Melchizedek Dead Sea Scroll Found in Qumran
Background of Melchizedek, King of Salem
Of all the unusual individuals that show up in Scripture, Melchizedek, the King of Salem, is one of the most fascinating. Throughout the Old and New Testament, Melchizedek is only mentioned in three books: Genesis, Psalms, and Hebrews, with Genesis being the only book where he appears in person. Very little information is given in Scripture about Melchizedek, however, among the discoveries made at the Qumran caves, the Melchizedek Dead Sea Scroll, dating back to the 1st Century BC, gives more information about the importance of Melchizedek the priest.
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said:
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
And he gave him a tithe of all.Genesis 14:18-20
Melchizedek's Missing Genealogy
The spiritual authority of Melchizedek and the way in which the author of Genesis brings the readers attention to the absence of any genealogy relating to Melchizedek, indicates the uniqueness of Melchizedek as a figure of Scripture. Melchizedek has no genealogy, he is a priest of God during a time when there were very few godly men, and the author of Hebrews draws comparisons between Melchizedek and Jesus, saying that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham (Hebrews 7:7). Similarly, in John 8 the Jews ask Jesus if he is greater than Abraham.
Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"John 8:54-57
The Link Between Jesus and Melchizedek
The parallels between Jesus and Melchizedek are so striking, that some Biblical scholars have wondered if Melchizedek could have been a manifestation of Jesus before the Nativity. However, the references made in Hebrews, stating that Jesus "is a priest after the order of Melchizedek", would be redundant if Melchizedek had himself been a manifestation of Christ. What is certain is that Melchizedek was a great priest of God and that he was recognized as such by Abraham, King David, and the author of the Book of Hebrews.
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Heb 7:1-10
Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
The Translated Text of the Book/Manuscript of Melchizedek
Although Columns 1 and 3 of 11QMelch are extremely fragmentary and largely unreadable, much of Column 2 has survived and can be translated with reasonable confidence. Even though this column is also incomplete, it contains quotations from several biblical passages that closely parallel the Masoretic Hebrew text. These parallels have enabled scholars to reconstruct significant portions of the missing material with a fair degree of certainty.
In his insightful study, “11QMelchizedek,” Yeshiva University professor Joseph Angel presents a translation based on the work of Florentino García-Martínez, E. J. C. Tigchelaar, and A. S. van der Woude. The translation below follows their reconstruction. For clarity, the sections specifically relating to Melchizedek are highlighted in bold, and scriptural references—identified by Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Professor García-Martínez—are included in parentheses.
2:1. […]
2:2. […] and as for what he said (Leviticus 25:13): ‘In [this] year of jubilee [each of you shall return to his ancestral land holding,’ concerning it he said (Deuteronomy 15:2): ‘And th]is is
2:3. [the manner of the remission:] every creditor shall remit what he has lent [his neighbor or his brother, for it has been proclaimed] a remission
2:4. of Go[d.’ Its interpretation] for the final days concerns the captives, who […] and whose
2:5. teachers have been hidden and kept secret, and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, fo[r …] and they are the inheritan[ce of Melchize]dek, who
2:6. will make them return. And liberty shall be proclaimed to them, to free them from [the debt of] all their iniquities. And this [wil]l [happen]
2:7. in the first week of the jubilee (that occurs) after [the] ni[ne] jubilees. And the D[ay of Atone]ment i[s] the e[nd of] the tenth [ju]bilee,
2:8. in which atonement shall be made for all the Sons of [Light and for] the men [of] the lot of Mel[chi]zedek […] over [th]em […] accor[ding to] a[ll] their [doing]s, for
2:9. it is the time for the year of grace of Melchizedek and of [his] arm[ies, the nati]on [of] the holy ones of God, of the administration of justice, as is written
2:10. about him in the songs of David, who said (Psalm 82:1): ‘Elohim shall [st]and in the ass[embly of God]; in the midst of the gods he shall judge.’ And about him he sa[id (Psalm 7:8-9): ‘And] above [it,]
2:11. to the heights, return: God shall judge the nations.’ And as for what he s[aid (Psalm 82:2): ‘How long will you] judge unjustly, and be par[tial] to the wick[e]d. [Se]lah,’
2:12. the interpretation of it concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot wh[o …], in [the]ir tur[ning] away from God’s commandments to [commit evil].
2:13. And Melchizedek will carry out the vengeance of Go[d]’s judgments, [and on that day he will f]r[ee them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all the s[pirits of his lot.]
2:14. And all the gods [of justice] are in his assistance; [and h]e is (the one) wh[o …] all the sons of God, and he will [….
2:15. This …] is the day of the [peace ab]out which he said [through Isa]iah the prophet who said (Isaiah 52:7): [‘How] beautiful
2:16. upon (the) mountains are the feet [of] the messen[ger who an]nounces peace, the mes[senger of good who announces salvati]on, [sa]ying to Zion: your God [is king’].
2:17. Its interpretation: ‘the mountains’ [are] the prophet[s]; they […] every [….]
2:18. And ‘the messenger’ i[s] the anointed of the spir[it], as Dan[iel] said [about him (Daniel 9:25-26): ‘Until an anointed, a prince, it is seven weeks.’ And ‘the messenger of]
2:19. good who announ[ces salvation]’ is the one about whom it is written (Isaiah 61:2-3), [ …
2:20. ‘To comfort] the [afflicted,’ its interpretation]: to [in]struct them in all the ages of the w[orld
2:21. in truth …
2:22. …] has turned away from Belial and shall retu[rn to …
2:23. …] in the judgment[s of] God, as is written about him (Isaiah 52:7): [‘saying to Zi]on: your God is king.’ [‘Zi]on’ i[s
2:24. the congregation of all the sons of justice, who] establish the covenant, who avoid walking [on the p]ath of the people. And ‘your G[o]d’ is
2:25. [Melchizedek who will fr]ee [them from the han]d of Belial. And as for what he said (Leviticus 25:9): ‘And you shall blow the ho[rn in] all the [l]and (of) ….
See the Melchizidek Manuscript and the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Shrine of the Book on one of our Christian Israel tours!
Reference:
Eames, C. (2024 January 12). Uncovering the Identity of Melchizedek: Dead Sea Scroll 11QMelch. Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology. Uncovering the Identity of Melchizedek: Dead Sea Scroll 11QMelch | ArmstrongInstitute.org
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