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107-623: Melchizedek is a king and priest appearing in the Book of Genesis . The name means "King of Righteousness" – a name echoing kingly and priestly functions. He is the first individual to be given the title Kohen (priest) in the Hebrew Bible . In the King James Version the Book of Psalms 110:4 names Melchizedek as representative of the priestly line through which a future king of Israel 's Davidic line

214-855: A priest and handed down Adam's robes to Abram (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 Abram in the Torah . (Genesis Rabbah 43:6.) Rabbi Eleazar said that Melchizedek's school was one of three places where the Holy Spirit ( Ruach HaKodesh ) manifested himself (Babylonian Talmud Makkot 23b). Rabbi Judah said in Rabbi Nehorai's name that Melchizedek's blessing yielded prosperity for Abram, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis Rabbah 43:8). Ephraim Miksha'ah

321-616: A " tenth of everything ". In Christianity , according to the Epistle to the Hebrews , Jesus Christ is identified as "High priest forever in the order of Melchizedek", and so Jesus assumes the role of High Priest once and for all. Chazalic literature – specifically Targum Jonathan , Targum Yerushalmi , and the Babylonian Talmud – presents his name ( מלכי־צדק ‎ ) as a nickname for Shem . Joseph Blenkinsopp has suggested that

428-661: A "Canaanite chief" in The Jewish War , but as a priest in Antiquities of the Jews . Philo identifies Melchizedek with the Logos as priest of God, and honoured as an untutored priesthood. The Second Book of Enoch (also called "Slavonic Enoch") is apparently a Jewish sectarian work of the 1st century AD. The last section of the work, the Exaltation of Melchizedek , tells how Melchizedek

535-573: A change also of the law" (Hebrews 7:11-12). The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament discussed this subject considerably, listing the following reasons for why the priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to the Aaronic priesthood: The epistle goes on to say that the covenant of Jesus is superior to the covenant the Levitical priesthood is under. Some Christians hold that Melchizedek

642-470: A king of Salem, mentioned in Joshua 10:1–3, where the element malik ('king') is replaced by adon ('lord'). Parallel theophoric names , with Sedeq replaced by Yahu , are those of Malchijah and Adonijah , both biblical characters placed in the time of David . The narrative of Genesis 14 is part of the larger story telling how Abram returns from defeating king Chedorlaomer and meets with Bera

749-592: A letter ו ‎ ( vav ). William F. Albright views the Samaritan wording as authentic as does the New American Bible . Regarding the residence of Melchizedek, Samaritan tradition identified a "Salem" as a place on the slopes of Mount Gerizim which served as a blessing place of the children of Israel upon their initial crossing of the Jordan river. The Samaritans allocate Gerizim (and not Jerusalem) as

856-540: A number of different things, such as a group of Christians in one sect leaving for another more conservative sect, one of which the author disapproves. Some have seen apostasy as a move from the Christian assembly to pagan ritual. In light of a possibly Jewish-Christian audience, the apostasy in this sense may be in regard to Jewish Christians leaving the Christian assembly to return to the Jewish synagogue . The focus on "purifying"

963-445: A personal name but changes the identity of the person addressed: "You are a priest forever by my order (or 'on my account'), O Melchizedek" – here it is Melchizedek who is being addressed throughout the psalm. The majority of Chazalic literature attributes the primary character of the psalm as King David who was a "righteous king" ( מלכי צדק ‎ ) of Salem and, like Melchizedek, had certain priest-like responsibilities, while

1070-511: A priest forever." Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine, which Christians generally consider to pre-figure the Eucharist , being symbols or sacraments of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and perhaps a sacrifice to confirm a covenant. Catholics believe that Melchizedek was a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ(CCC 1544). In Genesis 14:18, Melchizedek offers a sacrifice of bread and wine. Catholics believe that Christ therefore fulfilled

1177-511: 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). The Zohar's commentary on Genesis 14 cites a Rabbi Yitzchak as saying that it was God who gave tithe to Abram in the form of removing the Hebrew letter He from his throne of glory and presenting it to

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1284-479: A similar explanation but varies by saying that only Abram's men partook in the booty (originally belonging to the king of Sodom) whereas the Melchizedek intrusion explains that Abram himself was sustained by Melchizedek since he refused to consume of the luxury of Sodom because his Lord was of the non-material world. Likewise, the commentary of Chaim ibn Attar (17th century) offers a three-pronged slew of reasons for

1391-545: A tenth of God's possession of the entire human race (consisting of seventy nations as described in Genesis ) in the form of the seven nations of the land of Canaan , including the cities of Sodom that Abram succeeded in saving. Rabbi Meir Simcha argues that continued speech of this sort was a common form of prophetic expression. The second and final Hebrew Bible mention of Melchizedek is in Psalm 110:4. The many translations that follow

