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The Dominion of Melchizedek is an entity that aspires to ecclesiastical statehood, and is known for the licensing of banks that fraudulently operated in many parts of the world.

Its modern history dates back to the 1950s when Evan David Pedley founded Melchizedek, yet it only became active when his son, Tzemach David Neter Korem, published a bible translation known as the Melchizedek Bible in 1986.

While supporters of Melchizedek assert that it is an "ecclesiastical sovereignty," similar to Vatican City, and while its flag incorporates Christian, Jewish and Islamic symbols, Melchizedek apparently posesses no established church or formally identified religion, so this claim is considered meaningless by some external observers.

Melchizedek also claims Jerusalem as its "homeland", based on the Biblical legend of Melchizedek, who is said to have been priest-king of Salem.

During the 1990s Melchizedek claimed a number of mostly uninhabited Pacific islands, most of which were already claimed by sovereign states, including the Marshall Islands, Colombia and France. Melchizedek's claims include Taongi Atoll, Malpelo Island (sometimes used by a Colombian military garrison), Karitane Shoal, Solkope Island and Clipperton Island. Melchizedek also claims a large previously unclaimed section of Antarctica and lands on the Fijian island of Rotuma. Most of these claims seem unrecognised by any established government. However, according to the official web site of Rotuma, Melchizedek's claims on Rotuma may be based on sovereign leases.

The Melchizedek website claims that it is a recognized sovereign entity, however, numerous media outlets, including Forbes magazine and The Washington Post, have identified it as dubious. The Washington Post's reflected that Melchizedek "may merely be a ruse" or "may be the ultimate post-modern state." Over 300 investors have lost money in purported investments run by several banks licensed by Melchizedek, owned in one instance by a supposed "diplomatic representative" of the "Dominion".

When the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought a civil suit again a lawyer operating a bank purportedly licensed by The Dominion of Melchizedek it was described as "non-existent". However, after settling that legal action, the Commission only identified "The Dominion of Melchizidek (as having) a website promoting itself as a sovereign entity, recognized by certain governments".

Frauds linked to Melchizedek

According to a web site operated by Jay Adkisson, John Shockey, former special assistant, U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, in an address to the 4th International Financial Fraud Convention in London, 27 May 1999: "The Dominion of Melchizedek is a fraud, a major fraud, and not a legitimate sovereign entity. Persons associated with the Dominion of Melchizedek have been indicted and convicted of a variety of crimes." However, the only offical reference to Melchizedek by the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency refers to Melchizedek as a "non-recognized sovereignty" that "licensed" Caribbean Bank of Commerce.

Marshall Islands statement

According to a document posted on a free public web site, in response to one of Melchizedek's territorial claims the government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands responded as follows:

The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands condemns the claims and activities asserted by representatives of the "Kingdom of EnenKio" and the "Dominion of Melchizedek". The representatives making claims of separate sovereignty are not citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and have no right to make claims on behalf of Marshallese landowners. Furthermore, these representatives are making fraudulent assertions that violate the Republic of the Marshall Islands's constitution. The area of land and ocean which the "Kingdom of EnenKio" asserts as a sovereign nation separate from the Marshall Islands and (some of) the area of land and ocean which the "Dominion of Melchizedek" is asserting control over are areas within the geographical and political boundaries of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Subsequent to the above diplomatic memo apparently by the Marshall Islands to other nations, wherein it encouraged nations friendly to it not to recognize claims of Melchizedek in the Marshall Islands, the recognized Iroijlaplap (chief) of Taongi appeared on an Australian television current affairs programme in which he was quoted as saying he granted Melchizedek a 50 year sovereign lease over Taongi Atoll, however, it has been argued that sovereignty (as opposed to land title) may only belong to the Republic, so the Iroijlaplap's action may not have extended sovereignty.

Recognition

An article in the Washington Post notes that The Dominion of Melchizedek was "diplomatically recognized" by the Central African Republic, in 1993, but suggested that readers would get the "feeling" that that nation would probably "recognize the State of Denial if it had a letterhead", while an opinion by the founder of Quatloos, an online anti-fraud site states that "Melchizedek has apparently obtained some sort of recognition from some smaller states all of which are notable for their corruption."

As far as is known, Melchizedek does not maintain a diplomatic mission or any other form of representation in the Central African Republic, nor is there any other evidence confirming the existence of a formal bilateral relationship of any substance. Melchizedek's web site claims that it has since been "recognized" via treaties of "peace and recognition" by several other African nations, including Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Cameroon.

See also

• Kingdom of EnenKio
• Micronations

External links

• Official site
• Cyberfraud: The Fictitious Dominion of Melchizedek - Article detailing the dubious history of Melchizedek and two of its reputed founders.
• Warning from the Comptroller of the US Treasury Department.
• 1999 US Securities and Exchange Commission civil case involving bank licensed by the Dominion of Melchizedek

• Micronations
• Microstates