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In Genesis 14, as Abraham returns victorious from his battle with the four powerful Mesopotamian and Elamite kings, we meet Melchizedek King of Salem for the first and only time:

Genesis 14:18-23 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; He was the priest of El Elyon. And he blessed him and said,“Blessed be Abram by El Elyon, Owner/Maker of heaven and earth. And blessed be El Elyon who delivered your enemies into your hand.”And he [Abram] gave to him a tenth of everything [tithe]…And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to Yahweh, El Elyon, owner/maker of heaven and earth, that neither a thread nor a thong of a sandal would I take from all that belongs to you, that you might not say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

Many questions pop to mind while reading this enigmatic short account:

What is ‘Salem’?

Is ‘Salem’ an early or alternate name for Jerusalem?

Where else in the Bible “Salem” is mentioned?

Where was it located according to the Bible?

Who was ‘Melchizedek’?

Who is ‘El Elyon’ (God Most High) referred to by Melchizedek? 

Where else in the Bible the name “Melchizedek” is mentioned?

Do the other references refer to the same person?

 

In the first part of this blog, I'll be exploring what is Salem and where it was located. Spoiler alert- it's not what you think!

 

Let's dive in...

 

Is ‘Salem’ an early or alternate name for Jerusalem?

Salem (Hebrew: שָׁלֵם, Shalem; Ancient Greek: Σαλήμ, Salḗm) is an ancient Middle Eastern town mentioned in the Bible. The word is most likely a transliteration of the Ugaritic word Shalim (Šalām, Shalem, Salem, and Salim) referring to a god in Canaanite religion, mentioned in inscriptions found in Ugarit (Ras Shamra) in Syria.

 

This god is identified as the Canaanite god of dusk. His name derives from the Semitic root Š-L-M ("whole, safe, peace"). In Hebrew, the verb שלם (shalem) means to be or make whole or complete, and is also used to describe a righteous recompense or proper restitution (whether positive or not). For that matter, the familiar noun שלום (shalom) means wholeness, completeness or peace.

 

Many contemporary scholars as well as interpretive traditions of the late Second Temple (such as Josephus and the Aramaic Targums) propose ‘Salem’ is an earlier name for Jerusalem (Hebrew: Yerushalayim יְרוּשָׁלַיִם) based on the recognizable presence of the syllables “shalem/salem” in the name “Jerusalem”.

 

However, I am proposing - Not so. Despite the prevalence of this popular tradition, I am suggesting that Shalem was NEVER an early or alternate name for Jerusalem. I am also going to demonstrate that prior to the Second Temple period, Shalem was NOT understood to be Jerusalem. 

 

Below are archeological references demonstrating that Jerusalem’s name was NEVER simply Shalem; it was ALWAYS a longer name!