1498-562: Is Zedek ' ), also transliterated Melchisedech , Melchisedec , Malkisedek or Malki Tzedek , was the king of Salem and priest of El Elyon (often translated as 'most high God'). He is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18–20, where he brings out bread and wine and then blesses Abram , and El Elyon or "the Lord, God Most High". Abram was returning from pursuing the kings who came from the East and gave him

1605-510: Is Hebrews 3:1–6. D'Angelo and others regard the larger context of this passage (3:1–4:16) to be the superiority of Christ's message to the Law. While the comparison between Jesus and the angels is based on a number of OT citations, the comparison of Jesus and Moses turns on a single verse, Nu. 12:7. Like the angels (1:14), Moses was a servant who witnessed, as it were, to the Son. In other words, 'faithful Sonship

1712-579: Is also called the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:2), as well as the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14). Later, Melchizedek's people were, according to Joseph Smith , caught up, or " translated ", to meet the city of Enoch ( Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 14:34). The priesthood is referred to by the name of Melchizedek because he was such a great high priest (Doctrine & Covenants Section 107:2 ). The Doctrine and Covenants states that before Melchizedek's day

1819-523: Is commonly referred to as supersessionism . According to the theology of supersessionism, the church replaces Israel, and thus the church takes the place of Israel as the people of God. The dominant interpretation in modern Hebrews scholarship has been that the epistle contains an implicit supersessionist claim (that the Levitical sacrifices and the Levitical priests have been replaced/superseded by Christ's sacrifice). Per Bibliowicz, Hebrews scholars may be divided into those that are supportive-sympathetic to

1926-516: Is difficult to convey and grasp. The implementation of this theological claim eventually led to the negation and disenfranchisement of Judaizing followers of Jesus, and later, of all non-Christian Jews. Those to whom Hebrews is written seem to have begun to doubt whether Jesus could really be the Messiah for whom they were waiting. The Book of Hebrews argues that the Hebrew Scriptures foretold that

2033-504: Is evident that the Holy Spirit made this woman Priscilla a teacher of teachers". Later proposed by Adolf von Harnack in 1900, Harnack's reasoning won the support of prominent Bible scholars of the early-20th century. Harnack believes the letter was written in Rome – not to the Church, but to the inner circle. In setting forth his evidence for Priscillan authorship, he finds it amazing that the name of

2140-443: Is more likely that the verses should be understood, 'as a Christological hymn which traces the entire Christ event, including the pre-existence, earthly life, and exaltation of Christ'. The overall structure of the catena seems to point to exaltation as the underlying motif... At least it may be concluded that the superiority of the Son is demonstrated by this comparison/contrast with angels. Peter Rhea Jones has reminded us that 'Moses

2247-407: Is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises" (Hebrews 7:5-6). If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity

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2354-434: Is not merely one of the figures compared unfavourably to Jesus'; but rather, 'Moses and Jesus are yoked throughout the entirety of the epistle'. Allowing that Moses is much more than a 'whipping boy' for the author, the fact remains that the figure Moses is utilized as a basis for Christology. While there are several references to Moses, only two will be needed to demonstrate Jesus' superiority. The first passage to be considered

2461-465: Is often dismissed since Hebrews 7:2 gives the translation of the name Melchizedek as "king of righteousness", although Robert R. Cargill has recently argued in favour of that etymology. Mainstream scholarly understanding of these names ("My King is Righteousness" and "My Lord is Righteousness" respectively) is that they refer to the concept of righteousness and not to a god. The name is formed in parallel with Adoni-ṣedeq אדני־צדק ‎ , also

2568-588: Is really encouraged by the Epistle itself... is that Hebrews was addressed to the place where it first made its appearance, i.e. to Rome." Scholars have suggested that Hebrews is part of an internal New Testament debate between the extreme Judaizers (who argued that non-Jews must convert to Judaism before they can receive the Holy Spirit of Jesus' New Covenant ) versus the extreme antinomians (who argued that Jews must reject God's commandments and that Jewish law

2675-452: Is referred to again in Hebrews 5:6-10; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:1-21: "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek"; and Hebrews 8:1. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent

2782-502: Is referred to as a companion. Timothy was Paul's missionary companion in the same way Jesus sent disciples out in pairs. The writer also states that he wrote the letter from "Italy", which also at the time fits Paul. The difference in style is explained as simply an adjustment to a distinct audience, to the Jewish Christians who were being persecuted and pressured to go back to traditional Judaism . Many scholars now believe that

2889-557: Is superior to faithful servantship'. The Son is once again exalted. The exaltation theme finds expression in a more opaque way at 11:26. Here in the famous chapter on faith in which Moses is said to count 'abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt'. The portrait of Moses drawn here is that of a martyr, and a Christian martyr at that. In effect, Moses joins that great cloud of witnesses who looked to Jesus as pioneer and perfecter of faith. Once again, Christ's superiority

