[9]. Melchizedek, as Jesus Christ, lives, preaches, dies and is resurrected, in a gnostic perspective. 'The Coming of the Son of God Melchizedek' speaks of his return to bring peace, supported by the gods, and he is a priest-king who dispenses justice.

[edit] Confusion over Melchizedek's lineage

See also: List of people who have claimed to be immortal

Hebrews 7:3 creates some confusion between denominations regarding Melchizedek's nature and background. This is how it stands in the KJV, describing Melchizedek as:

"Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."

Different denominations interpret this in vastly different ways. Some say that Melchizedek is literally like the Son of God (or even is the Son of God) in that he has no father or mother. Others say that he has been adopted into Christ's lineage through the Lord's suffering, [10] still others claim that the verse has been mistranslated, and that the Priesthood Melchizedek held is what is without lineage, not Melchizedek. [11] Others claim that the verse merely represents Melchizedek's not being a priesthood holder because of lineage (i.e. "without descent" meaning not a descendent of Levi as required by Mosaic Law.)[12]

The Book of the Bee, a Syriac text, also offers insights contrary to Melchizedek's purported immortal nature:

"NEITHER the fathers nor mother of this Melchizedek were written down in the genealogies; not that he had no natural parents, but that p. 34 they were not written down. The greater number of the doctors say that he was of the seed of Canaan, whom Noah cursed. In the book of Chronography, however, (the author) affirms and says that he was of the seed of Shem the son of Noah. Shem begat Arphaxar, Arphaxar begat Cainan, and Cainan begat Shâlâh and Mâlâh, Shâlâh was written down in the genealogies; but Mâlâh was not, because his affairs were not sufficiently important to be written down in the genealogies. When p. 35 Noah died, he commanded Shem concerning the bones of Adam, for they were with them in the ark, and were removed from the land of Eden to this earth. Then Shem entered the ark, and sealed it with his father's seal, and said to his brethren, 'My father commanded me to go and see the sources of the rivers and the seas and the structure of the earth, and to return.' And he said to Mâlâh the father of Melchizedek, and to Yôzâdâk his mother...."[13]

[edit] Latter-day Saint Stance

According to the Doctrine and Covenants, Melchizedek is a descendant of Noah (LDS Church Section 84:14; Community of Christ Section 83:2e).

[edit] Retranslations and Re-interpretations

The "traditional" translations of the Tanakh all go back to the Septuagint. Suggestions have been made that the Septuagint translations and their successors may be mistaken in their interpretation of the Hebrew. Some examples follow, using the Authorized King James Version (KJV) as representative of modern translations.

  1. For the second half of Psalms 110:4 the KJV has Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. For the same place the New Jewish Publication Society of America Version, 1985 edition, has You are a priest forever, a rightful king by My decree.
  2. For the last sentence of Genesis 14:20 the KJV has And he gave him tithes of all. Kamal Salibi observes that the Hebrew wordֹ מַעֲשֵׂר m'sr which does indeed mean tenth could perhaps also mean just portion and the word מִכֹּל m-kl, taken to mean from all, could certainly also mean food, so that the whole means simply He gave him a morsel of food. [14]
  3. At the beginning of Genesis 14:18 the KJV has And Melchizedek king of Salem .... The New American Bible translation of this verse (see Genesis 14:18) has a footnote which says that instead of the present melek shalem ("king of Salem"), the original may have been melek shelomo ("a king allied to him").
  4. Also at the beginning of Genesis 14:18 where the KJV has And Melchizedek king of Salem .... Salibi cites archaic words in Arabic dictionaries to show that the word interpreted as Melchizedek can be understood as two words, meaning mounthful of offering, so the verse begins And food the king of Salem brought out, bread and wine ... [14]

Immediately before and after this short passage in Genesis 14, in verses 17 and 21, Abram is represented as in conversation with the King of Sodom. The implication of retranslations 2 and 4 above is to say that the king (whichever one) brought out food, then gave his blessing, then he and Abram broke bread together. The net effect of retranslations 3 and 4 might imply that the whole interchange was with the King of Sodom.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ For example Josephus makes this identification, see   "Melchisedech". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company. 
  2. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, Melchizedek
  3. ^ Isaiah 1:21–26
  4. ^ Jeremiah 31:23
  5. ^ Psalm 118:19
  6. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, ibid
  7. ^ Genesis 14:18-20
  8. ^ Hebrews 5:6, quoting from Ps. 110:4
  9. ^ Robinson et al, 1978, "The Nag Hammadi Library".
  10. ^ Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of
  11. ^ Joseph Smith Translation: Heb. 7: 3
  12. ^ Melchizedek
  13. ^ Chapter XXI - Of Melchizedek
  14. ^ a b Kamal Salibi, The Bible Came from Arabia Jonathan Cape, 1985, chapter 12
  15. ^ Melchizedek Bible - The Dominion of Melchizedek