Priesthood of Melchizedek

[citation needed] The Law of Moses stipulates that only the male descendants of Aaron be commissioned to serve as Kohenim priests before Yahweh and the Jewish nation.

[4] Although the Book of Genesis affirms that Melchizedek was "priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18), the Midrash and Babylonian Talmud maintain that the priesthood held by Melchizedek, who pre-dated the patriarch Levi by five generations (Melchizedek pre-dates Aaron by six generations; Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehoth, Amram, Aaron), was given in his stead to Abraham who, in turn, passed it on to his patrilineal descendants, Isaac and then to Jacob.

Midrashic literature attributes this transition as a consequence due to Melchizedek preceding the name of Abraham to that of God, such as in the Midrash Rabbah to Genesis,[5] while some Jewish commentators, such as Chaim ibn Attar, write that Melchizedek gave the priesthood to Abraham willingly.

At the time of the erection of the Tabernacle, the bible says that God commanded Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons to the Jewish priestly service as a precondition to God revealing his Shekhinah amongst the nation of Israel: And Aaron and his sons I will sanctify to serve me and I will dwell amidst the sons of Israel and I will be to them a God, and they will know that I (am) God their Master that took them out from the land of Egypt (in order that) I (will) dwell in their midstThe majority of Chazalic literature attributes the primary character of psalm 110 as King David[6] who was a "righteous king" (מלכי צדק) of Salem (Jerusalem) and, like Melchizedek, had certain priest-like responsibilities, while the Babylonian Talmud understands the chapter as referring to Abram who was victorious in battling to save his nephew Lot and merited priesthood.

[8] Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah spoken of as "a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek" (Ps.

7:3 states, "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he (Melchizedek) remains a priest forever."

Melchizedek gave Abraham bread and wine, which Christians generally consider to pre-figure the Eucharist, being symbols or sacraments of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and perhaps a sacrifice to confirm a covenant.

Catholics believe that Christ therefore fulfilled the prophecy of Ps 110:4, that he would be a priest "after the order of Melchizedek" at the Last Supper, when he initiated the sacrifice of the New Covenant with his disciples— his body and blood under the appearances of bread and wine.

According to the Book of Mormon, the prophet Melchizedek preached repentance to the people of a wicked city, and established peace in the land.