On Monday, May 26, 2025, for the fourth doctoral defense of the year, Father Jang-Hyuk (Silvano) Yim successfully defended his dissertation: “The Identity of Melchizedek in 11Q Melchizedek.”
Before the academic community of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem, as well as guests from other institutions, the priest from the Diocese of Daejeon, South Korea, presented the fruit of his years of research at the ÉBAF with clarity and distinction, engaging in dialogue with the members of the jury.
The jury, chaired by the director of the ÉBAF, Fr. Olivier Poquillon, OP, included Fr. Anthony Giambrone, OP, Fr. Émile Puech, Fr. Matteo murani, OFM (professor at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum), and dissertation advisor Fr. Nicolò Rizzolo, RCI.
|
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum. Questions of the jury.“The central question of this study concerns the identity of Melchizedek in manuscript 11Q13: who is he, and why is he chosen as a savior in this scroll? His identity must be understood within the historical context of the Community, as the text belongs to the pesher literary genre. To identify him, a synchronic analysis inspired by narratology was employed, focusing on the characters and temporal setting. However, this alone is not sufficient: as a pesher, the interpretation must also draw on the hermeneutical traditions found in other pesharim and early Qumran writings. Melchizedek appears as an eschatological priest, proclaiming deliverance at the start of the tenth jubilee and performing atonement at its close, freeing the Community’s members from the forces of Belial with angelic assistance. He is associated with other positive heavenly figures—Prince of Light, Michael, Angel of Truth—but his specific use is explained through the symbolism of the Day of Atonement, marked by an assassination attempt on the Teacher of Righteousness (1QpHab XI), a foundational trauma for the Community. Melchizedek, as ‘king of righteousness,’ thus embodies the eschatological vindication of the Teacher, destroying Belial on a new Day of Atonement,” explained the doctoral candidate.
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum. The jury and the new doctor in Sacred Scriptures.
Photo: ÉBAF, Ordo Prædicatorum. The jury and the new doctor in Sacred Scriptures. Fr. Silvano’s thesis stands in the proud tradition of scholarly work developed and defended at the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, following in the footsteps of Fr. Cristobal, L.C., and Fr. Dominic, O.P.—both of whom were also honored with the distinction Insigne cum laude. The event also offered a meaningful opportunity for participants to connect and engage with several members of the Korean community in the Holy Land, who made a special trip to show their support for Fr. Silvano.
|
Interested in doing research at the ÉBAF ? Click here.
