TEFE (29 Nov 2005)
"MELCHIZEDEK WAS SHEM; NOAH CONTEMPORARY WITH ABRAHAM"

 

Greetings Doves;

 

     There are some hyper-astonishing items found in the Book of Genesis and others when plotted out on a time scale. The following will demonstrate that Noah was contemporary with Abraham for a period of 50 years. In addition there is a hyper good possibility that SHEM (Noah’s son, which means “name” indicative of God’s name -- HaShem), was, in all likelihood Melchizedek (which really means ‘The King (of) my righteousness’; “my righteousness” referring to Jerusalem as the city of righteousness). That Melchizedek (Shem) tutored and accepted tithes from Abraham as well as from Isaac and Jacob.

     We commence with a time “plot” showing dates of birth, death and years aged for each person from Noah to Isaac. In order to start, we know that Adam died after having “lived” 930 years (possibly some of those years in the Garden of Eden and the balance on “earth”). Let us take the beginning of his life as year zero. If we do this then Adam died 930 AA (AA meaning “After Adam”). Continuing on in this manner we obtain (from all the time references in Genesis MT):

 

  1. NOAH          Born   1056 AA

         Died   2006 AA

         Aged   950 years

 

 

  1. SHEM           Born   1556 AA

           Died   2156 AA

            Aged   600+ years  (Gen 11:10-11)

 

 

  1. ARPHAXAD   Born   1666 AA

           Died   2104 AA

         Aged   438 years  (Gen 11:12-13)

 

 

  1. SALAH          Born   1701 AA

             Died   2134 AA

             Aged   433 years   (Gen 11:14-15)

 

 

  1. EBER            Born   1731 AA

             Died   2195 AA

         Aged   464 years   (Gen 11:16-17)

 

 

  1. PELEG          Born   1765 AA

           Died   2004 AA

          Aged   239 years   (Gen 11:18-19)

 

 

  1. REU            Born   1795 AA

           Died   2034 AA

           Aged   239 years   (Gen 11:20-21)

 

 

  1. SERUG         Born   1827 AA

             Died   2057 AA

             Aged   230 years   (Gen 11:22-23)

 

 

  1. NAHOR         Born   1857 AA

               Died   2105 AA

               Aged   148 years   (Gen 11:24-25)

 

 

  1. TERAH  Born   1886 AA

               Died   2091 AA

              Aged   205 years   (Gen 11:32)

 

 

  1. ABRAHAM  Born   1956 AA

                             Died   2131 AA

                             Aged   175 years   (Gen 25:7)

 

 

  1. ISAAC     Born   2056 AA

                      Died   2236 AA

                      Aged   180 years   (Gen 35:26)

 

 

  1. JACOB    Born   2096 AA

                     Died   2243 AA

                    Aged   147 years   (Gen 47:28)

 

     Thus it is abundantly clear that NOAH AND ABRAHAM WERE CONTEMPORARIES. NOAH’S SON, SHEM WAS CONTEMPORARY WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB!!!

 

     ABRAHAM met MALCHIZEDEK when ABRAHAM was about 77/78 years old (See Gen 12:4 – 16:16); this was very close to the time REU (which means “friend”) died, i.e. circa 2034 AA.

 

     ABRAHAM was about 100 years old (circa 2056 AA) when ISAAC was born; ISAAC was 40 years old (circa 2096) when Jacob was born (circa 2096 AA). JACOB was 60 years old when MELCHIZEDEK (SHEM) died (circa 2156 AA). Thus there can be a HIGH confidence level that not only did MELCHIZEDEK bless ABRAHAM, He also blessed and received tithes from ISAAC and JACOB!!! It is also interesting to note that Jacob died SEVEN years after ISAAC died.

 

     The scriptures record that SHEM “dwelt in tents”. It also records that JACOB “dwelt in tents”. These dwelling places should not be understood as mere tents, they were in fact places of religious instruction – “yeshiva’s”; in which SHEM (MELCHIZEDEK and perhaps his sons ARPHAXAD, SELAH, EBER) were top instructors and tutors of ABRAHAM, ISAAC and JACOB, the PATRIARCHS!!!

