Melchizedek

Melchizedek
メルキセデク
SH1P5XDCFI Artwork from Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Artwork from Persona 5: The Phantom X Artwork from Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book
Other Name(s)	MelchsedecPersona 2: Eternal Punishment Pagan SaviorPersona 5 Persona 5 Royal
Origin	Gnosticism
Race(s)	BossDevil Children Fire Book and Ice Book HeraldShin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Shin Megami Tensei: J Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Soul Hackers 2 Shin Megami Tensei Trading Card: Card Summoner Kētai Akuma Densho
Alignment(s)	Light-LawShin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
Arcana	JudgementPersona 2: Innocent Sin Persona 2: Eternal Punishment JusticePersona 3 Persona 3 FES Persona 3 Portable Persona 3 Reload Persona 4 Persona 4 Golden Persona 5 Persona 5 Royal Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth Persona Mobile Online

Melchizedek is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

Melchizedek, lit. "king of righteousness" is a figure in Hebrew scripture, Christian theology, Rabbinic literature, and Gnostic texts. He first appears in the Book of Genesis as the mysterious king of Salem and a priest of God Most High (El Elyon), who greets Abraham (then known as Abram) with bread and wine following a victorious battle. Melchizedek blesses Abraham, praises God for delivering his enemies, and receives a tithe of ten percent from Abraham's spoils. Modern textual scholars note that Genesis 14 is one of the most enigmatic passages in the Bible, as Melchizedek appears abruptly without a recorded lineage, holds the rare combination of being both a king and a priest, and serves El Elyon, an epithet associated with both the god of Abraham and a Canaanite high deity, prior to the establishment of the Israelite Levitical priesthood. Textual analysis suggests the passage underwent multiple editorial revisions. Scribes likely inserted or modified the text to equate El Elyon with Yahweh, distance Melchizedek from the wicked city of Sodom, and shift the location of Salem from a northern city near Shechem and Mount Gerizim (a site favored by Samaritan Israelites) to Jerusalem.

Because of his mysterious origin and brief biblical appearance, two major interpretive traditions developed regarding his true identity: the "prototype" interpretation and the "exalted being" interpretation. In Rabbinic literature, such as the Mishnah and Talmud, Melchizedek is treated as a "proto-rabbi" and an exemplar of piety who was born circumcised, taught the Torah prior to Moses, and inherited Adam's original priestly robes. These Rabbinic traditions commonly identify Melchizedek with Shem, the son of Noah and ancestor of Abraham. To address why Melchizedek's lineage did not inherit the hereditary Israelite priesthood over Moses's brother Aaron, Rabbinic commentaries argue that Melchizedek lost his priesthood because he prioritized blessing Abraham before blessing God in Genesis 14.

Conversely, the "exalted being" tradition treats Melchizedek as a supernatural or heavenly figure. In the Dead Sea Scrolls text 11Q13, he is portrayed as an angelic or Messianic judge who will proclaim liberty, forgive sins on a final Day of Atonement, and lead the heavenly forces of light in a war against the demonic figure Belial, a role closely resembling that of the archangel Michael. In the New Testament, the Epistle to the Hebrews uses Psalm 110 to present Melchizedek as a prototype and precursor to Jesus Christ. Lacking a recorded birth, death, or lineage in Genesis, Melchizedek is viewed in Hebrews as possessing an eternal, indestructible priesthood that supersedes the Levitical system. In Gnostic literature, such as the Nag Hammadi tractate Melchizedek, he is framed as the archetypal high priest who receives revelations and prevails over malevolent archons. Similarly, in the 3rd-century Gnostic text Pistis Sophia, Melchizedek is depicted as a divine spiritual envoy associated with light, acting as a receiver and purifier who gathers divine light from lower realms and conveys it back to the higher aeons.

Design

Due to originally being a human, Melchizedek is depicted as a cyborg angel.

Starting in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2, the Star of David is no longer on the the gem on his chest. His face in Dx2 also has new linework (also seen in Kaneko Works VI), which was turned into full protrusions in the Persona 5: The Phantom X design.

Gameplay

For complete gameplay information, see Gameplay:Melchizedek.

