Baal-Peor

BAAL-PEOR, or the God Peor. We have produced several conjectures concerning this false God, in a Dissertation wrote particularly for this purpose, and inserted before the Book of Numbers, p. 20. Herein we have endeavoured to demonstrate, that Adonis or Orus adored by the Egyptians, and the generality of the Eastern people, and this God, are the same. The Scripture tells us, that when the Israelites were incamped in the wilderness of Sin, they were prevailed with to worship Baal-Peor¹, that they partook of his Sacrifices, and committed whoredom with the Daughters of Moab; and the Psalmist relating the same event, says, that the Hebrews were initiated into the Mysteries of Baal-Peor, and ate the Offerings of the dead. Peor is the same as Or or Orus, if we cut off the article Pe, which is of no signification. Orus is the same as Adonis or Osiris. The Feasts of Adonis were celebrated after the manner of Funerals; and the people who observed them, at that time committed a thousand dissolute actions, particularly when they were told that Adonis, whom they had mourned for as dead, was alive.

Origen² believed Peor, or Baal-Peor, the God of the Moabites, to be the same with Priapus, or the Idol of Turpitude which was adored principally by the Women, and that Moses fearing to pollute the ears of the Hebrews, did not think proper to distinguish in a clearer manner what kind of Turpitude he meant. S. Jerom³ says, that this Idol was represented in an obscene manner, as it was the custom to describe Priapus. It is his opinion, that effeminate men and women, who prostituted themselves in honour of Idols, whereof there is such frequent mention in the Scripture, were consecrated to Baal- Peor or Priapus. He seems to think, that this infamous Deity had that in its mouth, with which the Figures of Priapus are usually represented⁴.

Maimonides asserts, that Baal-Peor was adored by discovering that before him, which modesty obliges people to conceal with greatest care; and Solomon Jarchi, that Excrements were offered to him. There is no question to be made of Baal- Peor’s being the God of Impurity: we know with what impudence the Daughters of Moab engaged the Israelites in lasciviousness; Numb. xxv.and the Prophet Hosea speaking of this crime, says, They went unto Baal-Peor, and separated themselves unto that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved. