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© © All Rights Reserved
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/ 8
Studies on the Texts
of the Desert of Judah
test by
Florentino Garcia Martinez
Avoca Bore
Peter W. Flint
bert J.C. Tigehelaar
VOWUME #4
Text, Thought, and Practice
in Qumran and
Early Christianity
Proceedings of the Ninth International
Symposium of the Orion Center for the Study of
the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature,
Jointly Sponsored by the Hebrew University
Center for the Study of Christianity,
11-13 January, 2004
Bled by
Ruth A. Clements & Daniel R. Schwartz MELCHIZEDEK: A MODEL FOR THE UNION OF
[KINGSHIP AND PRIESTHOOD IN THE HEBREW BIBLE,
TQMELCHIZEDEK, AND THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS
aman Keon,
‘he Hebrew Univer of eral
A Maeve tris Hexnaw Br
“he ttle Mesiah and the verbs connected wit it sppear indie
conteats wiin diferent pars ofthe Hebcew Bible Ia the Tra in
the book of Lentius, the term TPO is applied othe High Pit who
‘noted wih the holy So we red in the lof then lng
‘5 now kom Tro
the pie the oat, singing lo he peopl.
“Te anointed one pokan of ix Levtcs the High Priest sony cle
leader He has ao political ale The prety witings ofthe Petseach
‘jc any combination of oltcl and pi sles, Thus, in the tory
‘ofthe ebelion of Kora, the 250 bal chiefsnewho caimed pie
rerogutives were destroyed by Si: "And Se wet ft ron the Lord
{nd consumed the two hundred and ity men offering the incense”
(um 1635).
This stony appears to refet the objection ofthe peethood othe
tendency ofthe irate kings to claim the ight of performing ele
acts. The best example of sich clash between the pret and the King
sec ie ee tan teeter ps
pa ee er ed
Sea eee
Ente NCR cit be pe yo ' the story told about King Uriah in Cronies, txt which isl
relles the prety point of view?
‘Whe i wastage ges spat heated cer be ped
‘peor Ga ying the Slo ix Ld fences ot
items: te pie Aria wt igh oer ave pe he
Lord flowed inn coneting King rssh oto, ot
fey, sido oer ines the Lobatto prt
whtveben oan or nee Gat url ence
{ume wrpsed tee Beno gy ou om the Lond Cad
nih hlig te cen and eyo brn ncn, got ang but
he ear th he rst eon rk ot as oe in fat
Of Fe pats nism oft Lat ee i cee Wan he
She pst Amand te te ined shi cond
‘es pono they ate hi ot ere btm ade hare get
Det fot Lr oc im ith page Chr 261620
‘The High Priest bore on his forehead Srott of pare gol which
‘a engraved withthe inscription “Holy othe Lord” (Exod 2836-2)
‘Uniah wanted to act es «High Pret but God struck him and his
forehead became lprousIntead ofa symbol of hola, he occa
‘wat taked with «symbol of impurity
“According to th Torah, and reflect in this png rom Chronicles,
the only legitimate example ofthe combination of priesthood and
“ngsip in the same pereon eo be found oud the people of lac
Mathinadel, the Cana king of ShalrlJeruaems was a the me
time apis of God Most High (Gen 1418)"
In her pats of the Bibl, the tle Mesh is fundamentally con
ced not with the High Peet, bat eae with the king nthe he
torical books we Bad thle given tothe crent Hog of eae who
"ee ay i en yt
nectar se are ts
aiigecetaayinarcaictne aero
enables
Sashes mate es
Ea eo tee |
eee ees
Rekha adnate
‘anolated by prophet wit holy lS in the Psalms the tle
‘Messiah i apple tothe king who i the present rae, who ito be
soit wit hel of gladness”
"The Mesh ofthe historical books andthe pss the King cen
performs priestly dis aswel. Thus, we bear in the historical books
{out Kings who function a priest, especialy to dedicate new clic
Ses We rea that David when ringing the Holy Ark to Jerusalem,
‘flere scrices and blessed the people in the manner of «pis
and David fered barat ferns nd pace fring before te Ln
‘iad uso eva ued string he burnings peace
(ting Hee the pepe a ete afte en othe hens
{ts alo sid that Davids sons were pret 2 Sam 8:18.
“The une tend isto e found in the Pais In Palo 110, we Bnd
the combination of presthood and Mngshp that was ejected by the
“Tora In onder tous thi combation, he author ofthis elm goes
thick io the preferalite model of Kingship “You area pret forever
ser the manner of Mechizede’ (Ps 110)?
