Melchizedek
King of Salem and priest of God Most High, who in Genesis blesses Abram and receives a tenth from him. Psalm 110 names a priesthood after him, and the letter to the Hebrews applies it to Jesus.
Melchizedek appears in three verses of Genesis. He is king of Salem and priest of God Most High, he brings out bread and wine to Abram after a battle, blesses him, and receives from him a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:18–20). A psalm addressed to one who is to rule from Zion calls the one it addresses “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:2, 4).
The letter to the Hebrews takes the psalm as spoken of Jesus and makes Melchizedek the pattern of a priesthood that does not depend on descent from Levi (Hebrews 7:1–17). Josephus, in the first century AD, explains his name as “the righteous king” and says that his city Salem was afterwards called Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 1.180–181).
In the timeline
- about 2085 BC, traditional dateMelchizedek Blesses Abram
Genesis tells how Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, meets Abram with bread and wine after a battle, blesses him and receives a tenth of everything. Psalm 110 names a priesthood after him, and Hebrews applies it to Jesus.