Melchizedek: The Mystery Man

Melchizedek  was  a  man of mystery from the Hebrew 
Bible (Old Testament) in  which  he  made  only  one (1) physical appearance and a handful of honorable mentions throughout the entire Christian Bible. There is  no  mention  of  the  name  Melchizedek in the Qur'an or ancient Islamic literature, although some scholars such as, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, suggest a link between Melchizedek and Khidr (a revered figure in Islam, whom the Qur'an describes as a righteous servant of Allah). Buddhism rejects the idealism of Melchizedek because such a theory presents a nonritualistic concept  that does not parallel  the dogma, traditions, and teachings of the Brahman priesthood. With the passing of the centuries in India, the populace of the Hindu [religion]  returned in measure to the ancient rituals of the Vedas as they had been modified by the teachings of the Melchizedek missionaries (aka: Salem missionairies, who preached the one God of Melchizedek, the Most High of heaven) and crystallized by the later Brahman priesthood.

The Short Story of Melchizedek:

According to the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, Melchizedek made a brief appearance to Abram (Abraham) after his victory at the Battle of the Vale of Siddim in which Abram rescued his nephew, Lot, and his family, from the abduction during the rebellion of the Jordan River cities against Elam during the early to mid-Bronze Age  era. Melchizedek is listed as being the King of Salem (later to become Jerusalem), in the land of Mesopotamia, who annoints and blesses Abram:

Genesis 14:16-23:

¹⁶ And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. ¹⁷ And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. ¹⁸ And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. ¹⁹ And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: ²⁰ And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. ²¹ And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. ²² And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, ²³ That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:" 

Interpretations of Who Melchizedek Was:

Although Melchizedek is the first person in the Torah  to be titled a Kohen (priest), the Midrash records that he was preceded in priesthood by Adam (the first historical man). The Rabbis taught that Melchizedek acted as a priest and handed down Adam's robes to Abram. (Numbers Rabbah 4:8) The Rabbinic commentaries to the Torah explain that Melchizedek was essentially Shem, son of Noah, who was given the priesthood by his father's blessing. The Babylonian Talmud, presents the name Melchizedek (מלכי־צדק) as a nickname title for Shem.

According to 11Q13 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Melchizedek is seen as a divine being and Hebrew titles as Elohim are applied to him. He will proclaim the "Day of Atonement" and he will atone for the people who are predestined to him. Melchizedek also will judge the nations.    

The Second Book of Enoch tells how Melchizedek was born of a virgin, Sofonim, the wife of Nir, a brother of Noah. The child came out from his mother after she had died already physically developed, clothed, speaking and blessing God, and marked with the badge of priesthood. Forty days later, he was taken by the archangel, Gabriel to the Garden of Eden and was thus preserved from the Great Flood without having to be in Noah's Ark.

The ancient historian, Josephus refers to Melchizedek as a "Canaanite chief" in War of the Jews, but as a priest in Antiquities of the Jews.

In Christianity, the only New Testament reference to Melchizedek appears in the Letter to the Hebrews in Chapters 5, 6 and 7 (composed by the Apostle Paul) which was most likely based on the passage found in the Book of Psalms (110:4), where King David describes the future Messiah as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek". Abram's transfer of goods (or tithes) to Melchizedek is seen to imply that he was superior to Abram. Melchizedek was the king of Salem, which means "peace", therefore making him the "King of Peace";  the Hebrew name of  Melchizedek itself means  "King of Righteousness".   In reference to the Holy Priest of Salem, Hebrew 7:3 states: "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". Jesus Christ assumed the role of High Priest after his resurrection. When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after he had been resurrected and commanded her to tell his Disciples, they did not believe her. When Jesus appeared to the 11 apostles, they did not recognize him [Jesus could have possibly had the appearence of the man who blessed and annointed Abram]. However, the Disciples soon learned this strange man standing before them, whom they did not recognize, was indeed their Lord and Savior. Not only by the authoritative words Jesus spoke as a commandment, but the miraculous ascension into Heaven the 11 men witnessed.   With these titles and similar descriptions all being associated with the person known as  Jesus of Nazareth, Christians proclaim that Mechizedek and Jesus are one in the same.   

Who Was Melchizedek?

 

Biblical scripture does not elaborate on the identity of Melchizedek, King of Salem; nor does the concealed reason for his brief presence of blessing Abram, which only extended two verses (Genesis 14:18-19), offer a proper explanation. Although a man of mystery, he was not forgotten when King David [of the B.C. era] wrote a Psalm in reference to him 900 years later (Psalms 110:4); and once more remembered when the Apostle Paul included several references to Melchizedek in the epistle to the Hebrews (5, 6, 7) in the 1st century A.D.  Few mysteries of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles have attracted more interest than the enigmatic identity of Melchizedek. 

"Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils" - Hebrews 7:4