NOTE:
This post has been withdrawn. The post has been published in my book, Rereading the Biblical Text: Searching for Meaning and Understanding. The approach taken in the book is to compare how different translations have approached difficult texts in the Old Testament. The goal of the book is to invite readers to reread the biblical text in light of the new understanding of the intent of the original writer of the text. You can order the book from Amazon.
Rereading the Biblical Text
Visit my Amazon author’s page to purchase the book (click here).
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
A Note About This Post:
Before “Melchizedek and Jesus” was withdrawn for publication, “Melchizedek and Jesus” was read by 3828 readers. “Melchizedek and Jesus” was also shared 27 times by readers who enjoyed reading the post. You can read “Melchizedek and Jesus” and other articles on problems in Bible translation by reading my book Rereading the Biblical Text: Searching for Meaning and Understanding. Below is the content of the book:
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments – Page xi
Abbreviations – Page xii
Introduction – Page xv
SECTION 1 — THE PENTATEUCH
Chapter 1. The Creation of Animals in Genesis 2:19 – Page 3
Chapter 2. The Serpent Was Right (Genesis 3) – Page 7
Chapter 3. The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15) – Page 11
Chapter 4. Were They Really Giants? (Genesis 6:4) – Page 17
Chapter 5. “As Far as Dan” (Gen 14:14) – Page 20
Chapter 6. Abraham and the Promises of God – Page (Genesis 12:7) – Page 23
Chapter 7. The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:8) – Page 26
Chapter 8. The Rape of Bilhah (Genesis 35:22) – Page 29
Chapter 9. Miriam, a Leader in Israel (Exodus 15:20) – Page 32
Chapter 10. Azazel (Leviticus 16:8-10) – Page 35
Chapter 11. Understanding Numbers 24:24 – Page 38
SECTION 2 — THE HISTORICAL BOOKS
Chapter 12. The Levite and His Concubine (Judges 19:1–30) – Page 43
Chapter 13. The Sacrifice of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 47
Chapter 14. The Fate of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 4750
Chapter 15. The Virginity of Jephthah’s Daughter (Judges 10:6–12:7) – Page 54
Chapter 16. Who Went Back to the City? (Ruth 3:15) – Page 59
Chapter 17. Was Ruth Barren? (Ruth 4:13) – Page 59
Chapter 18. King Saul: Little in His Own Eyes (1 Samuel 15:17) – Page 63
Chapter 19. How Old Was Saul? (1 Samuel 13:1) – Page 64
Chapter 20. David and Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4) – Page 67
Chapter 21. David’s Sons Were Priests ((2 Samuel 8:18) – Page 70
Chapter 22. “Him that Pisseth against the Wall” (1 Samuel 25:22) – Page 72
Chapter 23. Whose Cloak Did Ahijah Tear? (1Kinga 11:4–7) – Page 78
Chapter 24. The Challenges of Parenthood (2 Kinga 21:25–26) – Page 82
SECTION 3 — THE WISDOM AND POETICAL BOOKS
Chapter 25. Psalm 8:5: In Search of a Better Translation – Page 87
Chapter 26. Understanding Psalm 17:14 – Page 90
Chapter 27. Jezebel’s Wedding Song (Psalm 45:1–17) – Page 93
Chapter 28. Psalm 100:3: In Search of a Better Translation – Page 99
Chapter 29. Sons or Children? (Psalm 127:3-5) – Page 103
Chapter 30. Proverbs 29:18 – Page 106
Chapter 31. “Black and Beautiful” or “Black but Beautiful”? (Song of Songs 1:5) – Page 108
SECTION 4 — THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS
Chapter 32. The Use of Gender Inclusive Language (Isaiah 9:1) – Page 115
Chapter 33. “You Have Increased Their Joy” (Isaiah 9:3) – Page 118
Chapter 34. Who Will the Messiah Strike? (Isaiah 11:4) – Page 120
Chapter 35. The Way of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3) – Page 122
Chapter 36. “All Their Goodliness” (Isa 40:6) – Page 126
Chapter 37. The Proclaimer of Good News (Isaiah 40:9) – Page 129
Chapter 38. The Problem of Divorce in the Old Testament (Isaiah 50:1) – Page 132
Chapter 39. Beulah Land (Isaiah 62:4) – Page 135
Chapter 40. The Balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22) – Page 138
Chapter 41. The Mother of Seven (Jeremiah 15:9) – Page 142
Chapter 42. The Coming of the Messiah (Daniel 9:25–27) – Page 144
Chapter 43. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:25–27) – Page 148
Chapter 44. The Knowledge of God (Hosea 4:1) – Page 152
Chapter 45. The Word “Hesed” in the Book of Hosea (Hosea 4:1) – Page 154
Chapter 46. The Word “Justice” in Amos (Amos 5:24) – Page 157
Chapter 47. “What the Lord Requires” (Micah 6:8) – Page 160
Bibliography – Page 165
Index of Subjects – Page 169
Index of Authors – Page 171
Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Documents – Page 173
Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary
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Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament 
Thank you Claude, for this. Very sound and nicely summarized.
