Salem (Heb. Shâlêm, “complete”, “peaceful” or “peaceful”; Gr. Salem). City of which Melchizedek* was king (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1, 2). According to a Jewish tradition, recorded in an Aramaic manuscript of one of the Qumran Cave 1 scrolls, it was Jerusalem. This agrees with Psa 76:2, where Salem and Zion appear as synonyms. Also in the cuneiform texts of Ebla, the name of the city appears as Salem, referring to the time before the patriarchs.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
peace. Name of the ancient city whose king and priest was Melquisedec, in the time of the patriarch Abraham. According to the text in Ps 76 (75), 3, the Jewish tradition and the Fathers have identified it with Jerusalem, Gn 14, 18.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(Heb., shalem, peace). The name of the city whose king was Melchizedek (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-2). Josephus says that Jewish writers generally considered it a synonym for Jerusalem (eg, Psa 76:2).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(peace).
City where Melchizedek was king, probably Jerusalem, Gen 14:8, Heb 7:1-2.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
(Complete, safe, in peace). Place where he was from † ¢ Melchizedek, the king and high priest who blessed Abraham when he returned after his victory over † ¢ Chedorlaomer (Gen 14: 17-20). Salem was later known as Jerusalem. When David made this the capital city of Israel he was acknowledging its antiquity as a holy city and appealing to the old tradition of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4). The meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek took place in †œthe valley of Save, which is the Valley of the King† (Gen 14:17), generally identified with †¢Kedron. Although there are other interpretations that place S. elsewhere, eg in the Jordan Valley, the interpretation that identifies it with present-day Jerusalem has persisted, based among other things on the expression in Ps 76:2, †œin Salem is its tabernacle, and his habitation in Zion† .
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, CITY TYPE
see, MARDIKH
sit, a9, 536, 377
vet, = “peace”. (a) Symbolic name given to Jerusalem (Ps. 76:2). (b) Perhaps Melchizedek’s title as king of peace (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1, 2). However, several cities have been suggested. There are those who believe that he reigned over Jerusalem; Jerome was convinced that the real place was a city near Scythopolis called Salem. With regard to this question, the mention, in the Ebla tablets (see MARDIKH, ), of Salim and Urusalim should be noted. In such a case, Melchizedek may have been king of the first city, probably the one indicated by Jerome, and not of Jerusalem.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Probable primitive name of Jerusalem, which appears occasionally in biblical texts, of probable archaic origin: Gen. 14.18; Jdt. 4.4; Psalm. 76.3.
The name is preserved in the current village of Salim, 5 kms. of the Jordan, near Scythopolis. But it is supposed to be the city of the character Melquisedech, who is presented as king of Salem (Gen. 14.18).
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
(Peace).
Ancient city where Melchizedek was king and priest. (Ge 14:18) The Hebrew spelling of “Salem” appears in a dual form, so it could be defined as “double peace.” The inspired words of Hebrews 7:2 confirm that this term means “Peace.”
Ancient Jewish tradition identifies Salem with Jerusalem, and the Bible supports this conclusion. Abraham met the king of Sodom and Melchizedek on the “King’s low plain.” Since it was here that King David’s son Absalom erected a monument centuries later, this low plain must have been near Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom. (Ge 14:17, 18; 2Sa 18:18) In fact, the word “Salem” is incorporated in the name “Jerusalem,” and the psalmist used it in parallel with “Zion.” (Ps 76:2) Furthermore, it would have been fitting for Melchizedek to be king and priest in the very place where kings of the Davidic line and the Levitical priesthood later served, and where Jesus Christ, the chosen one, was offered as a sacrifice. king and priest “after the manner of Melchizedek.” (Heb 3:1; 7:1-3, 15-17)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
1. Place that Melquisedec ruled (Gn. 14.18; He. 7.1, 8) near the valley of Save (Gn. 14.17; which is explained as “Valley of the King”). It is mentioned in parallel with Zion (Ps. 76.2). Following Josh. (Ant. 1180), is generally identified with the ancient site of *Jerusalem, the city of Salem, the Uru Salem, uru-salimmu of cuneiform and Egyptian inscriptions. This would fit the route probably followed by Abraham returning from Damascus to Hebron when he met Melchizedek. Those who suppose that he returned by way of the Jordan Valley seek a more eastern location, such as *Salim. The Samaritans link it with the homonymous city (see 2) of Shechem (Gn. 33.18, °ta), to the E of Nablus, but this may be due to their ancient rivalry with Judah, where a “Valley of Salem” is known even in Maccabean times (Judith 4.4). In Jer. 41.5 the LXX (B) pray Salem instead of Silo.
