Salem

Salem (meaning peace) is the royal city of Melchizedek, the priest-king who met Abraham after the defeat of the four kings and blessed him (Gen. 14:18; Heb. 7:1). It is generally identified with Jerusalem — the name "Jerusalem" (Yerushalayim) containing shalem within it, and Psalm 76:2 explicitly equating Salem with Zion: "In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion." The identification is not universally accepted, as some scholars have proposed other sites, but the predominant view links Salem-Jerusalem through the Melchizedek narrative as the ancient city that became David's capital. In the New Testament, the author of Hebrews makes the name theologically significant: Melchizedek is king of Salem, which means king of peace (eirene), interpreting his city's name as a type of Christ's messianic peace (Heb. 7:2).