SALEM

Biblical GN

1.

A city associated with MELCHIZEDEK in the Old Testament (Alma 13:17–18)

SALEM does not occur as a Book of Mormon GN. In the KJV Bible Salem is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18 (Hebrew šalēm), along with MELCHIZEDEK, its king, which is the setting for its use in the Book of Mormon. The name can be derived from the common Semitic root šlm, which denotes "peace; wealth; health; completeness," etc. Because Hebrews 7:2 defines the SALEM of [[MELCHIZEDEK] as "peace," there may have been a much older tradition that tied "peace" to the SALEM of MELCHIZEDEK.1 Alma 13:18 may be playing off this older tradition when it states, "Melchizedek did establish peace... therefore he was called the prince of peace, 2 for he was the king of Salem [=peace]."

See JERUSALEM, MELCHIZEDEK

Notes

1. The King James Bible translation of Psalm 76:2 parallels "Salem" with "Zion." This has led some people, both ancient and modern, to equate "Salem" with "Zion" and thus by inference linking biblical Salem with Jerusalem. The Hebrew text could just as well be translated as "peace," and not as "Salem." In fact this is how the Greek Septuagint translates the Hebrew, "peace" and not "Salem." Therefore, there is no compelling scriptural reason to equate biblical Salem with the biblical Jerusalem.

2. Cf. Isaiah 9:6 [in Hebrew it is 9:5] and 2 Nephi 19:6 "Prince of Peace."