23. MELCHIZEDEK:
In Chapters 11 and 12 of FITZMYER, he develops an interesting study that includes the MELCHIZEDEK material of CAVE 11, 11QMelch; and 4QFlor., including some comments about the priesthood of Melchizedek. "God's son endowed with universal and everlasting royal dominion (cf Rom 1:4). To this notion derived from Ps 2:7, Heb now links another from Ps 110.4: God's appointment of the risen royal Son as the possessor of the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek."p. 224. FITZMYER also develops some parallels with other documents that have come to light in the Quern literature and in the newly discovered Vatican codex of the Palestinian Tarumi Neophyte I. He quotes from Neophyte I: "the upright king of Jerusalem, that is the great Shem, (p. 227) brought out bread an wine; and he was a priest serving in the great priesthood before the Most High God And he blessed him saying, "blessed is Abram before the Most High God, who by his word created the heavens and the earth." The Genesis Apocryphon (YADIN) has this parallel passage covering the same event: "And Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought out food and drink for Abram and all the men who were with him" p. 228. Are Melchizedek and Shem the same person? The Great High Priest? (See D&C 138:42). See, also, Item 29 below.