In an attempt to critique the work of the late John A. Tvedtnes, Matthew Paulson wrote that:
Tvedtnes claims, “In Genesis 14:36 JST, Melchizedek is given
the additional title ‘king of heaven,’ which corresponds to his role as
heavenly priest in both 11QMelch and 2 Enoch.” . . . There is no “king of
Heaven” in 11Qmelch. (Matthew
A. Paulson, Breaking the Mormon Code: A Critique of Mormon Scholarship Regarding
Classical Christian Theology and the Book of Mormon [Livermore, Calif.:
WingSpan Press, 2006], 251)
While the phrase “king of heaven” does not appear in 11QMelch (AKA
11Q13), Tvedtnes did not claim such; instead, Melchizedek being a “king” fits
his role as depicted in the Melchizedek Scroll. Note the following from
the text (11Q13 Col. ii:9-14) which reworks Psa 82 with Melchizedek as being
the chief figure, not God:
9 it
is the time for the «year of grace» of Melchizedek, and of [his] arm[ies, the
nat]ion of the holy ones of God, of the rule of judgment, as is written
10
about him in the songs of David, who said: Ps
82:1 «Elohim will [st]and in the assem[bly of God,] in the midst of the
gods he judges». And about him he sai[d: Ps
7:8–9 «And] above [it,]
11 to
the heights, return: God will judge the peoples». As for what he sa[id: Ps 82:2 «How long will you] judge
unjustly and show partia[lity] to the wicked? [Se]lah.»
12 Its
interpretation concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot, wh[o …] turn[ing
aside] from the commandments of God to [commit evil.]
13
But, Melchizedek will carry out the vengeance of Go[d’s] judgments, [and on
that day he will fr]e[e them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all
the sp[irits of his lot.]
14 To
his aid (shall come) all «the gods of [justice»; and h]e is the one w[ho …] all
the sons of God, and … […] (Florentino García Martínez and Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea
Scrolls Study Edition [Brill: 1997-1998], 1207-9)
This is just another example
of Paulson’s sloppy “scholarship” in his work.
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