2996-513: Is the Messiah spoken of as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek" ( Ps. 110:4 ), and so Jesus plays the role of the king-priest once and for all. According to the writer of Hebrews (7:13-17) Jesus is considered a priest in the order of Melchizedek because, like Melchizedek, Jesus was not a descendant of Aaron , and thus would not qualify for the Jewish priesthood under the Law of Moses . Melchizedek

3103-547: Is written as two words, Malki-ṣedeq מלכי־צדק ‎ , rendered in one word in both the Septuagint ( Μελχισεδέκ ) and Vulgate ( Melchisedech ). The Authorised King James Version of 1611 renders the name "Melchizedek" when translating from the Hebrew, and "Melchisedec" in the New Testament. The name is composed from the two elements: melek(h) , 'king', and ṣedeq , which means either 'righteousness' or

3210-552: The Babylonian Talmud understands the chapter as referring to Abram who was victorious in battling to save his nephew Lot and merited priesthood. The Zohar defines the noted Melchizedek as referring to Ahron the Kohen Gadol (high priest). The Samaritan Pentateuch reads שלמו ‎ ( lit.   ' his peace ' or in contextual flow 'allied with him') in place of the Masoretic שלם ‎ ( Salem ), with addition of

3317-486: The New Testament state that the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoil to Melchizedek. Psalm 110:4 is cited in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews as an indicator that Jesus, regarded in the letter as the Messiah, had a right to a priesthood pre-dating the Jewish Aaronic priesthood (Hebrews 5:5–6). The Mishnah recounts that Hasmonean rulers used to identify themselves as "High Priest of El Elyon ": "When

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3424-491: The Old Testament – specifically to the Septuagint text. The Epistle to the Hebrews is notable for the manner in which it expresses the divine nature of Christ . As A.C. Purdy summarized for The Interpreter's Bible : We may sum up our author's Christology negatively by saying that he has nothing to do with the older Hebrew messianic hopes of a coming Son of David, who would be a divinely empowered human leader to bring in

3531-542: The Rishonim era (11th to 15th centuries) have explained the (seemingly) abrupt intrusion of Melchizedek into the narration in various ways; Hezekiah ben Manoah ( c.  1250 ) points out that the following verses have Abraham refusing any of the king of Sodom's possessions which, if not for the insertion of Melchizedek's hospitality, would prompt the query as to where Abraham and his weary men got their refreshments from. The Rashbam, Shmuel ben Meir (11th century), offers

3638-574: The Second Temple . It also may have been inserted to give validity to the superiority of the Zadokite priests over the Levite priests. Lebanese Protestant scholar Kamal Salibi (1929–2011) observes that Hebrew : ֹמַעֲשֵׂר ‎ , m'sr , which literally does mean 'tenth', might more loosely be used to mean 'portion', and Hebrew : מִכֹּל ‎ , m-kl , or 'from all', might refer just to food in

3745-581: The West Bank and part of the Dead Sea Scrolls . Melchizedek is seen as a divine being in the text and is referred to as "El" or " Elohim ", titles usually reserved for God. According to the text, Melchizedek will proclaim the "Day of Atonement " and he will atone for the people who are predestined to him. He also will judge the peoples. The Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) repeats information from Genesis. The Qumran Scrolls , also indicate that Melchizedek

3852-505: The Zohar commentary to Genesis 14 cites Rabbi Yitzchak as saying that it was God who gave a tithe to Abram in the form of removing the Hebrew letter He from his own throne of glory and presenting it to the soul of Abram for his benefit. Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) interprets the phrase "And he gave him tithe from all" as a verbal continuation of Melchizedek's speech, i.e., Melchizedek exclaimed that God had chosen to gift Abram

3959-461: The "conscience/consciousness" (9:9; 9:14; 10:2; 10:22) has also been viewed as key for the writing of Hebrews. The author writes, "Let us hold fast to our confession". The epistle has been viewed as a long, rhetorical argument for having confidence in the new way to God revealed in Jesus Christ. The book could be argued to affirm special creation . It says that God by his Son, Jesus Christ, made

4066-609: The Apostle , Luke the Evangelist , Silas , Apollos , and Priscilla and Aquila as possible authors. In the 3rd century, Origen wrote of the letter: In the epistle entitled To The Hebrews the diction does not exhibit the characteristic roughness of speech or phraseology admitted by the Apostle [Paul] himself, the construction of the sentences is closer to the Greek usage, as anyone capable of recognising differences of style would agree. On

4173-576: The Baptist and of the Levites. According to the Book of Mormon , the prophet Melchizedek preached repentance to the people of a wicked city, and established peace in the land. According to Alma 13:18 , Melchizedek's efforts earned him the title "the prince of peace". Of particular importance is the parallel Hebrew meaning of "prince of peace" and "king of Salem", another of Melchizedek's titles, and his association with (or typology of) Jesus Christ, who

