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Genesis introduces Melchizedek after Abram rescues captives and recovers their property. In 11Q13 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Melchizedek himself frees the captives, and their release now includes forgiveness of sins.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 14:14-20
Hebrew Bible
14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he mobilized his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders as far as Dan. 15 Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He retrieved all the stolen property. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of the people. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 19 He blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
11Q13 2:4-9
The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek
Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation
4 for God.” [Its interpretation] for the end of days concerns the captives, who […] and whose 5 teachers have been hidden and kept secret, and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, for […] … and they are the inheritance of Melchizedek, who 6 will bring them back to them. He will proclaim liberty to them, to release them from [the burden of] all their iniquities. And [thus] this thing will happen 7 in the first week of the jubilee that follows the nine jubilees. The Day of Atonement is the end of the tenth jubilee, 8 to atone on it for all the sons of [light] and the men of the lot of Melchizedek. […] … upon them … according to all their deeds, for 9 this is the time of the year of favor for Melchizedek and for his armies, the people of the holy ones of God, for a reign of judgment, as it is written
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Notes and References
“... It turns out that Melchizedek in nQMelchizedek has much to do with
the scriptural verses about him. In Genesis 14 two topics of interest in the
context of the Melchizedek pericope are the release of captives taken by the
invading kings (Lot was one of those captured) and the restoration of
property to its rightful owners. According to scriptural legislation, both of
these actions were to happen in the Year of the Jubilee; in addition, Deuter
onomy 15 (quoted in the text) stipulates that in the seventh year debts were
to be remitted and Hebrew slaves released (15:12-15). Another scriptural
passage relating to this topic is also quoted in nQMelchizedek: Isa 61:1-2
calls for release of the captives in the year of the Lord's favor (notice that
the Qumran text amazingly speaks of the year of Melchizedek's favor
rather than of the Lord's favor). So the topics mentioned in Genesis 14 are
in fact ones taken up in the text from cave 11, but they are transposed to an
eschatological key. ...”
VanderKam, James C.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible
(p. 46) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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