Compendium

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Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei V	A Christian Gnostic angel said to be the "savior of angels." In the Bible, he is referred to as "Melchizedek, king of Salem."
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance	A Christian Gnostic angel said to be the "savior of angels." In the Bible, he is referred to as "Melchizedek, king of Salem." One account names his mother as the virgin Sofonim. He is associated with bread and wine, and known as the head of the angels of peace.
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS)	An angel of Gnosticism, governing peace and righteousness. While Jesus was the savior of the people, Melchizedek was the savior of the angels, and sometimes is said to be greater than Christ Himself. To be specific, he is actually a power, and used to be human; the king of Salem.
Soul Hackers 2	A Christian Gnostic angel said to be the "savior of angels." In the Bible, he is described as the "king of righteousness, Melchizedek."
Persona 2: Innocent Sin	Angel that presides over peace and justice in Gnosticism.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment	Angel of peace who is well known.
Persona 3	An angel of Gnosticism, said to be born from Sophia. In the Bible, he is mentioned as a righteous king.
Persona 3 FES
Persona 3 Portable
Persona 3 Reload	An angel of Gnosticism, governing over peace and righteousness. Though said to be the savior of the angels, he used to be a human, the king of Salem.
Persona 4	An angel of Gnosticism, said to be born from Sophia. In the Bible, he is mentioned as a righteous king.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 5	An angel of Gnosticism, governing over peace and righteousness. Though said to be the savior of the angels, he used to be a human, the king of Salem.
Persona 5 Royal
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth	An angel of Gnosticism, said to be born from Sophia. In the Bible, he is mentioned as a righteous king.
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth	An angel of Gnosticism, said to be born from Sophia. In the Bible, he is mentioned as a righteous king.
Persona 5 Tactica	An angel of Gnosticism who governs over peace and righteousness. Though he's said to be the savior of the angels, he used to be a human and the king of Salem.
Persona 5: The Phantom X	An angel of Gnosticism, governing over peace and righteousness. Though said to be the savior of the angels, he used to be a human, the king of Salem.
Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book	エノクと兄弟の天使　平和と正義を愛する　熱血　天使　魔法は少しニガテだが　そのすさまじい剣技は　目にも　とまらない Translation:
Kētai Akuma Densho	キリスト教グノーシス派の人々に崇拝された平和と正義の天使。聖杯とひとかたまりのパンを象徴とする。 出身地：イスラエル メルキセデクはグノーシス派のキリスト教徒の間で、平和の天使を統べる者として知られている。キリストが人間にとっての救世主に過ぎなかったのに対し、このメルキセデクは天使にとっての救世主であることから、キリスト以上に偉大であるとまで言われた。厳密に言えば、このメルキセデクは大天使ではなく力天使であるとされる。彼はもともと人間で、エルサレムの王であり司祭であったと伝えられている。 Translation: An angel of peace and justice, worshiped by Christian Gnostics. Represents the chalice and loaf of bread. Place of origin: Israel Melchizedek is known among Gnostic Christians as the one who commands angels of peace. While the Christ merely the Messiah of humanity, Melchizedek was the Messiah of angels, and was even said to be greater than Christ. Strictly speaking, Melchizedek is not considered an Archangel, but a Virtue. He is said to have originally been a human, a king and priest of Jerusalem.

Game Appearances

Shin Megami Tensei V

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Trivia

• Although his English compendium entry in the Nintendo 3DS version of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers claims that Melchizedek is a power, this is a mistranslation of the Japanese term 力天使 rikitenshi ("virtue"; literally "strength angel").

Nomenclature

MelchizedekEnemy-only

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
English	Melchizedek
	MelchsedecPersona 2: Eternal Punishment
Japanese	メルキセデク Merukisedeku	Melchizedek
Simplified Chinese	麦基洗德 Màijīxǐdé	Melchizedek
Traditional Chinese	默基瑟德 Mòjīsèdé	Melchizedek
French	Melchisédech	Melchizedek
German	Melchizedek
Italian	MelchisedecShin Megami Tensei V Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance	Melchizedek
	MelchizedekPersona 5 Royal
Korean	멜키세덱 Melkisedek	Melchizedek
Polish	Melchizedek
Brazilian Portuguese	Melquisedeque	Melchizedek
Russian	Мельхиседек Melʼkhisedek	Melchizedek
Peninsular Spanish	Melquisedec	Melchizedek
Turkish	Melkisedek	Melchizedek

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
English	Pagan SaviorPersona 5 Royal
Japanese	異端の救世者Persona 5 Royal Itan no Kyūseisha	Heretical Savior
Simplified Chinese	异端的救世主Persona 5 Royal Yìduān de Jiùshìzhǔ	Heretical Savior
Traditional Chinese	異端的救世主Persona 5 Royal Yìduān de Jiùshìzhǔ	Heretical Savior
French	Sauveur païenPersona 5 Royal	Pagan Savior
German	Heidnischer HeilsbringerPersona 5 Royal	Pagan Savior
Italian	Primo sacerdotePersona 5 Royal	First Priest
Korean	이단異端의 구세주救世主Persona 5 Royal Idan-ui Guseju	Heretical Savior
Peninsular Spanish	Salvador paganoPersona 5 Royal	Pagan Savior

Gallery

See Gallery