4280-573: The Book of Psalms , including in it the work of the elders, including Melchizedek. Thus according to Jewish legend, confusion over Melchizedek being both King and Priest is solved by knowing that Shem was also a progenitor of the Davidic Monarchy, which descended from both Judah and Tamar , who was sentenced to 'death by fire' when accused of committing prostitution as the daughter of high priest Shem. The Zohar (redacted by Moses de León c.  1290s ) finds in "Melchizedek king of Salem"

4387-451: The Epistle to the Hebrews closely parallels presentations of the messianic priest and Melchizedek in the Qumran scrolls. In both Hebrews and Qumran, a priestly figure is discussed in the context of a Davidic figure; in both cases a divine decree appoints the priests to their eschatological duty; both priestly figures offer an eschatological sacrifice of atonement. Although the author of Hebrews

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4494-688: The Hasmonean kingdom became strong and defeated the Greeks, they instituted that people should mention the name of Heaven even in their legal documents. And therefore they would write: In year such and such of Yoḥanan the High Priest of the God Most High." Scholars have observed that the Hasmoneans used Melchizedek's example of monarch-priest to justify occupying both offices. Josephus refers to Melchizedek as

4601-504: The Jewish nation. This commission is believed in Judaism to be "a covenant of everlasting priesthood " and not eligible for replacement by other tribes of Israel . Judaic midrash (exegesis) identifies Melchizedek with Shem the son of Noah . Although the Book of Genesis affirms that Melchizedek was "priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18), the Midrash and Babylonian Talmud maintain that

4708-419: The Jewish priestly service as a precondition to God revealing his Shekhinah amongst the nation of Israel: And Aaron and his sons I will sanctify to serve me and I will dwell amidst the sons of Israel and I will be to them a God, and they will know that I (am) God their Master that took them out from the land of Egypt (in order that) I (will) dwell in their midst The majority of Chazalic literature attributes

4815-460: The Latter Day Saint movement was Elder . Later revelations extended the office complement to Seventy , High Priest , Patriarch and Apostle . Melchizedek In the Hebrew Bible , Melchizedek ( / m ɛ l ˈ k ɪ z ə d ɛ k / ; Biblical Hebrew : מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק ‎ , romanized:  malkī-ṣeḏeq , 'king of righteousness,' 'my king is righteousness,' or 'my king

4922-542: The Melchizedek insertion. The narrative preceding Melchizedek's introduction presents a picture of Melchizedek's involvement in the events of his era. The narration details Abram's rescue of his nephew Lot and his spectacular defeat of multiple kings and goes on to define the meeting place of Melchizedek and Abram as " Emek HaShaveh which is Emek HaMelech ". The meeting site has been associated with Emek Yehoshaphat (the Valley of Josaphat ). Targum Onkelos describes

5029-437: The Messiah would be a priest (although of a different sort than the traditional Levitical priests) and Jesus came to fulfill this role, as a sacrificial offering to God, to atone for sins. His role of a king is yet to come , and so those who follow him should be patient and not be surprised that they suffer for now. Some scholars today believe the document was written to prevent apostasy . Some have interpreted apostasy to mean

5136-691: The Priesthood "was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too-frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in the ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 107:3-4 ). Initially, the only Melchizedek Priesthood office in

5243-575: The Septuagint translate it as: The L ORD hath sworn, and will not repent: 'Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Melchizedek.' Although the above is the traditional translation of the text, the Hebrew text can be interpreted in various ways, and the New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh , (1985 edition), for example, has: You are a priest forever, a rightful king by My decree. Another alternative keeps Melchizedek as

5350-568: The Son over Old Testament Revelation by the prophets. It then proves and explains from the Scriptures the superiority of this New Covenant over the Old by the comparison of the Son with the angels as mediators of the Old Covenant, with Moses and Joshua as the founders of the Old Covenant, and finally, by opposing the high-priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchisedech to the Levitical priesthood after

5457-456: The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, following in the footsteps of Paul, argued that Jewish Law had played a legitimate role in the past but was superseded by a New Covenant for the Gentiles (cf. Romans 7:1–6; Galatians 3:23–25; Hebrews 8, 10). However, a growing number of scholars note that the terms Gentile, Christian and Christianity are not present in the text and posit that Hebrews

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5564-418: The author to have been Priscilla, Ruth Hoppin posits that the name was omitted either to suppress its female authorship, or to protect the letter itself from suppression. Also convinced that Priscilla was the author of Hebrews, Gilbert Bilezikian , professor of biblical studies at Wheaton College, remarks on "the conspiracy of anonymity in the ancient church," and reasons: "The lack of any firm data concerning

5671-425: The author was blotted out by the earliest tradition. Citing Hebrews 13, he says it was written by a person of "high standing and apostolic teacher of equal rank with Timothy". If Luke, Clement, Barnabas, or Apollos had written it, Harnack believes their names would not have been obliterated. Donald Guthrie 's commentary The Letter to the Hebrews (1983) mentions Priscilla by name as a suggested author. Believing

