Who was Melchizedek really—and what does his name actually mean?

Genesis 14 introduces Melchizedek with almost no explanation, yet later biblical writers elevate him into one of the most theologically significant figures in Scripture. This episode slows down and asks a simple question: does Melchizedek’s name tell us more about his identity than we’ve assumed?

Dr. Mark Chavalas examines Melchizedek within Genesis 14, focusing on the meaning of his name (מלכי־צדק) and the possibility that it reflects Canaanite religious language rather than explicit Yahweh worship. By exploring ancient naming practices, divine epithets, and West Semitic religion, this conversation challenges the common assumption that Melchizedek was originally a monotheistic priest—and instead asks whether Scripture is intentionally reinterpreting a figure rooted in an older religious world.

Rather than weakening the biblical text, this approach reveals how the Bible often reclaims and re-centers ancient titles, names, and concepts, applying them to Yahweh in ways that deepen—not diminish—its theological message.

📚 Sources & resources referencedGenesis 14:17–24 | Psalm 110 | Hebrews 7

➡️ Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD), entries on Melchizedek, El Elyon, and Zedek

➡️ Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (James B. Pritchard)

➡️ West Semitic and Amorite personal name studies (Mari, Ugarit, Amarna texts)

➡️ Egyptian Execration Texts referencing early Jerusalem

➡️ Amarna Letters (notably EA 287)

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