By: A.B. Timothy

In Genesis 14, we read of a war that Abram(later Abraham) fights in. He is there to save his nephew Lot. He and several of his servants pursue their enemy and slaughter them on the field of battle. Abram if offered a reward by the King of Sodom because Lot and his family were citizens there, but Abram rejected the offer of riches, not wanting the king of Sodom to be able to say, “I have made Abram wealthy.” He only takes as payment what his soldiers have taken from the enemy and eaten already.

After this, a character of legend appears called Melchizedek, who is said to be the king of Salem (believed by some to be ancient Jerusalem). This Priest-King appears and offers a sacrifice for Abram and his servants and blesses him with, by showing him another name of God: “El-Elyon”, which is “The Most High God”.

This can be an awesome inspiration for a myth in your world. What if there was an immortal priest whose entire existence is going around and blessing people after they do good with a sacrifice in their honor, and a new name for their God that professes an aspect that the believer always knew, but never had a name for?

What kind of Mythic musings have you found in the Bible? Have you considered the importance of the Bible in Western myth? If not, go check out my article “The Bible: The Missing Key to Western Literacy,” where I discuss this further.

Sign up for my Newsletter to get a weekly recap of the articles that week and a preview of this week’s short story!