A Brief Introduction to Melchizedek, Islam, the Koran, Alchemy, and the Sahara Desert

Who is Melchizedek and what role does he play in the Old Testament?

Melchizedek is a person from the book of Genesis. He is the king of Salem and priest of “supreme El” (El 'el yon). He brought bread and wine to Abraham and blessed him. The Bible doesn't have anything else about Melchizedek but it is said that he was a great priest and he is referenced in Psalms. Although he is only mentioned a few times throughout the Bible and a bit mysterious he made an impression on biblical history.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Melchizedek.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 July 2008, www.britannica.com/biography/Melchizedek. Accessed 29 September 2017

What are the Five Pillars of Islam and what is the Koran?

Those who practice Islam, or Muslims, have laws and guidelines like any other religion and for the Islamic religion everyone has to follow the Five Pillars of Islam. They are Declaration of Faith (Shahada), Prayer (Salat), Charity (Zakat), Fasting (Sawm) and Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). They are laws that every Muslim must perform daily. Some like the pilgrimage are only a few times but still necessary. Another practice of faith in the Islamic religion is reading the Koran which is their holy book. Reading the Koran which the believe is the word of Allah, and following the five pillars make up part of the Muslim tradition.

What is Alchemy?

Alchemy is an old practice and is the study that Chemistry stemmed from. It a very secretive and mysterious subject that focuses on the transformation of metals and their special powers. The Philosophers Stone is a mythical substance that most Alchemist focused on and it supposedly could heal, prolong life and turn lead to gold. Alchemist believe that each metal is a step towards ultimate purification where lower level metals would be like lead and the more purified ones would be like gold or diamond. Currently scientist know that the study of Alchemy was ultimately a fail and it isn’t possible to adjust metal element to become gold and although people have claimed to have discovered the philosopher's stone and elixir of life, they are all dead so they must not have known to use it.

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world. The definition of a desert is an area that receives less than a certain amount of rain annually so the Arctic and Antarctic are also considered deserts making the Sahara the 3rd largest in the world. The Sahara is so big that it is about the same size as the US and China. The Sahara is one of the most harsh and unforgiving climates on the planet. With day temperatures well over 100 the Sahara is also one of the hottest places on earth, the highest temperature recorded being about 136 °F. There are two permanent rivers and about twenty lakes but on on lake has potable water. Surprisingly during winter it does snow but only in the mountains areas and rarely hits the desert surface. One of the hardest regions to live but still an amazing place the Sahara desert is definitely unique.