• Going by the archaeological evidence found so far, Jerusalem was founded about 6,000 years ago, and it may have had roughly that name from the beginning. 
• A city "Rushalimum" is mentioned as an enemy of the pharaoh in an ancient Egyptian list dating from around 2000-1800 BCE. If it is indeed Jerusalem, it is the earliest reference.
• The first sure reference to the city is in the Amarna Letters, an archive of correspondence discovered in Upper Egypt dating from the 1388-1332 BCE. In those letters, between Egypt and their administrators in Canaan (which Egypt controlled at the time), the name is rendered as “Ursalim”.
• “Ursalimmu” is how Sennacherib referred to the city in his letters concerning King Hezekiah in 701 BCE.
• But what does the name mean? "Ursalim" is most likely a compound of two words in Western Semitic (a prehistoric language that would later birth Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Ethiopic and more): the verb yaru (“to establish”) and the name shalim (or Salem), the Canaanite god of dusk. If accurate, then the name "Ursalim" (and Yerushayalim) would have meant “Shalim’s city” or “Established by Shalim”, indicating that Shalim was the original tutelary deity of the city.
• Some claim the root s-l-m in the name Jerusalem refers to “peace,” shalom, not a pagan god. It is possible, but unlikely: if it were the pre-biblical Hebrew word for peace, shalom, in the city’s name, it would have produced the name Yerushalom. Interesting to note here that the long a sound in Canaanite languages, at some point in history, underwent a significant change known as the Canaanite shift. This shift caused Proto-Northwest-Semitic ā (long a) to transform into ō (long o) in Proto-Canaanite. This sound change is evident in the difference between Hebrew šālōm (שָׁלוֹם) and its Arabic cognate salām (سَلَام). The original word was likely šalām- with the ā preserved in Arabic but changed to ō in Hebrew.
• The first archaeological find of the name Yerushalayim written in Hebrew was discovered near the town of Lachish in a burial cave dating from the 500’s BCE.
• The Greeks called it Hierosolyma. This was more than a simple transliteration of the Hebrew name as "hiero" means "holy".
• Thus, it is clear that the early name for Jerusalem (Hebrew: ירושלים or Yerushalayim) has always been a polysyllabic word much longer than “Shalem”.
• Some scholars have countered that the “Uru” prefix on these early names, which became the “Yeru-” beginning of Yerushalayim, was simply the vestige of the Akkadian determinative—a symbol used before a personal name to indicate that it was the name of a city and not of a people or deity. The problem with this argument is that the Akkadian determinative prefix “Uru” is not affixed directly to the name “Shalem,” but appears in addition to the signs for Ú-Ru-Sa-Lim, rendering a lengthy, polysyllabic name URUÚ-Ru-Sa-Lim. Thus Jerusalem’s name was never simply Shalem; it was always longer.

 

Where else in the Bible “Salem” is mentioned? Where was it located?

From a biblical perspective, references to ‘Salem’ were never presented as an alternate name for Jerusalem. ‘Salem’ is referenced only four times in the Bible:

 

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; He was the priest of El Elyon. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

Genesis 33:18  And Jacob came to Salem, a city of [in the vicinity/area] Secima [Shechem], which is in the land of Chanaan, when he departed out of Mesopotamia of Syria, and took up a position in front of the city. Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)

 

Jeremiah 41:5  that there came men from Sychem [Shechem], and from Salem, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and beating their breasts, and they had manna and frankincense in their hands, to bring them into the house of the Lord. Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)

 

Psalms 76:2 In Salem is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

Same goes for the Book of Jubilees which clearly differentiates it from the city of Jerusalem and provides a location in the vicinity of Shechem:

Jubilees 30:1 In the first year of the sixth week he [Jacob] went up to Salem, to the east of Shechem, in the fourth month, and he went in peace... Book of Jubilees 

 

It is also mentioned in the apocrypha Book of Judith:

Judith 4:1-8 When the Israelites who lived in Judea heard of all that Holofernes, the ranking general of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had looted all their shrines and utterly destroyed them, they were in very great fear of him, and greatly alarmed for Jerusalem and the temple of the Lord, their God. Now, they had only recently returned from exile, and all the people of Judea were just now reunited, and the vessels, the altar, and the temple had been purified from profanation. So they sent word to the whole region of Samaria, to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, to Choba and Aesora, and to the valley of Salem. The people there secured all the high hilltops, fortified the villages on them, and since their fields had recently been harvested, stored up provisions in preparation for war. Joakim, who was high priest in Jerusalem in those days, wrote to the inhabitants of Bethulia and Betomesthaim, which is opposite Esdraelon, facing the plain near Dothan [A place to the North of Shechem, see Genesis 37:12-17], and instructed them to keep firm hold of the mountain passes, since these offered access to Judea. It would be easy to stop those advancing, as the approach was only wide enough for two at a time. The Israelites carried out the orders given them by Joakim, the high priest, and the senate of the whole people of Israel, in session in Jerusalem. The Book of Judith

 

As you can see, both Genesis, Jeremiah, and Judith agree that Salem was located in the region of Samaria, in the vicinity of the city of Shechem. This is no less than astounding considering the fact that the region of Samaria was allotted to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh while Jerusalem was located within the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin.