5778-479: The author was one of Paul's pupils or associates, citing stylistic differences between Hebrews and the other Pauline epistles . Recent scholarship has favored the idea that the author was probably a leader of a predominantly Jewish congregation to whom they were writing. Because of its anonymity, it had some trouble being accepted as part of the Christian canon , being classed with the Antilegomena . Eventually it

5885-567: The demise of Melchizedek. The Midrash records that Shem functioned as kohen gadol (high priest) in that he taught Torah to the Patriarchs before it was publicly given at Mount Sinai, while the official title of High Priest was conferred upon Aaron after the erection of the Tabernacle . The Midrash quotes multiple aspects of both Melchizedek and Abram; the Rabbis taught that Melchizedek acted as

5992-477: 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

6099-638: The doctrine of the Catholic Church, are priests inasmuch as they participate (CCC 1547) in the one priesthood of Christ according to the order of Melchizedek due to their ordination . In the Latter Day Saint movement , the Melchizedek priesthood is viewed as the priesthood authority of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus , as well as Old Testament prophets, higher than that of the Aaronic authority of John

6206-447: The epistle's theological message, those that are critical of the epistle's supersessionary message, and those attempting a middle ground. Due to the importance of Hebrews for the formation of future Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism, a distinction must be made between the author's intent and the way in which the text was interpreted by future generations. The impact of the deployment and implementation of supersession theology

6313-400: The exposition parenthetically at key points as warnings to the readers. Hebrews does not fit the form of a traditional Hellenistic epistle , lacking a proper prescript. Modern scholars generally believe this book was originally a sermon or homily , although possibly modified after it was delivered to include the travel plans, greetings and closing. Hebrews contains many references to

6420-474: The giver of the tithe to Melchizedek. The Rogatchover Gaon , also understanding Abram to be the tithe giver, comments that the presented tithe was not a standard tithe ( Maaser Rishon ) as described in the Torah (given on an annual basis), but was a one-time "tribute offering" ( trumat ha-mekhes , תרומת המכס ‎ ), such as Moses gave to God in Numbers 31:41. Expressing a kabbalistic point of view,

6527-472: The giver's possession, so that the whole verse might mean "He gave him a portion of food". Genesis 14:18 introduces Melchizedek, a "Priest of the Most High God" ( El Elyon ), a term which is re-used in Genesis 14:19–20 and Genesis 14:22. The term "Most High" is used another twenty times to refer to the God of Israel in the Psalms. Giorgio Levi Della Vida (1944) suspects that this is a late development, and Joseph Fitzmyer (1962) connects Genesis 14 with

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6634-432: The identity of the author in the extant writings of the church suggests a deliberate blackout more than a case of collective loss of memory." The use of tabernacle terminology in Hebrews has been used to date the epistle before the destruction of the temple , the idea being that knowing about the destruction of both Jerusalem and the temple would have influenced the development of the author's overall argument. Therefore,

6741-442: The king of Sodom , at which point: And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was [is] the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, 'Blessed be Abram to the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand'. And he gave him tithe from all. Some textual critics classify the narration as not being derived from any of

6848-436: The kingdom of God on earth; and that while he still employs the figure of a militant, apocalyptic king [...] who will come again [...], this is not of the essence of his thought about Christ. Positively, our author presents Christ as divine in nature, and solves any possible objection to a divine being who participates in human experience, especially in the experience of death, by the priestly analogy. He seems quite unconscious of

6955-411: The land of Canaan was initially allotted to Shem, by Noah his father, and the offspring of Cham conquered the land by forced expansion. Although Melchizedek is the first person in the Torah to be titled a Kohen (priest), the medrash records that he was preceded in priesthood ( kehuna ) by Adam . Rabbinic commentarians to the Torah explain that Melchizedek – (sometimes associated with Shem) –

7062-417: The law. They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven." (NIV version) Despite this, some scholars, such as Harold Attridge and Ellen Aitken , hold to a later date of composition, between 70 and 100 AD. German scholar Adolf Jülicher rejected the traditional view that the epistle was directed to a Hebrew congregation in Israel, concluding instead that the "only supposition that

7169-409: The letter. He points out that in other writings and quotations of Hebrews, Origen describes Paul as the author of the letter. In the 4th century, Jerome and Augustine of Hippo supported Paul's authorship : the Church largely agreed to include Hebrews as the fourteenth letter of Paul, and affirmed this authorship until the Reformation . Scholars argued that in the 13th chapter of Hebrews, Timothy

7276-405: The logical difficulties of his position proceeding from the assumption that Christ is both divine and human, at least human in experience although hardly in nature. Mikeal Parsons has commented: If the humanity of Jesus is an important theme for Hebrews, how much more is Jesus' deity. While this theme of exaltation is asserted 'in many and various ways' we shall content ourselves by considering how

