Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. VIII, 1952 Sacred Scripture Peoples and figures

Melchisedech

MELCHISEDEC

Italian original Cite

Also known as: German: Melchisedek; Melchizedek, Malki-sedeq; Italian: Malki-šedheq

MELCHISEDECH. - King of Salem, probably Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 76 [75], 5), and priest of God (called 'El-'elyon; cf. Num. 24, 16; Deut. 32, 8).

The Hebrew Malki-sedeq, transcribed by St. Jerome as Melchisedec (A. Vaccari [v. bibl.], p. 208), is explained by W. Gesenius and E. Kautzsch as "king of righteousness" (cf. Heb. 7, 2); by many moderns as: "my king is Sedeq," the name of a Canaanite deity, otherwise unknown (cf. 'adoni-sedeq, Josh. 10, 3; P. Heinisch, Das Buch Genesis, Bonn 1930, p. 221).

M. came out to meet Abraham, returning from his victorious counter-raid against the kings of Mesopotamia, bringing for the refreshment of him and his 300 fighting men (cf. Chrysostom: PG 53, 336) bread and wine; he blessed Abraham in the name of 'El-'elyon, and Abraham in return gave him a tenth of all the spoil (Gen. 14, 17-20). The terms employed (the verb yasa') and the very construction (ibid. 14, 18 ff.) do not permit the conclusion that M. also offered bread and wine in sacrifice; yet this may be held as certain, with Jewish and Christian tradition, bearing in mind the ancient custom of consecrating by a sacrifice the victory obtained (A. Vaccari, P. Heinisch).

M. is a type of the Messiah (Ps. 110 [109], 4), to whom the same name and that of the city apply most fittingly in the interpretation given by St. Paul (Heb. 7, 2). Like M., the Messiah is king and priest; of M. no genealogy is given (ἀγενεαλόγητος, Heb. 7, 3), which was instead necessary for the Levitical priesthood; thus the priesthood of Christ, by reason of its eternal origin, is not bound to any earthly kinship; the Messiah holds it by native right and by investiture from God himself (cf. Heb. 5, 4 ff.); therefore forever. M. blesses Abraham and receives the tithe from him; he is therefore superior to the patriarch and to the Levitical priesthood that issued from his loins; he is the type of the absolute superiority of the supreme priesthood of Christ over that of the ancient law (Heb. 7, 1-28).

Catholic tradition further sees in the sacrifice of M. the figure of the sacrifice of the Last Supper, which is renewed in the sacrifice of the Mass.

MELCHIZEDEK - The sacrifice of M., flanked by those of Abel and of Abraham represented symbolically. 6th-century mosaic - Ravenna, church of S. Apollinare in Classe.(phot. Alinari)

Ancient rabbinic traditions make M. the high priest of messianic times (H. L. Strack-P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, IV, Munich 1928, pp. 453-65, 786); but others, more recent, tend to lower M.: his priesthood was given to Abraham, etc. This tendency seeks to combat the Catholic typology according to the interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews (J. Bonsirven). Philo gives his logos the marks of the mysterious M. (Leg. Aug., III, 79-82; Fug., 109).

The Melchisedecians (c. 200 A.D.) regarded him as "a great power"; others made him an angel in human appearance. Most of the Fathers reject these fanciful elements.

Bibliography10 works

BIBL.: G. Bardy, Melchisédech dans la tradition patristique, in Revue biblique, 35 (1926), pp. 496-509; 36 (1927), pp. 25-45; Fl. Ogara, Christus Rex «Sacerdos secundum ordinem M.», in Verbum Domini, 13 (1933), pp. 138-46; J. Bonsirven, Le judaïsme palestinien, I, Paris 1935, p. 454 f.; id., Exégèse rabbinique et exégèse paulinienne, ibid. 1939, p. 305 f.; A. Fernandez, Commentarius in Josue, ibid. 1938, p. 136 ff.; A. Vaccari, «M., rex Salem, proferens panem et vinum», in Verbum Domini, 18 (1938), pp. 208-14, 235-43; id., La S. Bibbia, I, Florence 1943, p. 89 f.; A. Médebielle, Épître aux Hébreux (La Ste Bible, ed. L. Pirot, 12), Paris 1938, pp. 320-26; P. Heinisch, Teologia del Vecchio Testamento, Italian trans., Turin 1950, pp. 41, 390 f.

Francesco Spadafora

ICONOGRAPHY

In early Christian art M. as priest and king prefigures Jesus Christ (Ps. 109:4; Heb. 7:1-17). In one of the mosaics of St. Mary Major in Rome, M. in priestly vestments offers bread and wine to Abraham returning victorious (Gen. 14:14-20; Wilpert, Mosaiken, pl. 8). The same scene was represented in the Genesis of Vienna (fol. 4, 8) and in that of Cotton (fol. 21, almost entirely carbonized). In Ravenna, in the mosaics of St. Vitale and of St. Apollinaris in Classe, Abel and M. offer their gifts to the Lord.

Clement of Alexandria sees in the bread and wine offered by M. to Abraham the sanctified nourishment, as a figure of the Eucharist (Stromata, IV, 161, 3). St. Cyprian observes: "but who was truly more a priest of the Most High than Our Lord Jesus Christ? He offered to God his Father the same sacrifice that M. had offered, that is, bread and wine, or rather his body and his blood" (Ep., 63, 4). In the miniature of the codex of Cosmas Indicopleustes, M. is represented with a halo, praying, in royal vestment and crown (cod. Vat. gr. 699, fol. 50). Later M. is portrayed in the Palatine Chapel of Palermo and in St. Angelo "in Formis". In the Sacramentary of Drogo of Metz, in the letter T of the Te igitur, Abel, Abraham, and M. are portrayed. In Jerusalem, in the chapel called that of Adam on Golgotha, there was an altar dedicated to M.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: G. Bardy, Melchisédech dans la tradit. patrist., in Revue bibl., 35 (1926), pp. 496-509; 36 (1927), pp. 25-45; H. Leclercq, s. v. in DACL. XI, 1, coll. 230-40.

Enrico Josi

About this entry

By Francesco Spadafora, Enrico Josi

§ Opening — Francesco Spadafora
§ Iconography — Enrico Josi

How we know Francesco Spadafora: signed in print; Enrico Josi: signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII (1952), coll. 635–637.

More by Francesco Spadafora: Mēghillôth, Hāmēš (« Five Scrolls ») · Mazzocchi, Alessio Simmaco · Merari · Mesha (Hebrew Mēša', 2 Kings 3; Stele: Meša') · Messiah and Messianism

Cite this article

Chicago

Spadafora, Francesco, and Enrico Josi. “Melchisedec.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, coll. 635–637. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/melchisedec.

MLA

Spadafora, Francesco, and Enrico Josi. “Melchisedec.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, coll. 635–637. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/melchisedec.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec8_melchisedec,
  author    = {Spadafora, Francesco and Josi, Enrico},
  title     = {Melchisedec},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {VIII},
  pages     = {635--637},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1952},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/melchisedec}
}

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