Posted on 07/26/2014 7:09:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The canonical Bible is filled with mysterious characters, many of whom drop in for a cameo, do their thing, and then slide out, never to be heard from again. Some are merely extras, but some have a contextual presence that begs further examination. And some are, well, just weird.
10 Melchizedek
Probably the single most mysterious figure in the Bible, Melchizedek was a priest-king of Salem (later known as Jerusalem) in the time of Abram (Abraham), suggesting a religious organization, complete with ritual and hierarchy, that predated the Jewish nation and their priestly lineage from the tribe of Levi. He is only portrayed as active in one passage, although he is alluded to once in Psalms, and several times in the New Testament’s Epistle to the Hebrews.
Some Jewish disciplines insist that Melchizedek was Shem, Noah’s son. He is thought of, in Christian circles, as a proto-messiah, embodying certain traits later given to Christ. New Testament writings assert that Christ was “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek,” indicating an older and deeper covenant with God than the Abrahamic-Levite lineage.
Hebrews 7, though presents him in a more unusual light. In verses 3 and 4:
“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. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.”(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at listverse.com ...
Obviously Cain’s wife would have been his sister. Possibly a rebellious sister who had trouble with what God required.
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The only one there that really interests me is Melchizedek.
It would make sense that he might be Shem, as Shem was still alive and not that far apart, generationally speaking from Abraham.
Bump
The most obvious nominee is John the Apostle, one of Christ’s inner circle of 12 and the namesake of the Gospel. But none of the 12 apostles were present at the crucifixion, so that crosses him off the list...
Say wha..? Don't think that's a mystery.
Bump for later.
That's always been my guess as to who he was...
Took after her mother.
Shem lived long after the death of Abraham. And wouldn’t it make sense he is the Priest since he’s the oldest male of the Semite family? One Jewish story is when Rebekah goes to inquire about the twins in her womb she goes to Shem.
And who were those three guys that walked to meet Abraham in Genesis chapter 18? And they ate lamb, something that if it is good enough for God, it is good enough for me.
We are not to know everything it seems, and we do not.
Rosicrucians is a keyword to this story? Alright.
Did you read the article? They are in there.
http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/92/Q1/
...Wisdom and righteousness didn’t begin at Sinai. One need look no farther than the Chumash to see that Mankind had mitzvot and Divine wisdom before the giving of the Torah...
...it’s quite rational that academies always existed for the study of the seven Noachide laws and the prophetic wisdom of the time.
Therefore, Noah’s son Shem and Shem’s grandson Ever directed an academy in Be’er Sheva where these traditions were studied and upheld in the hope that they be passed on to future generations...
Thank you. I see it. Apologies.
I just find it fascinating and a little mind blowing. A Centurian? A Roman officer, a follower of Christ before He died on the cross. How did he meet Christ? How did he know of his teachings?
Something must have happened, an interaction, did Christ carry his pack two miles instead of one? Imagine the conversation and the conversion, Christ walking with a Centurian, talking to him, the religion of the Jews a complete pile of nonsense to a tough Roman officer.
Really, something happened that we know nothing about for this Roman to be a follower of Christ well before He rose from the dead.
I take no credit at the theory of Christ carrying the officers pack two miles, that is from a personal conversation with my priest who also finds this man so interesting and a mystery.
No need.
Melchizedek is interesting in that I suspect he is in some way linked to the Code of Hammurabi.
Yeah, I thought John was there:
John 19:26–27: Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother.
http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/92/Q1/
...’The Code of Hamurabi’ (18th century B.C.E.) is one of the oldest known legal codes on record. I heard from Rabbi Simcha Wasserman, zatzal, that Hamurabi was most likely a dropout from the academy of Shem and Ever...
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