The Melkiṣedeq memoirs: the social memory of Melkiṣedeq through the Second Temple Period

Individuals remember things differently. This is a fact of life; different people remember different aspects of events, people, and ideas, but this does not necessarily make any single memory the correct memory. This aggregate of individual memories contributes to a collective, creating a social memory. The present thesis addresses the social memory of the biblical priest-king Melkiṣedeq from Genesis 14:18-20. Throughout the Second Temple Period (530 BCE-70 CE), Jewish groups interpreted the Hebrew Bible to further their own agenda. Melkiṣedeq was one of the most popular interpretive points for priestly purposes because of his role in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110.

Second Temple groups such as the Qumran community, the early rabbinic movement, early Christians, and other Jewish philosophers of the time adapted the already present social memory of Melkiṣedeq to fit their societal needs. These various groups needed to provide legitimization for their ideologies and looked back through their memories of biblical characters to find one that would provide the precedent needed to promote their theology. Melkiṣedeq was able to provide precedent for the role of priest-king, tithing, and a priestly alternative to the Jerusalem priesthood for these new groups arising in Second Temple Palestine. This work will demonstrate the complete social memory of Melkiṣedeq’s character and how it was reinterpreted over time.