Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Jerusalem - spelling, in historical perspective

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: jimstinehart AT aol.com
  • To: bjwvmw AT com-pair.net, uhurwitz AT yahoo.com, b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Jerusalem - spelling, in historical perspective
  • Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:07:18 -0500


Rev. Bryant J. Williams III:

1. You wrote: “The text of Genesis 14:18 clearly states that Melchizedek is
a king: Hebrew: Genesis 14:18”
וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם הֹוצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן וְה֥וּא כֹהֵ֖ן
לְאֵ֥ל עֶלְיֹֽון׃

The dashes in the Hebrew text that you cite were put there by a modern
editor, and were not in the original text. I see the dashes differently. In
my prior post, I quoted the leading analyst of Bronze Age names [Richard
Hess] as follows: “slm. This root, ‘to be well, at peace’, appears in many
West Semitic names of all periods.” Thus we should not be surprised to see
$LM in a priest’s name.

Here is how I see the dashes, under which Melchizedek has a double name, with
the second part of his name being MLK-$LM, and with Melchizedek not being
stated to be, and not being, a king of Jerusalem or Salem or a king at all:

MLK-Y-CDQ MLK-$LM

Supporting my theory of the case is the fact that Melchizedek never takes any
“kingly” actions at all. Melchizedek takes no part in the fighting, and
rather as a priest receives tithes from the fighters.

The issue I am raising is whether MLK-$LM is the second half of Melchizedek’s
long double name, as opposed to being a statement that Melchizedek was the
king of Jerusalem (or the king of an unknown Salem).

2. Now consider that there are more long names in chapter 14 of Genesis than
virtually any other part of the Bible:

(i) Ashteroth-karnaim, even though no other source has more than Ashteroth

(ii) XCC-N TMR/xa-tsi-tsi-ni tam-ri, even though no other source has more
than Hasi [Xasi]

(iii) (YN M$P+ HW) QD$, even though no other source (except the Thutmose III
list) has more than QD$ [or the equivalent in another language]

(iv) KDRL(MR, which is a rare 7-letter name [with no dashes]

So we should not expect “Jerusalem” to be abbreviated as “$LM” in chapter 14
of Genesis. Nor should we be unduly surprised by a high priest having a
double name: MLK-Y-CDQ MLK-$LM.

The whole issue, Rev. Bryant J. Williams III, is whether MLK-$LM is the
second half of Melchizedek’s long double name, as opposed to being a
statement that Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem (or of an unknown Salem).

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page