Hasmonean dynasty The
Babylonian Talmud recounts that
Hasmonean rulers used to identify themselves as "High Priest of
El Elyon": "When 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.
Late Hellenistic Judaism Josephus refers to Melchizedek as 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 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 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.
Dead Sea Scrolls 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 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 was used as a name of the
Archangel Michael, interpreted as a heavenly priest; Michael as contrast with
Belial, who is given the name of 'king of wickedness'. The text of the
Epistle to the Hebrews follows this interpretation in stating explicitly that the name in Greek translation () means ('king of righteousness'), omitting translation of the possessive suffix; the same passage interprets Melchizedek's title of king of Salem as translating to 'king of peace', the context being the presentation of Melchizedek's as an eternal priesthood associated with Jesus Christ (, 'made like unto the
Son of God abideth a priest continually').
Torah commentaries Hebrew-language
Torah commentarians of the
Rishonim era (11th to 15th centuries) have explained the (seemingly) abrupt intrusion of Melchizedek into the narration in various ways;
Hezekiah ben Manoah () 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 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 the Melchizedek insertion.
In rabbinic literature 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 " which is ". The meeting site has been associated with (the
Valley of Josaphat).
Targum Onkelos describes the meeting location's size as "a plot the size of a king's ".
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 (published 1769) quotes that Melchizedek 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. However,
Rashi maintains that the land of Canaan was initially allotted to Shem, by Noah his father, and the offspring of Cham conquered the land by forced expansion.
Transition of the Priesthood Although Melchizedek is the first person in the
Torah to be titled a
Kohen (priest), the
medrash records that he was preceded in priesthood () by
Adam.
Rabbinic commentarians to the Torah explain that Melchizedek – (sometimes associated with Shem) – was given the priesthood (Hebrew: ) 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 .
Torah Laws require that the (priest) must be a patrilineal descendant of a prior .
Leviticus Rabbah maintains that God intended to bring forth the priesthood () through Melchizedek's patrilineal descendants, but since Melchizedek Abram's blessing to that of God, God instead chose to bring the priesthood () forth from Abram's descendants. As the text states in regard to Melchizedek; "and
he is a Kohen" () meaning himself in the exclusive sense and not his patrilineal descendants. The
Ohr HaChayim commentary presents that God 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 gave the priesthood to Abram upon recognizing his outstanding uniqueness and godly character traits. Rabbinic authorities differ as to whether was given to Abram there and then or after the demise of Melchizedek. The Midrash records that Shem functioned as (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.
Midrash text The Midrash quotes multiple aspects of both Melchizedek and Abram; the Rabbis taught that Melchizedek acted as 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 () 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 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. 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.
In the Zohar The
Zohar (redacted by
Moses de León ) 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). 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 from his throne of glory and presenting it to the soul of Abram for his benefit. The letter is the letter God added to Abram's name to become "Abra-ha-m" in Genesis. ==In Christianity==