7383-403: The meeting location's size as "a plot the size of a king's Riis ". Midrashic exegesis describes how a large group of governors and kings convened in unison to pay homage to the victor Abram and desired to make him a deity , at which point he declined, attributing his victory to God's might and will alone. The chronological work Seder ha-Dorot (published 1769) quotes that Melchizedek

7490-478: The mention of a god called " Most High ," who may appear according to one of three possible translations of a 750 BC inscription found at Al-Safirah in Syria. Remi Lack (1962) considers that the Genesis verses were taken over by Jewish redactor(s), for whom El was already identified with YHWH, El-Elyon became an epithet for the God of Israel. Due to an ambiguity in the Hebrew text, it is unclear who gave tithe to whom: Abram to Melchizedek, or Melchizedek to Abram:

7597-400: The most probable date for its composition is the second half of the year 63 or the beginning of 64, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia . The text itself, for example, makes a contrast between the resurrected Christ "in heaven" "who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord" and the version on earth, where "there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by

7704-654: The name of Abraham to that of God, such as in the Midrash Rabbah to Genesis, while some Jewish commentators, such as Chaim ibn Attar , write that Melchizedek gave the priesthood to Abraham willingly. Maimonides , in his Mishneh Torah , explains that Jacob separated his son Levi from his other sons and appointed him to instruct and teach the ways of "service to God", specifically the servicial methods used by his forefather Abraham , to his brothers. He also instructed his sons to perpetuate this status of Levi ("Shevet Levi") for eternity (Maimonides, Avodah Zorah 1:15). For

7811-436: The order of Aaron. Hebrews is a very consciously "literary" document. The purity of its Greek was noted by Clement of Alexandria , according to Eusebius , and Origen of Alexandria asserted that every competent judge must recognize a great difference between this epistle and those of Paul. The letter consists of two strands: an expositional or doctrinal strand, and a hortatory or strongly urging strand which punctuates

7918-524: The other hand the matter of the epistle is wonderful, and quite equal to the Apostle's acknowledged writings: the truth of this would be admitted by anyone who has read the Apostle carefully... If I were asked my personal opinion, I would say that the matter is the Apostle's but the phraseology and construction are those of someone who remembered the Apostle's teaching and wrote his own interpretation of what his master had said. So if any church regards this epistle as Paul's, it should be commended for so doing, for

8025-474: The possessive suffix; the same passage interprets Melchizedek's title of king of Salem as translating to βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης 'king of peace', the context being the presentation of Melchizedek's as an eternal priesthood associated with Jesus Christ ( ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές , 'made like unto the Son of God abideth a priest continually'). Hebrew-language Torah commentarians of

8132-454: The prelude of this choice see Targum Jonathan to Genesis 32:25, and/or Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer ch. 37. In midrash, it is written that Amram the son of Kohath the son of Levi was the spiritual leader of the sons of Jacob ("Israel") during their Egyptian Bondage. Following his death, his post was assumed by his son Aaron. At the time of the erection of the Tabernacle , the bible says that God commanded Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons to

8239-451: The priesthood ( Kehuna ) through Melchizedek's patrilineal descendants, but since Melchizedek preceded Abram's blessing to that of God, God instead chose to bring the priesthood ( kehuna ) forth from Abram's descendants. As the text states in regard to Melchizedek; "and he is a Kohen" ( והוא כהן ‎ ) meaning himself in the exclusive sense and not his patrilineal descendants. The Ohr HaChayim commentary presents that God

8346-403: The priesthood held by Melchizedek , who pre-dated the patriarch Levi by five generations (Melchizedek pre-dates Aaron by six generations; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehoth, Amram, Aaron), was given in his stead to Abraham who, in turn, passed it on to his patrilineal descendants, Isaac and then to Jacob. Midrashic literature attributes this transition as a consequence due to Melchizedek preceding

8453-456: The primary character of psalm 110 as King David who was a "righteous king" ( מלכי צדק ) of Salem (Jerusalem) and, like Melchizedek, had certain priest-like responsibilities, while the Babylonian Talmud understands the chapter as referring to Abram who was victorious in battling to save his nephew Lot and merited priesthood. The Zohar defines the noted Melchizedek as referring to Ahron , High Priest of Israel . Christians believe that Jesus

8560-489: The primitive Church had every justification for handing it down as his. Who wrote the epistle is known to God alone: the accounts that have reached us suggest that it was either Clement, who became Bishop of Rome, or Luke, who wrote the gospel and the Acts. Matthew J. Thomas argues that Origen was not denying Paul's authorship of Hebrews in that quote, but that he was only meaning that Paul would have employed an amanuensis to compose

8667-454: The proper name Zedek . With the addition of the hiriq compaginis ([[[:wikt:-י|-ī]]] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) ) indicating the archaic construct form, malk-ī means 'king of', so that the name literally translates to 'king of righteousness' or 'my king is Zedek', indicating that he worshipped Zedek , a Canaanite deity worshipped in pre-Israelite Jerusalem. The latter, however,

