Melchizedek

Melchizedek

In the Bible, Melchizedek (, Hebrew: מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק, malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"; Amharic: መልከ ጼዴቅ, malkī-ṣeḏeq; Armenian: Մելքիսեդեք, Melkisetek) also transliterated Melchisedech 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. 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 the name מלכי־צדק)) as a nickname title for Shem.Joseph Blenkinsopp has suggested that the story of Melchizedek is an informal insertion into the narration, possibly inserted in order to give validity to the priesthood and tithes 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.: 56–60  An Ugaritic reference older than 12th century BCE to a god named Ṣaduq ("righteousness") has also been found, a possible forerunner of Sydyk being included in personal names.

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