Did Melchizedek Die at 200 Years, or Was He Truly Immortal?

Have you ever encountered the mysterious character, Melchizedek, while studying your Bible? His age and death are an uncracked code that left many theologians to ponder. But, Did He ever die?

The name Melchizedek comes up in some key moments in biblical history, and this person has been one of fascination and debate, literally, for centuries. As I guide you through this question of intrigue, I want to take you back in time on my scooter to uncover the answers about this phenomenal being.

Firstly, Who Was Melchizedek in the Bible?

As we explore the fascinating question of whether or not Melchizedek died, let’s get to know him a little better. Melchizedek is mentioned only a few times in the Bible, but he has a significant impact with each mention.

First mentioned in Genesis 14.18-20, he is the “king of Salem” and “priest of the Most High God.” He meets Abraham immediately after a battle that he had won, blesses him, and Abraham gives him a tenth of everything he had. A very short encounter, but deep in the impact it leaves.

In Psalm 110:4, we have the promise of a future priest “in the order of Melchizedek.” This mysterious priesthood gives us a glimpse of who Melchizedek was and how he fits in the portraits of the Bible. But the scary mystery begins in the New Testament in Hebrews 7, where the author points out that Melchizedek had no genealogical history and no parents.

Psalm 110:4 “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’”

Hebrews 7: 1-3 NIV “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”

So, Did He ever die?

The scripture opens up a can of worms as the statement goes on “without beginning of days or end of life.” it reflects that even the author didn’t know if he died or how long he lived, and this was approximately 2000 years ago. Now that is scary! Does this mean He is immortal? Does the Bible even tell us that He died? Honestly, it doesn’t and that is where the fun begins.

Let’s not jump the gun to a conclusion just yet. If we were to take Hebrews 7:3 at face value, we would say he lived forever and He might still be out there. Some scholars point out that this passage could be seen in another light. Many believe that this description of Melchizedek should not be taken literally. The fact that He has no genealogy could point to his unique role in high Priesthood.

However, the phrase does prick curiosity. If there is no “death certificate” in this story, how do we know if he died or not? Could it be that the omission of his death records is done with the intent to highlight Melchizidek’s typographical alignment with Jesus, who takes up the position as the ultimate and eternal High Priest? But that will still not answer the question if he is still out there or not.

Theological Debate on Melchizedek’s Mortality:

Let me review some of the theological debates regarding the nature of Melchizedek. One of the most interesting interpretations is derived from early Christian thought, where it is said by that Melchizedek was more than an average man. Several theories range from an angelic being to a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Himself. That would of course make much more sense if either of those things were the case because divine beings don’t die as humans do.

However, this is contrasted by the conventional view that Melchizedek was a human person in history, an ordinary mortal who lived and died like everyone else. Melchizedek’s priesthood foreshadows Jesus’ eternal priesthood without any need for immortality.

I find myself in favor of the Idea that Melchizedek was human. Who would read a book without mystery? The lack of detail of his life, death, and genealogy is done intentionally to take our focus off the man himself and place it on the role of priesthood he represents this very priesthood that Jesus will fulfill in His death and resurrection. A priesthood that does not die. Maybe a natural death but is resurrected back to a supernatural life, fulfilled when Christ rose again. So, did He ever die? Yes, he did. For whatever ever reason the Bible does not mention it.

Other interesting features of this puzzle are the reasons why the Bible does not record Melchizedek’s age at death or, for that matter, anything in his life other than this brief encounter with Abraham. This is certainly strange since the Bible is obsessed with genealogies and life spans! The Bible, from Adam through Moses often provides meticulous details about who begat whom and how long they lived. Yet, it did not do so for Melchizedek.

One reason this may be is that the Bible intentionally presents Melchizedek as an enigmatic, more or less timeless figure. The Bible omits these details for a reason: it invites us to take Melchizedek as somehow being out of the stream of time. The book of Hebrews puts this into service when making a case for Melchizedek as a type of Christ, an eternal priest whose role speaks to Jesus. Perhaps in this instance, the omission of the death age serves a greater theological purpose.

But I have to say, a part of me is thinking “But what if there are some other, more pragmatic reasons for the dearth of detail?” Maybe, quite frankly, the historical records just never survived, or maybe, just maybe, they were too preoccupied with his priesthood, nobody bothered to think that his death was relevant to include. Always Fun to speculate!

Could He Have Died at 200 Years, 300 Years, or Possibly 900 Years?

Let’s take this as an argument and just presuppose he died, then: could he have lived to a very advanced age? There were, after all, patriarchs like Methuselah living well over 900 years in the first eleven chapters of Genesis. Was Melchizedek one of those?

There is no direct evidence from the Bible that Melchizedek ever lived for hundreds of years, though that would not have been impossible given the span of life most people had during those times. Interestingly enough, Melchizedek pops up during the era of Abraham, much later after the flood, at which time generally the people’s life spans had started to shorten. Thus, even if Melchizedek had a long life, it could have been more on the lines of a couple of hundred years rather than almost one thousand years, as with Methuselah.

But boy, here is where I want to get creative with my hypothesis: If Melchizedek was a priest in an order unlike any other, and if he was in this special relationship with God, perhaps his life was supernaturally extended. Maybe it was because he was a priest that allowed him longer than average male life spans of the time, not immortal but rather preserved longer for a purpose from above. Stretching it was fun to do!

My position would be that Melchizedek was a real, historic person who most probably died, though his death was never recorded, being irrelevant to the larger story. Rather, the mystery of Melchizedek’s life and death is used by the Bible to point our attention to his priestly function, which in turn points forward to Jesus. This ambiguity in his death is little less than an invitation to deeper theological truths.

But who can tell? Perhaps Melchizedek never died; perhaps he is still somewhere out there, living in eternal communion with God. The mystery surrounding him makes this such a tantalizing question. At the end of the day, it’s not about whether he died or precisely how old he was, but far more about the timeless priesthood he represented priesthood which was to find its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

One thing is for sure, whether he died or not: the life and priesthood of Melchizedek continue to intrigue and inspire. Perhaps his deathly silence frustrates us, but that is exactly what makes Melchizedek a popular figure in biblical history. The Bible leaves us with more questions than answers, inviting us into reflective thought, not so much about the man himself, but some eternal truth represented by the story.

So did Melchizedek ever die? I presume he did. Well, we shall perhaps never know, and perhaps that is just the point. Until you end up getting Starbucks together…