8774-751: The prophecy of Ps 110:4, that he would be a priest "after the order of Melchizedek" at the Last Supper , when he initiated the sacrifice of the New Covenant with his disciples — his body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine. Melchizedek and his offering are explicitly referenced as a foreshadowing of the Sacrifice of the Mass in the liturgical prayers of the Roman Canon of the Catholic Mass. Catholic priests, in

8881-525: The site intended for the Temple, and thus the " שלמו ‎ " text serves an obvious sectarian purpose. However, this practice is not solely associated with the Samaritans: the possessive suffix is also found in the 3rd- or 2nd-century BC Book of Jubilees , and Greek possessive suffixes are even used in the Septuagint version of Genesis. With respect to Genesis 14:20, Hebrews chapter 7 verses 2 and 4 in

8988-527: The soul of Abram for his benefit. The letter he is the letter God added to Abram's name to become "Abra-ha-m" in Genesis. Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle to the Hebrews ( Koinē Greek : Πρὸς Ἑβραίους , romanized:  Pròs Hebraíous , lit.   'to the Hebrews';) is one of the books of the New Testament . The text does not mention the name of its author, but

9095-401: The story of Melchizedek is an informal insertion into the Genesis narration, possibly inserted in order to give validity to the priesthood and titles connected with the Second Temple . It has also been conjectured that the suffix "- zedek " may have been or become a reference to a Canaanite deity worshipped in pre-Israelite Jerusalem. In the majority of Masoretic Hebrew texts the name

9202-423: The style of Paul, with some contending that it was authored by Apollos or Priscilla and Aquila . Scholars of Greek consider its writing to be more polished and eloquent than any other book of the New Testament, and "the very carefully composed and studied Greek of Hebrews is not Paul's spontaneous, volatile contextual Greek." It has been described as an intricate New Testament book. Some scholars believe it

9309-416: The titles "pioneer" or "forerunner", "Son" and " Son of God ", "priest" and " high priest ". The epistle casts Jesus as both exalted Son and High Priest , a unique dual Christology . Hebrews uses Old Testament quotations interpreted in light of first-century rabbinical Judaism. New Testament and Second Temple Judaism scholar Eric Mason argues that the conceptual background of the priestly Christology of

9416-401: The usual pentateuchal sources. It has been speculated that verses 18–20 (in which Melchizedek appears) are an informal insertion into the narration, as they interrupt the account of the meeting of Abraham with the king of Sodom. There is no consensus on when or why the story might have been added. It may have been inserted in order to give validity to the priesthood and tithes connected with

9523-457: The verse in question states simply, "And [he] gave him tithe from all" ( v-yiten-lo ma'aser mekol , ויתן לו מעשר מכל ‎ ). Most translations of this verse preserve the ambiguity, "he gave to him", but some modern translations make explicit the mainstream interpretation of Abram being the giver and Melchizedek the recipient. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan , the Book of Jubilees , Josephus , Philo of Alexandria , and Rashi all read Abram as

9630-489: The worlds. "God [...] hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son [...] by whom also he made the worlds". The epistle also emphasizes the importance of faith. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear". ...the Epistle opens with the solemn announcement of the superiority of the New Testament Revelation by

9737-445: The writer addresses this theme by asserting Jesus' superiority to a) angels, and b) Moses. The first chapter of Hebrews stresses the superiority of the Son to the angels. The very name 'Son' indicates superiority. This exaltation theme, in which the Son is contrasted with the angels (1:4), is expanded in the following string of OT quotations (1:5–13). While some have understood the catena as referring primarily to Christ's pre-existence, it

9844-478: Was Melchizedek/Shem's allocated residence by his father Noah or whether he was a foreigner in Salem which was considered the rightful land of his brother Cham . The Ramban is of the opinion that the land was rightfully owned and governed by the offspring of Cham , and explains that Melchizedek/Shem left his home country and came to Salem as a foreigner wishing to serve God as a Kohen . However, Rashi maintains that

9951-425: Was a type of Christ, and some other Christians hold that Melchizedek indeed was Christ. Reasons provided include that Melchizedek's name means "king of righteousness" according to the author of Hebrews, and that being king of Salem makes Melchizedek the "king of peace". Heb. 7:3 states, "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he (Melchizedek) remains

10058-498: Was accepted as Scripture because of its sound theology, eloquent presentation, and other intrinsic factors. In antiquity, certain circles began to ascribe it to Paul in an attempt to provide the anonymous work with an explicit apostolic pedigree. The original King James Version of the Bible titled the work "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews". However, the KJV's attribution to Paul

10165-461: Was born of a virgin, Sofonim (or Sopanima), the wife of Nir, a brother of Noah . The child came out from his mother after she had died and sat on the bed beside her corpse, already physically developed, clothed, speaking and blessing the Lord, and marked with the badge of priesthood. Forty days later, Melchizedek was taken by the archangel Gabriel ( Michael in some manuscripts) to the Garden of Eden and