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Keith,
Thank you for your comment and for visiting my blog.
Claude Mariottini
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Pingback: Melchizedek and Jesus | A disciple's study
Might I recommend a work in this vein? In Richard Bauckham’s book Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament’s Christology of Divine Identity (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008), the author has a chapter titled “The Divinity of Jesus in the Letter of Hebrews” in which Melchizedek is discussed at some length. Hebrews 7:3 begins, “Without mother, without father, without genealogy”, apparently alluding to the fact that the Genesis passage makes no mention of Melchizedek’s parents. Of course, per Bauckham (p 246), this does not mean Melchizedek himself is unoriginated, but the writer of Hebrews applies this background to Jesus as One who truly is unoriginate, i.e. Deity.
Bauckham defines “divine identity” on page 233:
Essentially a Christology of divine identity includes Jesus in the unique identity of God as understood in Second Temple Judaism. It takes up the defining characteristics of Jewish monotheism—the ways in which the God of Israel was understood to be unique—and applies them also to Jesus.
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Craig,
Thank you for pointing me to Bauckham’s book. I was not familiar with his work, but after I read a few pages of his work, I realize that he makes a strong argument about the identity of Jesus with the God of Israel. He argues that the early Christians identified Jesus with the same unique identity of the one true God of Israel. He also said that the early Christians saw and worshiped Jesus as the one and true God of Israel.
After I finish reading this book, I will also read Bauckham’s early work, God Crucified:Monotheism and Christology in the New Testament.
Claude Mariottini
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Dr. M.,
First, great post. Second, a question, with the understanding above, how do you explain the significance of the writer of Hebrews in his description of how Melchizedek is like Jesus says Melchizedek is without father and mother and without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time?
Tim
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Tim,
When the author of Hebrew says that Melchizedek was someone without father, without mother, and without genealogy, he was saying that no one knew who he was or who his parents were. In contrast, everyone knew about Aaron and his family.
In post-exilic Judaism, Melchizedek because legendary and assumed a mythical position precisely because he was without father, without mother, and without genealogy . When the author of Hebrews compare Melchizedek with Jesus, he is using this mythological figure of the Judaism of his days.
Claude Mariottini
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What is the order of Melchizedek?What does a priest within that order do? How are those of this order expected to behave?
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Jeffrey,
The order of Melchizedek means that priests follow the tradition established by Melchizedek. The Aaronite priests followed the traditions established by Aaron; they served in the Temple. Melchizedek was king of Jerusalem before David conquered the city; he also served as a priest there.
Claude Mariottini
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Thanks for your reply. But it doesn’t answer my question about how such a priest was expected to behave. I note that at the outset of the Jewish War, a new High priest was established — one who could trace his line to Phineas, and therefore was expected to support and espouse the zeal of the Zealots. Were priest in the order of Melchizedek eschewers of violence?
Jeffrey
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Jeffrey,
In the post-exilic period and at the time of the New Testament there were no priests of the order of Melchizedek. If you reread my post you will discover that only the kings in the line of David followed the example left by Melchizedek. This tradition ended with the Deuteronomic reform in the days of Josiah.
Claude Mariottini
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Pingback: The Weekly Roundup – 10.25.19 – The Amateur Exegete
Thank you, Dr. M.! Melchizedek’s very name clues us into his kingly/priestly identity. Some believe that he was Shem (who would still have been alive in Abraham’s time), and was a teacher of righteousness, which implies perhaps an oral tradition was extant at that time.
I notice that some commenters retrojection of their 21st Century, western mindset (and its accompanying hubris) interferes with a real understanding of the Word. I wonder if you might discuss this anachronistic tendency in a post? And to these folks, I recommend Thorlief Boman’s book: Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek.
Blessings!
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Lucia,
I have addressed some of these issues on several posts dealing with minimalism. Minimalists believe that all of the stories in the Bible are invented. According to them, none of these stories ever happened.
Claude Mariottini
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