    

    

     The idea that SHEM is MELCHIZEDEK is found in the JERUSALEM TARGUM (ARAMAIC BIBLE) – Gen 14:18. It is also found in the Book of Jasher: 16:10 “And Bera king of Sodom, and the rest of his men that were with him, went out from the lime pits into which they had fallen, to meet Abram and his men.
11 And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech.
12 And Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God.
13 And all the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah who were there, with their servants, approached Abram and begged of him to return them their servants whom he had made captive, and to take unto himself all the property.
14 And Abram answered the kings of Sodom, saying, As the Lord liveth who created heaven and earth, and who redeemed my soul from all affliction, and who delivered me this day from my enemies, and gave them into my hand, I will not take anything belonging to you, that you may not boast tomorrow, saying, Abram became rich from our property that he saved.
15 For the Lord my God in whom I trust said unto me, Thou shalt lack nothing, for I will bless thee in all the works of thy hands.
16 And now therefore behold, here is all belonging to you, take it and go; as the Lord liveth I will not take from you from a living soul down to a shoetie or thread, excepting the expense of the food of those who went out with me to battle, as also the portions of the men who went with me, Anar, Ashcol, and Mamre, they and their men, as well as those also who had remained to watch the baggage, they shall take their portion of the spoil.
17 And the kings of Sodom gave Abram according to all that he had said, and they pressed him to take of whatever he chose, but he would not.”.

 

     That ABRAHAM spoke to SHEM (as MELCHIZEDEK) is also found in the Midrash to Psalm 37.

 

     The Bavli Nedarim 32b has an interesting account that ties Melchizedek with one of Noah’s descendants:

 

Nedarim 32b

The numerical value of ha-satan [Satan] is three hundred sixty four.1

R. Ammi b. Abba also said: [First] Abram is written, then Abraham:2  at first God gave him mastery over two hundred forty three limbs, and later over two hundred forty eight, the additional ones being the two eyes, two ears, and the membrum.3

R. Ammi b. Abba also said: What is the meaning of, There is a little city. etc.?4  'A little city' refers to the body; and 'a few men within' to the limbs; 'and there came a great king against it and besieged [it]' to the Evil Urge;5  'and built great bulwarks against it', to sin; 'Now there was found in it a poor wise man, to the Good Urge; and he by his wisdom delivered the city, to repentance and good deeds; yet no man remembered that same poor man, for when the Evil Urge gains dominion, none remember the Good Urge.

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty ones which are in the city.6  'Wisdom strengtheneth the wise' refers to repentance and good deeds; 'more than ten mighty ones,' viz., the two eyes, two ears, two hands, two feet, membrum and mouth.7

R. Zechariah said on R. Ishmael's authority: The Holy One, blessed be He, intended to bring forth the priesthood from Shem, as it is written, And he [sc. Melchizedek] was the priest of the most high God.8  But because he gave precedence in his blessing to Abraham over God, He brought it forth from Abraham; as it is written, And he blessed him and said. Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be the most high God.9  Said Abraham to him, 'Is the blessing of a servant to be given precedence over that of his master?' Straightway it [the priesthood] was given to Abraham, as it is written, The Lord said unto my Lord,10  Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool;11  which is followed by, The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek,'12  meaning, 'because of the words of Melchizedek.'13  Hence it is written, And he was a priest of the most High God, [implying that] he was a priest, but not his seed.14

 

     Abraham certainly knew that all life had perished in the flood except that which was on Noah’s ark. He reasoned therefore that Melchizedek, being a human, must also have been on the ark. This is seen in dramatic fashion in the midrash to Psalm  37 Abraham spoke to Melchizedek “”How is it you came forth safely from the ark? ‘By reason of the charity (love) we practiced there.’. But what charity for you to practice? Were there any poor in the ark? Only Noah and his sons were there, so to whom could you have been charitable? ‘To the animals, beasts and birds. We did not sleep but gave each its food throughout the night.’”.