10272-445: Was given the priesthood (Hebrew: kehuna ) by receipt of his father Noah's blessing "G-d beatified Yefeth and will dwell in the house of Shem "; i.e., he will merit to serve and host God as a Kohen . Torah Laws require that the Kohen (priest) must be a patrilineal descendant of a prior Kohen . Leviticus Rabbah maintains that God intended to permanently bring forth

10379-454: Was no longer in effect ). James and Paul represent the moderates of each faction, respectively, and Peter may have served as moderator. It sets before the Jew the claims of Christianity – to bring the Jew to the full realization of the relation of Judaism to Christianity, to make clear that Christ has fulfilled those temporary and provisional institutions, and has thus abolished them. This view

10486-434: Was not angered by Melchizedek's preceding Abram's blessing to that of God, since Abram was rightfully deemed worthy of precedence for independently coming to recognize God amidst a world of Paganism , but Melchizedek willingly gave the priesthood to Abram upon recognizing his outstanding uniqueness and godly character traits. Rabbinic authorities differ as to whether kehuna was given to Abram there and then or after

10593-400: Was not directly influenced by Qumran's "Messiah of Aaron", these and other conceptions did provide "a precedent... to conceive Jesus similarly as a priest making atonement and eternal intercession in the heavenly sanctuary". By the end of the first century there was no consensus on the author's identity. Over the ensuing centuries, scholars have suggested Clement of Rome , Barnabas , Paul

10700-416: Was only a guess, and is currently disputed by recent research. Its vastly different style, different theological focus, different spiritual experience and different Greek vocabulary are all believed to make Paul's authorship of Hebrews increasingly indefensible. At present, modern scholarship does not ascribe Hebrews to Paul. A.J. Gordon ascribes the authorship of Hebrews to Priscilla, writing that "It

10807-496: Was ordained. Alternatively, it is suggested this term was here intended to be treated as an agglutinated improper noun, and thus translated as rightful king rather than left as a proper name Melchizedek ; this interpretation is taken by some modern translations, such as the New JPS Tanakh . The Law of Moses stipulates that only the male descendants of Aaron be commissioned to serve as Kohenim priests before Yahweh and

10914-770: Was the first to initiate and complete a wall in circumference of the city, and had to exit Salem to reach Abram and his men. Upon exiting Salem, he presented to them "bread and wine" with the intent to refresh them from their journey. Assuming the premise that Melchizedek was Shem , he would have been 465 years old at the time and Abram was 75 years of age. Chazalic literature unanimously identify Melchizedek as Shem son of Noah ( Targum Yonathan to Genesis chapter 14, Genesis Rabbah 46:7, Babylonian Talmud to Tractate Nedarim 32b). The Talmud Bavli attributes him (Shem and his beth din court of justice) as pioneers in banning prostitution (Avodah Zarah p.   36a). There is, however, disagreement amongst Rishonim as to whether Salem

11021-600: Was thus preserved from the Deluge without having to be in Noah's Ark . The Story of Melchizedek is a short pseudepigraphon composed in Greek in the first three centuries AD, probably in a Jewish milieu. It survives today only in Christian recensions, but in at least ten languages. 11Q13 (11QMelch) is a fragment of a text, dated to the end of the second or start of the first century BC, about Melchizedek, found in Cave 11 at Qumran in

11128-687: Was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle ; most of the Ancient Greek manuscripts, the Old Syriac Peshitto and some of the Old Latin manuscripts have the epistle to the Hebrews among Paul's letters. However, doubt on Pauline authorship in the Roman Church is reported by Eusebius . Modern biblical scholarship considers its authorship unknown, with Pauline authorship mostly rejected. A minority view Hebrews as written in deliberate imitation of

11235-491: Was used as a name of the Archangel Michael , interpreted as a heavenly priest; Michael as Melchi-zedek contrast with Belial , who is given the name of Melchi-resha 'king of wickedness'. The text of the Epistle to the Hebrews follows this interpretation in stating explicitly that the name in Greek translation ( ἑρμηνευόμενος ) means βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ('king of righteousness'), omitting translation of

11342-586: Was written for Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem . Its essential purpose was to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. At this time, certain believers were considering turning back to Judaism and to the Jewish system of law to escape being persecuted for believing Jesus to be the Messiah. The theme of the epistle is the teaching of the person of Jesus Christ and his role as mediator between God and humanity . According to traditional scholarship,

11449-475: Was written for a Jewish audience, and is best seen as a debate between Jewish followers of Jesus and proto-rabbinical Judaism. In tone, and detail, Hebrews goes beyond Paul and attempts a more complex, nuanced, and openly adversarial definition of the relationship. The epistle opens with an exaltation of Jesus as "the radiance of God's glory, the express image of his being, and upholding all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:1–3). The epistle presents Jesus with

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