“This reference to the pre Tralite model of Melehzeek should be
Uundetstod in ight of eoclent Near Eastern conceptions of kingship
Inthe anon cultures ofthis replon, the king tplaly had priest
prerogatives aod functions Infact the king served a high priest on
portant cli cccasons The palms wants o adopt ths model for
the lle king by elling in "pret freer ate the manner of
Melchivedek” Besides the ol and clic roles, Ply 110 also asigns
13k Bia Rae ue
EvTeen es Secale
Pet therted tee oon aa
Secon ene tetas
To aes tiered ect
1c ibe sevew of scoleiydebure on ti pain by Day. “The CaPaante
Ge te en hap en et
a fy etn Saran pera gpa,
wn eC Chey Unt Pe 90 woul he
Se Sree 0p Tom asc Mal,
‘Sohn tees pc ery rg ee
04614388 1,25e8 1652.20 the king the role of judging the nations “He wil execute jdgment
mong the natn fling them with corpses” (103).
‘As we hav sd the Tora pity tration sin ving pl
calleaers pris prerogative snd funetlons. This ase te exe for
‘he Book of Deuteronomy within which no elo ui les ane
‘signed tothe king" Moreover, Devteonomy docs not mean the
‘cing ofthe kg.
"have agued at length elsewhere tht his dbate etree the Tors,
on the one hand, and the ret ofthe bbl tradition, onthe other
hand spar of a generl dispute about the iden of vine ng
the other puts ofthe Hebrew Bible, apart fom the Tera, seep he
jor clement ofthe ideology of divine Kings wich ad evcoped
inthe ancien Near Eas Inthe sole boas and in the pln,
the Rng, who i iled“Messah as combination of royal piety
and jordcal igh and functions In thoae sources. wel atin the
rope writings the king is dscibed a "Son of God™ and is
‘ven divine nares"
‘When we turn oth Tah wes dramatic difeent pcre The
word mW nt ie but ply word desing the ante
‘te High Pes Thee rel cpron etch Piste ted
Enghip and the ig ot gen urea! anton, The tie “Son
i Goi at given to the lng bt rate ote people of ae
Tet omaha dine arc fet etree he
tee te Toh ds he ing ny ae
the rent ofa power sage etccn the priesthood td ee iy
weve seems hat wat ne sche ot merely «power soe
‘Theintations wich he Tah puson he uly en acts of
ee ton pg an
"ss DesonaHns raotrun of Tan VP ap m
STEER fer Ws ce
SET atone rw ot
sia by eeu teats te on
Se ee eaent nee
Ee ieee envrites marmractre
See See ances
Sheegciacar nes ani
unzeamza02i: UNION OF KINGS AND PRIISTHOOD — 258
the king emphasize hate iid human beng and not a divine
reature or member of te divine fy.
‘As nt-ltele king Mekhizedek snot estrane by the Tima
tions thi the Tee putt on eel ing. He serves a King and
4 priest atthe sme time His prestiood i esate one and tus
‘Aovabazn gives hima a tenth ofthe booty (Gen 1420). Therefore,
Melchivedek can serve asthe ideal bible! model forthe union of
ingship and priesthood
B 11QMavomzenee (11013)
“The Melchinedek psher found in Quran Care I very comples
eve of writing. Unlike the majority of eter psharin, it does et
‘eae oa single lca ext, but rather comments on arity of texts
from diferent parts ofthe Bible As has bean recognized,” howeve.
the core ofthe work focus om Is 61-3, which the peser constantly
invoke ins dget oe indirect manner. According 1 this pesker, the
“oarers of Zion” who were under the dominion of Mekhizedek,
hve been captured and env by Bel bt Melchizedk wl judge
[ell and "wil exact the vengeance of God’ judgmens” 02 Op
{Pk "oBw.” He wil bert the apes apd sete them in hee
Inheritance, the ihertnce of Melchivedek n ths way the captives,
the moamers of Zion wl be comforted.” Theliberadon of the captives
by Meleizedek ito take lace on the Dry of Atonement inthe et
jubilee Ths bration from the ral of Bel wil come abot as rele
ff the remision fall thet sns by Mechzedek and his proclamation
eis ancen 3 1G ein
io Ano a6 ae Ain tn na ed hee
‘Srna Meth Sy
Saks hal tray oar of ues eC A Bm
‘fone cl eect eer dee 9
TERNS ST apc men Ee 12, 190-2
Gace Mate Tipe A as et Woe DID Ox of beryt them, ving them ofthe banden ofall th ngs”
(orem 9 (wa) nary mph et arb APN
‘On the face of the struggle between Mechinedel and Belli
steugle between two etherwrly ents, For this reson, shoes
Inve tented the Melhiedsk ofthe peer wh the angel Micha
“Te denticaton of Mechizedck with an angel may inital seem to
‘be sappore bythe expression, "he ot of MelcizedA" (28), since
the Quran erature, ots were aseribed slay o heavenly gre,
