Interesting Facts

• Shem is said to be the father of all the children of Eber.
• Noah loved Shem exceedingly above all his sons and gave him all that he had written concerning every kind of medicine.
• Noah gave instructions to his sons’ sons, enjoining them to observe righteousness, cover their shame, bless their Creator, honor parents, love neighbors, and guard against fornication and uncleanness, attributing the flood to these transgressions, and these instructions were passed down from Enoch through Methuselah and Lamech to Noah.
• Shem received a blessed portion of the earth by lot, including the land of Eden, the Red Sea, the east, India, and various mountain ranges. Noah rejoiced at this portion, recalling his prophetic words about the Lord dwelling in Shem’s dwelling.
• Shem, along with Noah, instructed Abram in the ways of the Lord.
• According to Jasher, Shem was also known as Adonizedek, the king of Jerusalem (Salem), who went out with his men to meet Abram.
• Adonizedek (Shem) met Abram with bread and wine in the valley of Melech.
• Adonizedek (Shem) blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth of all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God.

Genealogy

• Shem was one of the three sons of Noah.
• He was born when Noah was 500 years old. According to Jasher, he was born after Ham. Jubilees states he was born in the third year after Noah turned 500.
• Shem’s sons were Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
• Noah divided the inheritance of the earth among his sons, including Shem and his sons, for their generations forever. Shem further divided his portion among his sons.

Historical Context

The identification of Shem with Adonizedek places him within the post-flood world as a significant ruler in the land of Canaan, specifically as the king of Jerusalem, which was also known as Salem. This would have occurred during the early generations after the dispersal of nations, a time when city-states were beginning to form. Shem’s long lifespan, extending to the time of Isaac and Jacob, suggests that his reign in Jerusalem could have spanned a considerable period, overlapping with the early life of Abram. The encounter with Abram after Abram’s victory over the four kings highlights the geopolitical landscape of the time, with various powers and principalities existing in proximity. The act of Adonizedek (Shem), the king of Salem and a priest of God, blessing Abram signifies a recognition of Abram’s significance and a potential connection between the early patriarchal figures and the established, albeit perhaps nascent, religious order of the land. The offering of bread and wine carries priestly connotations, further emphasizing Adonizedek’s spiritual role.

Narrative

The personal narrative of Shem gains a significant dimension with the identification as Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem. While the primary accounts focus on his role as a patriarch and inheritor of Noah’s legacy, Jasher provides a specific instance of his interaction with Abram. After Abram’s successful military campaign to rescue Lot and the captives of Sodom, Adonizedek (Shem), as king of Jerusalem and priest of God, met Abram in the valley of Melech with bread and wine. This action underscores Shem’s authority and his priestly function. His blessing of Abram, recognizing him as blessed by the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and his subsequent receipt of tithes from Abram, signifies a hierarchical relationship or at least a spiritual acknowledgement of Abram’s divine favor. While the Genesis account in chapter 14 mentions Melchizedek, king of Salem, who also brought bread and wine and blessed Abram, Jasher explicitly equates Adonizedek with Shem. The absence of explicit confirmation of this equation in other provided sources leaves room for scholarly discussion regarding the precise identity and the relationship between Melchizedek and Adonizedek, and by extension, Shem. Nevertheless, the narrative in Jasher portrays Shem as a kingly and priestly figure in Canaan who encountered and blessed the nascent patriarch Abram, providing a tangible instance of his influence and interaction within the early post-flood history and connecting him directly to the lineage that would eventually lead to the nation of Israel. The long life of Shem places this encounter within a plausible timeframe, further enriching our understanding of his enduring presence and importance in the early biblical narrative.