Joshua 18:21-27 Now the towns of the tribes of the descendants of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek Keziz, Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities and their villages. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpeh, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zela, Haeleph, Jebus that is, Jerusalem, Gibeah, and Kiriath; fourteen cities and their villages. This is the inheritance of the descendants of Benjamin according to their families. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

Has any of us missed the memo that Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin reunited their territories at some point? I don't think so... In actuality, the city of Samaria became the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel while the city of Jerusalem became the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah.

 

 

The Gospel of John mentions a town called Salim when indicating that John the Baptist was performing baptisms at a place called "Aenon", which is near "Salim". This is particularly interesting as we already established that "Salem" and "Salim" are one and the same in ancient Canaanite languages.

John 3:23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

The exact location of Aenon remains a subject of debate among scholars. Two possible locations are suggested:

• Near Tel Shalem, which is south of Beit-Shean (Scythopolis) in the Jordan Valley.
• Near the upper source of the Wadi Far'a, an open valley extending from Mount Ebal to the Jordan River, which is full of springs. This areais known for its abundance of water, which aligns with John's description that "water was plentiful there".

The second option is especially intriguing as it places Aenon southeast of Shechem. A nearby Salim would be located perfectly around the location suggested for Salem by Genesis and by the Book of Jubilees. The plot thickens...

 

“Salem” is NOT "Jerusalem"!

Let us summarize what we found thus far about the city of Salem:

• Despite the prevalence of the popular tradition dating back to interpretive traditions of the late Second Temple, ‘Salem’ was NEVER an early or alternate name for Jerusalem.
• Going by the archaeological evidence found so far, Jerusalem (Hebrew: ירושלים or Yerushalayim) was founded about 6,000 years ago, and it may have had roughly that name from the beginning. 
• It is clear that the “early” name for Jerusalem—‘Yerushalayim’—has always been a polysyllabic word much longer than ‘Salem’. 
• Egyptian texts refer to it as "Rushalimum" and later “Ursalim”. “Ursalimmu” is how Sennacherib referred to the city in his letters concerning King Hezekiah.
• References in the Bible and the Book of Judith are clear that Salem refers to another city altogether that was located in the region of Samaria somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem. 
• So, not only was Salem NOT identified with the ancient capital of Judah, it was actually located nearby the capital of its rebellious northern kingdom rival, Shechem. This is supported by Genesis, the Book of Jubilees, the Book of Judith, and possibly by the Gospel of John.

 

In his book, From Shalem to Jerusalem: Sectarian Relocation via Redaction, Robert R. Cargill presents decisive evidence that the city of Salem was “relocated” by the Masorets in a two-step redactional process. First, it was moved from being “a city of Shechem” (Genesis 33:18) to being located in an unknown region. Later, Salem was associated explicitly with Jerusalem, using texts from the Second Temple period like the works of Josephus. The location of the Valley of Shaveh was also relocated from the Dead Sea to Jerusalem to correspond to the relocation of Salem to Jerusalem.

 

What is “Salem”?

So far, we discussed what ‘Salem’ is not. Now, let’s examine what it could be…

 

Can it be that "Salem" is actually "Shiloh"? 

 

During the 2100–1550 BC, Shiloh was a walled Canaanite city with a religious shrine or sanctuary. In the Bible, it appears mostly as Shilo (שִׁלֹה ,שִׁילֹה) but also as Selo or Selom. It is mentioned in the Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms, and Jeremiah.

 

Sometimes, it is translated as a Messianic title that means He Whose It Is or as Pacific, Pacificator or Tranquility. Regardless, the name of Shiloh the town may be translated as Tranquility Town.

 

It was first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in the Book of Joshua. When the Israelites arrived in the land, they set up there the Tent of Meeting (Hebrew: Ohel-Mo'ed). There Joshua and Eleazar divided the land among the tribes who had not yet received their inheritance:

Joshua 18:1-10 The entire congregation of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, and they set up there the tent of meeting, and the land was subdued before them. And seven tribes remained among the Israelites who had not been apportioned their inheritance.