Go nd his anges i think, however, that this detication dows not
holdup when properly examined If Miche ithe main sbject of te
composition, why does the pedir ase the mame Melhinedek and not
Michel And frtheemeore i we are dang witha angel, wy sbuld
the peserbe based on Isiah 61, which fers oa prophet af sh and
‘ood, anlated by thesis of God to preach consolation ("The sprit
ofthe Lard God i upon mes beease the Lord bath anointed me 0
‘reach god tidings uno the meat
Tsai 13, we ead tha! they might be called the ees of igh:
teousness, the plating ofthe Lord, wherein be ight glory” (272 #7)
‘awonnb ‘n pba pran YW). The prophets speaking af the grieving
capues of Zon who Have been reed and comforted. According
{0 the peer, the mourners of Zn were members ofthe Tabad om
sniy of Qumnia, who were capives of Bell. Melcizedek would
Set them ee and they would be given ther ight inheritance the
Inheritce of Melhizedek. Henceforth, the mournets of Zio, Ley
the members of the Quan community, would be alle “uees of
righteousness? PTH “7a. This bea expression, PIN MW, was
probably iterpreted bythe suthor of the peer ar PWGM “OR—"he
ods of righteousness that is angels of righteousness. A noted by
J, Mill wh ie fllowed by E: Puech andthe editors of DID 23°
= 24 On ths een, DR. Sdn, 0 Qin, a oe
JStaanna amass
Es cu tta ntnatens (oe nang
Seite gene
SLED Ng om ct a
7 ova mst e QM” er 129 8h
2 one tur eg Geet D220
itis pole that the phrase pun 4 based on PTA VOW of nih
Gt shoud be estred in QMleh 214: (pram) “8 29 MHP
"A werk in this pusege then, we se the recognized penchant of the
menbecsof the Qumran comunity align themselves wih the om
Ini of the age Ifthe members ofthe community ae pereived
tthe gods of righteousnes” we can beter understand the meaning of
the name Melchiedek The nae Melchinedle maybe interpreted 8
refering tothe king of he gods of ighteousnes'— thats the ender
ofthe Qumran community.
1 Melhizedel ie not the angel Michal bo a aman Being. how
ie tht he poseses Te” epritalinhentancey? low ist that es
tlesrbed as someone who ovtcomes Beal? In ode: to answer this
“Question we have to examine ope of the pecs of the Melee
peter
‘Oe pect of de Melted ae s the way i takes verses
from the Bible concerning God and applies them to Meleizedek™
“his practice may perhaps be comprehensible in the cas of wrngs
in which the les Elon” or“ appeat in legal contest (Ps 82:
God Flin stands inthe congregation of God [el he judges among,
the gods (Elohin” vaur O7PN 3993 DK TIpA aE OTN) ie
posible dat the tile “Elehin? may azo have Been used in the Bible
US the le for an earthy judge Exod 227-8) In this ph, however,
Machizedeks mane is lo ebtated fr the bili Tetragramna
ton, For lanance, "the yee ofthe Lords god pleasure? TH" TOW
{wah 6-2) tuned no "Ye yar of Mechiade’s good plese
Sriesbah pa ra (29) A sir endency is expressed inthe word
pr [aha rm 28)?
"What isthe reason for his ientification of Mleizadek with God? I
‘hk the entfeton i based on Jeri 2:56" dal aise unto
David ghteous dot and he shall egy asking and prosper, and
‘ecu jpment an jostiein the and. and hiss the name whereby
Fe all be elds VW four righteousnes™ (Now, 712 DPT
Sox 120 Am...pwS Ap! oswN mV bow bo Fm Pw
Tapa me) he shoot of Davide, the Messiah —is, according
to ths passe 9 igleou ing who wil execute Judgment and jusice
> RESIN Mat ‘in the land This righteous king hall be called pram *YHIWH is
‘ur sighteouness" Here thre i el basis for the identification of
the “shoo of Dav —the righteous king who alo the je of te
end-f-days—vith God. This tn fact the ony vere in the Hebrew
Bein which te Mesh called by the Tetragrammaton! la ny es
thls exceptional pesige serves asthe basis forthe ungue use ofthe
Sguce of Mlchizedek made bythe writer ofthe peer in the pester
the igre of Mechizedk (=the "king of ighteouses oymbeles the
Messi, Following Jeremiah 23, tbe author ofthe pes etfs the
Messi withthe Lor. Mechzedck then ithe sghteous King led
‘Upry ,"YEWH is our righteouanes”
However, besides the tendency to deny Melchiedek with God,
there salto another tendency i the pes, name. the preservation
‘ofa cetain dtinction between this igure and God. This tendency ay
‘be perceived Inthe words: “And Melhizedek wl exact the vengeance
of God's judgments (5) "one pd aN Pr EN 13) A ear