Name šālēm (gr. Salem) means “secure, in peace”, although Jerusalem has been interpreted as “founded Salem”, implying a divine name Salem. For the primitive use of this noun form cf. šillēm (Gen. 46.24; Numbers 26.49).
DJW
2. word that °ta, °bc mg understand as the name of a place near Shechem, which was visited by Jacob (Gen. 33.18). °vrv2 (“safe and sound”), °nc (“in peace”), etc., prefer to take it in an adverbial sense, from the verb šālēm, ‘to be whole, healthy’, and this would seem to make better sense. The word šālēmidentical in form, appears, indeed, as a toponym in relation to Melchizedek (see 1).
TCM
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary
(Also called Villa Salomónica, in relation to the similarity that its primitive constructions have with those of the Temple of Solomon)
Salem is the abbey located near Heilingenberg Castle, about 16 kilometers from Konstanz, Baden (Germany). The abbey was founded by Gunthram of Adelsreute (who died in 1138), in 1136 during the pontificate of Innocent II and Emperor Lothair II. Gunthram also gave Lucelle Abbey the land needed for the first Cistecian monastery in Alsace. The latter being a foundation of Bellevaux, Morimond’s first daughter. Blessed Frowin, who was St. Bernard’s traveling companion, became its first Abbot. He had been a professor at Bellevaux and was sent from the colony to found Lucelle. From this stems some still prevalent misunderstandings that Salem was founded by Bellevaux.
Due to the wise and prudent administration of Frowin and his successors, the abbey quickly became prosperous. Extensive and magnificent buildings built on three squares and a splendid church, were erected between 1182 and 1311. Salem was recognized among the most beautiful and rich monasteries in Germany, being especially renowned for its hospitality.
Among its greatest patrons and benefactors are Conrad de Swabia and Federico Babarrosa. The first of these placed the abbey under special protection from himself and his successors, hence the title “royal abbey” which was renewed several times under his auspices. Its growth was continuous and was maintained even after having established three important foundations: Raitenhauslach (1143), Maristella or Wettingen (1227), and Konigsbrunn (1288). It had 285 monks at the beginning of the 14th century.
From 1454, its abbot had the privilege of conferring the status of subdeacons on his monks. The abbey gradually declined although it had forty-nine priests and thirteen religious in the choir in 1698, when Abbot D. Stephen (who died in 1725) became Vicar General of the Upper German Cistercian Congregation. Gaspar Oexle, who was a librarian, increased the library to 30,000 volumes and a large number of MSS. He was elected abbot in March 1802, in September of that same year, the abbey was suppressed and given to the Principality of Baden, while the library was added to that of Petershausen, and finally sold to the University of Heidelberg.
The church became a parish church, the great tower and its fifteen bells, the largest weighing 10,000 pounds, was destroyed (1805), and the other buildings were used as a grand ducal castle. Eberhard, its fifth abbot, has been honored as a Blessed of the Order. He became Archbishop of Salzburg, and was in charge of several important missions on behalf of the Holy See. Blessed Henry, a lay brother, is also mentioned in the Cistercian Menology.
VON WEECH, codex diplomaticus salemitanus (3 vols., Carlsruhe, 1883-95); PETRI, Suevia eccles. (Augsburg, 1698); BUCELINUS, Aquila imperii Benedictine (Venice, 1651); Gallia christ., V; Idea chrono-topographica Cong. cist. S. Bernardi per Superiorem Germaniam (1720); HAUTINGER, Suddeutsche Kloster vor 100 Jahren (Cologne, 1889); SARTORIUS, Cistercium bistertium (Prague, 1700); BRUNNER, Ein Cisterziensbuch (Würzburg, 1881); BOTTCHER, Germania sacra (Leipzig, 1874); JANAUSCHEK, Orig. Cisterc., I (Vienna, 1877).
EDMOND M. OBRECHT
Stan Walker Transcript
Spanish translation by Giovanni E. Reyes
For Jack and Brigitte Arnold
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia