The Sacrifice of Melchizedech

1904
Painted wood relief
Church of St. Peter, Sarleinsbach, Germany

The episode shown is in Genesis 14:18-20. Melchizedech's sacrifice of bread and wine is a type of the sacrifice of Christ in the Letter to the Hebrews (5:5-7), and of the Eucharist in subsequent theology. Here as in later medieval images of the episode, Abraham is dressed as a warrior and kneels before the bread and wine while his army looks on. As is usual in earlier medieval images, the altar is a low stone affair rather than a proper medieval altar with a linen cover (as for example in Tiepolo's version). The crowned figure in the left background is the King of Sodom, who also greeted Abraham upon the return from his victory.

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Source: Wolfgang Sauber via this page at Wikimedia Commons.