The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd named Santiago who is able to find a treasure beyond his wildest dreams. Along the way, he learns to listen to his heart and, more importantly, realizes that his dreams, or his Personal Legend, are not just his but part of the Soul of the Universe.
Santiago is a humble shepherd whose desires are few–he wants to be free to roam with his sheep, to have some wine in his wineskin and a book in his bag. Fate intervenes, however, in the form of the recurring dream of a great treasure hidden thousands of miles away at the base of the Egyptian Pyramids. When Santiago meets Melchizedek, a strange wise man who claims he is a king from a far-off land, he decides to seek his treasure. The next day…
When Coelho chose Melchizedek as the wise man, did he know Melchizedek is the wise King of Salem described in the Old Testament bible? Melchizedek is no ordinary human being like you or I, the Urantia book described him as the emergency son of a local universe and had visited earth during Abrahams time and was in Salem for 94 years before going back to the universe. In other words Melchizedek is a historic figure and had been on earth to shape the life of Abraham and the life of the Jewish nation as we know them today.
Using the name of Melchizedek as the wise man makes this book timeless and helps to bring Santiago's dream to everyone as our dreams, and encourages us to not give up when we first face obstacles, but to listen to our Personal Legend, our hearts, to reach our potential and our goals.