And Joshua said to the Israelites, "How long will you be slack about going to take possession of the land that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them so that they may begin to go through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance, and let them come to me. They will divide it among themselves into seven portions; Judah will maintain its border from the south, and the house of Joseph will maintain its border from the north.

Describe the land in seven divisions, and bring it to me here; I will cast lots for you here before Yahweh our God... Joshua commanded the ones going to describe the land, saying, "Go and walk about through the land, write a description, and return to me, and here I will cast a lot for you before Yahweh at Shiloh." And the men went and passed through the land, and they described the cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, and Joshua cast a lot for them at Shiloh before Yahweh, and there he divided the land for the Israelites, to each a portion. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

 

The book of Judges provides a clear location of the city:

Judges 21:19  And they said, “Look, the annual feast of Yahweh is in Shiloh, which is to the north of Bethel, east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.

 

Shiloh was located in the region of Samaria. It held a significant place in biblical history as the first long-term site of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant after the Israelites entered the land. The city was an important center of worship for the 12 tribes of Israel during the period of Joshua and the Judges, lasting for close to 400 years. During those years, it served as the spiritual capital of the Israelites; a status it held until it was utterly destroyed by the Philistines, 50 or so years prior to Jerusalem being elevated by king David to be the capital of the nation.

Psalms 78:60 So he abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, the tent he had placed among humankind. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

According to 1 Samuel 1–3, the sanctuary at Shiloh was administered by the Aaronite

high priest Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. According to this account, the young Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah there, to be raised at the shrine by the high priest, and his own prophetic ministry is presented as having begun there.

 

By the time of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:12–15; 26:5–9, 41:5), over three hundred years later, Shiloh had been reduced to ruins. Jeremiah used the example of Shiloh to warn the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem what Yah would do to the "place where I caused my name to dwell", warning them that their holy city, Jerusalem, like Shiloh, could fall under divine judgment.

Jeremiah 7:12-14  "For go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell in the beginning, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because of your doing all these things," declares Yahweh, "and I have spoken to you over and over again, and you have not listened, and I called you, and you have not answered, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you are trusting, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors what I did to Shiloh". Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

Jeremiah 26:4-9 And you shall say to them, "Thus says Yahweh: 'If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I have sent to you, over and over again, though you have not listened, then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.'" And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of Yahweh. And then as Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, "You will die! Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, 'This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be in ruins, without inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the temple of Yahweh. Lexham English Bible (LEB)

 

Shiloh has been positively identified by archeologists with modern Khirbet Seilun, known in Modern Hebrew as Tel Shiloh. It is located 19 miles north of Jerusalem. It is about 6 miles south of Shechem. It is south of the biblical town of Lebonah. No spot in Central Canaan could be more secluded than this early sanctuary, nothing more featureless than the landscape around; so featureless, indeed, the landscape and so secluded the spot that from the time of St. Jerome till its re-discovery by Dr. Robinson in 1838 the very site was forgotten and unknown. 

 

To Summarize my proposition for the geographical location of Salem:

• Shilo - שלה and Shalem/Salem - שלם are one and the same. The Hebrew spelling of these two words is almost identical leaving room for potential typos by scribes.
• Their Hebrew meaning match - peace, rest, tranquility.
• They match in location: Salem and Shiloh are located by Shechem, north of Jerusalem.
• Both Abraham and Jacob passed through this location during their journeys; Abraham, several times, including on his way back from defeating the 4 Kings confederation. See map below.
• During that exact time, Shiloh was a walled Canaanite city with a religious shrine or sanctuary. The king of that city, Melchizedek, is reported to have greeted Abraham on his way back from battle.
• Psalms 76:2 clearly ties the two names together; intertwined, one and the same: "In Salem [Shiloh] is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion."
• The city was an important center of worship for the 12 tribes of Israel during the period of Joshua and the Judges, lasting for close to 400 years. During those years, it served as the spiritual capital of the Israelites; a status it held until it was utterly destroyed by the Philistines, 50 or so years prior to Jerusalem being elevated by king David to be the capital of the nation.

 

Continue to Part 2...