Heresy of Peor: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Numbers 31#Israelite–Moabite fraternisation at Peor (Numbers 25:1–9)]] |
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{{multiple issues| |
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{{one source|date=January 2012}} |
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{{original research|date=January 2012}} |
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}} |
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[[File:Figures Moab Leads Israel into Sin.jpg|thumb|right|220px|''Moab leads Israel into sin'']]The '''heresy of Peor''' is an event related in the [[Torah]] at [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 25:1–15. Later biblical references to the event occur in Numbers 25:18 and 31:16, [[Deuteronomy]] 4:3, [[Joshua]] 22:17, [[Hosea]] 9:10; [[Psalms|Psalm]] 106:28. [[New Testament]] references are found in [[1 Corinthians]] 10:8 and [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 2:14. |
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==In the Hebrew Bible== |
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The story proceeds from that of the [[prophet]] [[Balaam]], in which he ascends the mountain of Pe‘or, and makes sacrifices to God from atop it. Having finished his sacrifices, Balaam views the [[Israelites]] on the plain below, and although hired to curse them, pronounces a blessing over them, prophesying their blessed nature and destruction of [[Moab]] and the other adversaries of Israel.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|22-24|HE}}</ref> |
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When the narrative focus returns to the point of view of the Israelites, the contrast between Balaam's voiced opinion of them, and their actual behaviour, is distinctly noticeable. The Israelites, after spending a short time in the plain of Moab, begin to involve themselves with the Moabite women. Consequently, under the influence of Moabite culture, the Israelites begin participating in the worship of the Moabite gods, and join themselves to ''Baal Peor'' (Hebrew בעל פעור ''Ba‘al P<sup>ə</sup>‘ôr''), in the Septuagint ''Beelphegōr'', a [[baal]] associated with Mount Pe‘or.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|25:1-3|HE}}</ref> |
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[[Yahweh]] orders [[Moses]] to gather the chiefs of the people and hang up the idolaters before Yahweh to turn away Yahweh's anger. The scene then abruptly shifts from concerns about Moabites to those about [[Midian]]ites. A man — Israelite [[Zimri (prince)|Zimri]], the son of Salu — brings a Midianite woman [[Cozbi]] into the camp in the sight of Moses, where the people are weeping. [[Phinehas]], grandson of [[Aaron]], thereupon rises up with a spear, follows the man into a tent and thrusts the spear through both the man and woman, who were evidently in the act of [[sexual intercourse|copulation]]. The plague, from which 24,000 had died, then ceased to take life.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|25:4-9|HE}}</ref> Despite his violent action, God then promises Phinehas a "covenant of peace" and a "covenant of eternal priesthood".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|25:10-13|HE}}</ref> |
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God then commands [[Moses]] to wage a war of revenge against the Midianites.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|25:16-18|HE}}</ref> However, the war is |
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only launched several chapters later, in {{Bibleverse|Numbers|31|HE}}. |
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==In the New Testament== |
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Revelation 2:14 implies that after Balaam had blessed Israel, he later went back and influenced Balak to corrupt Israel through seducing them with women into idolatry: "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication" (King James Version).{{Original research inline|date=October 2019}} |
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==Talmudic traditions== |
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If ''Pe‘or'' is connected to the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] stem ''p‘r'' 'open', used both of mouth and bowels, it might mean 'opening' and so ''Ba‘al Pe‘or'' could mean 'Lord of the Opening'. This apparent meaning is probably the source of [[Talmud]]ic traditions associating Ba‘al Pe‘or with [[Coprophilia|exposure and excrement]]. The tractate Sanhedrin 64a attributes to Rab through Rabbi Judah the story of a sick Gentile woman who vowed to worship every idol in the world if she recovered. Upon recovery she set out to fulfill her vow, but drew back at Pe‘or as the rites disgusted her: eating beets, drinking strong drink, and then uncovering oneself. |
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A story follows about a Jew who showed his contempt for the god by wiping his behind on its nose after defecating in the temple and who was praised for his piety by the acolytes of the god who said: ''no man has ever before served this idol thus''. Tractate ‘[[Avodah Zarah]] 3 states in the [[Gemara]] that the area before the idol Pe‘or was used as a latrine and that the worship of the idol consisted of defecating before it. [[Rashi]] comments on Numbers 25.3 that Pe‘or was so called ''because they would uncover before it the end of the rectum and bring forth excrement; this is its worship''. |
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==From Moab to Midian== |
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The abrupt change from concerns about the Moabites to the Midianites, and mention of the end of a plague which is never described as starting, is explained by the [[documentary hypothesis]] as being due to a change from the [[JE]] source to the [[Priestly source]]. Despite the [[Documentary hypothesis#R,Redactor|Torah redactor]] usually, according to the hypothesis, interlacing together the sources, the stories here were evidently difficult to combine, as the redactor appears to have cut the end from the JE version, and the beginning from the Priestly version, and joined the resulting texts together. |
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As the Priestly source is considered to be based on the JE source, albeit spun to the Aaronid priesthood's political viewpoint, the original JE ending, and priestly source beginning, can be expected to be fairly similar to the text that is currently present. Nevertheless, the use of plagues, by God, to punish the people in very large numbers, is unique to the Priestly source, once the Israelites have left Egypt, and consequently this detail is unlikely to have been present in the original. |
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While it is considered uncertain as to why the Priestly source would change Moab to Midian, it is generally agreed amongst critical scholars that the account of the war against Midian, and its spoils, originates from a writer who added these elements to the original version of the Priestly source. The command to vex the Midianites is also considered a part of these additions, and thus the revenge on Midian serves as a vehicle for this writer to include the list of spoils, and its distribution, which has a larger amount of text than the narrative of the war. Thus, this later writer could easily have changed Moab to Midian to facilitate this addition. |
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==See also== |
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*[[Baal]] |
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*[[Balak (parsha)]] |
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*[[Belphegor]] |
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*[[Coprophilia]] |
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*[[Tzoah Rotachat]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=12&letter=B Jewish Encyclopedia: Baal-Peor] |
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[[Category:Moab]] |
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[[Category:Midian]] |
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[[Category:Deities in the Hebrew Bible]] |
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[[Category:Judaism-related controversies]] |
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[[Category:Book of Numbers]] |
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[[Category:Baal]] |
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