The Free Thinkers guide to the Bible
Part 1 #5 - The heresy of Peor
Welcome back to the Free Thinkers guide to the bible. I created this series so that ‘anyone’ can explore and understand the bible. You don’t need to be a biblical scholar; all you need is a desire to see what is written. I will present to you several biblical examples and demonstrate the process of sifting the accounts to reveal the hidden. This process is very similar to archeology, where the layers are excavated and analyzed. Just not the dirty part, though you will be digging up some dirt along the way.
Warning:
The series unfolds like a story in a book. Please study the content in the order it is presented in order to have the best experience.
The series provides you with numerous examples of two distinct groups of scribal authors/redactors.
The first group is the "A" authors/redactors who focus on priestly matters; laws, rules and observances, as well as the tabernacle/temple services and offerings. The "A" authors and writing styles range from literary artisans to unskilled writers whose works are easily identified.
The second group consists of the “B” and “D” author(s)/redactor(s).
The “D” author/redactor chronicles the first person Moses account of the wilderness travels.
The “B” author(s)/redactor(s) wrote the stories in Genesis; Israel’s time in Egypt and the wilderness travels in Exodus and Numbers.
The “B” wilderness accounts harmonize with the “D” author’s first person Moses accounts; and is the reason they are grouped together.
In the study we compare the accounts and explore the differences between them to determine why the "A" priestly authors/redactors intentionally created similar yet separate accounts of many of the “B” author(s)/redactors stories.
The heresy of Peor – Two stories
Preface
Have you ever read the heresy of Peor account and got the feeling that the account didn’t flow and was disjointed? This study will be an examination of the well known heresy of Peor account. If you are like me, you will have a few questions in the back of your mind after reading it.
Let’s begin the process of revealing the hidden.
Before beginning, read Numbers chapters 16, Look for anything out of the ordinary and Jot down any questions that come to mind.
We will go through the biblical account and identify areas that should be investigated. This exercise will give you practice in spotting anomalies in future studies and when you read portions of the bible that are not covered in this series. Also look for word and subject repetitions.
Observations
Ba’al Peor? or Peor? Moab or Midian? Hang those who strayed or Death by Plague?
Hopefully you noticed that there are references to the people of Moab as well as to the Midianites. That there are two penalties and there are also references to Ba’al Peor and Peor.
Are these differences inconsequential or important?
Two stories joined - The heresy of Ba’al Peor "B"
Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods (אלהים) (mighty one(s)): and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods (אלהים) (mighty one(s)). 3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD (יהוה) was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD (יהוה) said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD (יהוה) against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD (יהוה) may be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye everyone his men that were joined unto Baalpeor….
Two stories joined - The heresy at Peor "A"
Numbers 25:6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague (מגּפה) (maggêphâh) was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague (מגּפה) (maggêphâh) were twenty and four thousand. 10 And the LORD (יהוה) spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13 and he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God (אלהים) (Elohim), and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. 16 And the LORD (יהוה) spake unto Moses, saying, 17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague (מגּפה) (maggêphâh) for Peor's sake.
Comparison and Examination
In the heresy of Ba’al Peor "B" account the people were camped in Shittim and enticed by the Moabite women in the area (They were camped near Moab in chapter22 through chapter 26). They slept with, sacrificed and ate with the Moabite women in honor of the Moabite god Ba’al Peor. The Creator commanded Moses to slay those that “whored” with the Moabite women and the story ends without a conclusion.
In the heresy of Peor "A" priestly account the antagonists are the Midianites. Aaron had recently died and is the likely reason the women are weeping at the tent of meeting. The son of a Simeonite leader took the daughter of a Midianite leader into the tent of meeting in the sight of Moses and the people. (which likely instigated the plague that is referred to). Pinchas the son of Eliezer the priest took a pole/spear and killed them, which stopped the plague (which the writer states, had taken the lives of twenty-four thousand people).
Summary
We see two distinct events stitched together that appear to be written by the same two authors as our previous studies.
In the "B" account the people stray and worship Ba’al Peor the god of the Moabites and the Creator is angered. He instructs Moses to put to death all those who strayed.
In the "A" priestly account The Midianites are the chief adversary. This account focuses on the story of a valiant Aaronid hero priest who stops an abomination that is occurring in the tent of meeting.
Observation study
Ba’al Peor? or Peor?
Ba’al Peor "D"
Deu 4:3 your eyes have seen what the LORD (יהוה) did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD (יהוה) thy God (אלהים) hath destroyed them from among you. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD (יהוה) your God (אלהים) are alive every one of you this day.
This writer of Deuteronomy "D" refers to the first Baal Peor "B" account. It does not reference the priestly "A" Peor account that tells of the Midianite encounter.
Continuing in Numbers thirty-one we see that the writer references the "A" Peor account and not the "B" Ba’al Peor account.
Peor "A"
Num 31:1 And the LORD (יהוה) spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. 3 And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD (יהוה) of Midian. 4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war. 5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD (יהוה) commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. 8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. 9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire. 11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. 12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.
13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. 14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. 15 And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD (יהוה) in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague (מגּפה) (maggêphâh) among the congregation of the LORD (יהוה).
I continue to expand on this information in the future studies:
Part 2 #5 - The heresy of Peor - Revealing the veiled battle for Authority
Part 5 #2 - The heresy of Peor – The Perpetual Priesthood
If you wish to continue exploring and seek greater understanding, please continue with the next study: