[2]: 85 In his commentary on the Talmud, Rashi says the Shem/Melchizedek is called a craftsman because he helped his father build the ark and taught Abraham.
[3] In 1280, following the Disputation of Barcelona, the Roman Catholic Church forced Jews to censor parts of the Talmud that were theologically problematic.
[5] According to the Avot of Rabbi Natan on Gen. i 27, Adam was born circumcised because he was created in the image of God.
Generally this is interpreted as happening after Joseph died and was because they stopped practicing circumcision.
Although Shem is unanimously declared by the Rabbis to have been the youngest son of Noah (a view most biblical scholars disagree with),[citation needed] he is always named first, being the most important of the three brothers.
[citation needed] In Samaritan tradition, Melchizedek's city was near the temple on Mount Gerizim.
Josephus followed the Jewish tradition and linked Salem with Jerusalem and Mount Zion.
Based on biblical life spans in the Masoretic text, Shem would have still been alive during Abraham's lifetime.
[11] Many Christian sources have said Shem was associated with Melchizedek for anti-Christian reasons [dubious – discuss][citation needed].
He identified Jesus as the Messiah ben Joseph, referring to him as "the sixth day" and as Satan.
[21]: 123 [22]: 206 Abulafia referred to himself as "the seventh day" and the true Messiah ben David.
[25] In the Kabbalistic understanding, the Righteous Priest would be reincarnated as Abel, Seth, Noah, and Shem.