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#REDIRECT [[Numbers 31#Israelite–Moabite fraternisation at Peor (Numbers 25:1–9)]] |
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{{original research|date=January 2012}} |
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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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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> [[Yahweh]] orders [[Moses]] to gather the chiefs of the people and hang up the idolaters before Yahweh to turn away Yahweh's anger. |
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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. The plague, from which 24,000 had died, then stopped.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Numbers|25:4-9|HE}}</ref> Because of 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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==Talmudic traditions== |
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===Peor=== |
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If ''Pe‘or'' is connected to the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] root ''p‘r'' ("open"), a root used regarding both the mouth and the 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 Talmudic traditions associating Ba‘al Pe‘or with [[Coprophilia|exposure and excrement]]. |
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The [[Talmud]] states 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.<ref>[[Avodah Zarah]] 3</ref> [[Rashi]] comments 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".<ref>Rashi to Numbers 25:3</ref> The Talmud tells 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.<ref name=s64>Sanhedrin 64a</ref> A story follows about a Jew who attempted to show his contempt for Pe'or by defecating before the idol and wiping his behind on its nose. However, the priests of Pe'or praised for his piety, saying "no man has ever before served this idol thus" (with this excellent form of worship).<ref name=s64/> |
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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 [[Documentary hypothesis|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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