Who Was Melchizedek?? #religion #bible #oldtestament

[Mobius]

Isn't Salem or Jerusalem where Moriah is located? And wasn't that where God told Abraham go to
sacrifice Isaac? Thus a priest/king of Salem. Though I imagine Abram owes some herdsman there a sheep.

[elzonirbroce]

Melchizedek was Jesus in another form. His description is the same as Jesus'.

[morielrorschach]

Not just Melchizedek, but Job followed the same God without being Abraham's descendants. Balaam was specifically outside the nation of Israel, yet a canaanite following the same God as Israel (at least to the extent of getting direct prophecy). Same with Jethro, from Midian with whom moses stayed during his years away from Egypt...

Explanation 1: Israel made up a fictional mythology, and these people following thet same fictional mythology even though they weren't part of that culture is an opportunity to say they themselves must also be totally fictional people, invented in the 2nd century BCE.

... OR 2: It's not fictional, and Abraham's ancestors had been following God (to some extent) long before Abraham. That God focused on a particular lineage, but others knew about him and followed him.

Also, a plausible Jewish tradition was that Melchizedek COULD have been Noah's son Shem, which would be why he was more familiar with God than Abraham.

But, popular academic consensus would be option 1.