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Having received this oracle of promise, Abraham migrated, and
remained in another place of the same land, that is, beside the oak of
Mature, which was Hebron. Then on the invasion of Sodom, when
five kings carried on war against four, and Lot was taken captive with
the conquered Sodomites, Abraham delivered him from the enemy,
leading with him to battle three hundred and eighteen of his home-born
servants, and won the victory for the kings of Sodom, but would take
nothing of the spoils when offered by the king for whom he had won
them. He was then openly blessed by Melchizedek, who was priest of
God Most High, about whom many and great things are written in the
epistle which is inscribed to the Hebrews, which most say is by the
Apostle Paul, though some deny this. For then first appeared the
sacrifice which is now offered to God by Christians in the whole wide
world, and that is fulfilled which long after the event was said by the
prophet to Christ, who was yet to come in the fresh, "Thou art a
priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,", that is to say,
not after the order of Aaron, for that order was to be taken away when
the things shone forth which were intimated beforehand by these
shadows.
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