Biblical Hebrew Forum

[jimstinehart AT aol.com]

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