     The problem here is not that Shem was Melchizedek, but rather that Hebrew priestly folk-lore held that anyone mentioned prominently in the Torah whose death or end was not included in the Torah, or even in the Tanakh, could not die! (or at least did not die). This is where soma angst enters. In the Book of Hebrews the folk-lore that Melchizedek did not expire got incorporated into scripture!

     There are several problems with the Melchizedek account in Hebrews. First who or what was Melchizedek? There are four possibilities: #1. a man like all others, #2. Yeshua/God incarnate, #3. An Angel, #4. another Divine person.

     Let’s deal with #4. first. The Trinity is inviolate, there can be no 4th Divine personage. This eliminates possibility #4. Next we will examine possibility #3. – An Angel. The problem here is possibly two-fold. Abraham seems to have paid homage to Melchizedek, we are not to venerate anyone but God (The Triune God is echad A COMPOSITE UNITY). In addition we do not tithe to angels, or if humanity ever did, this is the first and only account of such a thing in scripture!

     Regarding possibility #2. If Melchizedek was Yeshua incarnate, then we have another two problems: A. We then have Yeshua putting on flesh long before He was prophesized to do so; which could constitute a violation of Messianic scriptures. B. Melchizedek was supposed to be without father and mother, we know Yeshua was born of a virgin. We then must ask if the appearance of Melchizedek was a Theophany. A Theophany is: a temporary, visible manifestation of God to humans. For example, in the Bible in Isaiah 6, the story of Isaiah seeing the Lord sitting upon a throne is called a theophany.

     According to the philosopher Philo, God is purely transcendent, so his interactions with the material world are through an expression of himself, his Logos, or Word. It was through this Word that God created the world.

     Perhaps the best known example of theophany is from the Torah where God appears to Moses and, by many analyses, the entire nation of Israel on, and at the foot of, a mountain variously called Sinai or Horeb, and reveals his name and the text of the Ten Commandments to Moses. Another example is when Jacob wrestles with the “Angel of the Lord”, who then changes his name to Israel.”

     The wording RE: Melchizedek in the Book of Hebrews is :

 

 

English: New American Standard Bible

English: King James Version

English: Douay-Rheims

Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)

 

Hebrews 7 [Context] [Commentary]

1. 

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

ουτος γαρ ο μελχισεδεκ βασιλευς σαλημ ιερευς του θεου του υψιστου ο συναντησας αβρααμ υποστρεφοντι απο της κοπης των βασιλεων και ευλογησας αυτον

2. 

to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation, is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:

ω και δεκατην απο παντων εμερισεν αβρααμ πρωτον μεν ερμηνευομενος βασιλευς δικαιοσυνης επειτα δε και βασιλευς σαλημ ο εστιν βασιλευς ειρηνης

3. 

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

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.

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever.

απατωρ αμητωρ αγενεαλογητος μητε αρχην ημερων μητε ζωης τελος εχων αφωμοιωμενος δε τω υιω του θεου μενει ιερευς εις το διηνεκες

4. 

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

Now consider how great this man is, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave tithes out of the principal things.

θεωρειτε δε πηλικος ουτος ω και δεκατην αβρααμ εδωκεν εκ των ακροθινιων ο πατριαρχης

      The literal Greek means WITHOUT FATHER, WITHOUT MOTHER. Some try (an with some sense of appropriatness) say that the Greek means without record of a father or with the record of a mother, i.e. the names of his parents were not recorded. But then we still have a difficulty. The passages say he continues forever. This would naturally lead to two questions: #1. Where is he presently? and if he continues forever as priest, why did Yeshua have to replace someone who was supposedly continuing forever?

     This should in no way be construed as “berating” or talking against the verasity of scripture. These are “legitimate” questions asked in a spirit of examining the scriptures to make sure that something has not been allowed in when the formation of the NT canon some of the codicies did not contain the Book of Hebrews for some of these very points.

Y’va reh-ch’cha Adonai v’yeesh-m’reh-cha,

Ya-air Adonai pa-nahv ay-leh-cha vee-choo-neh-ka,

Yee-sa Adonai pa-nahv ay-leh-cha v’ya-same l’cha Shalom

 

   TEFE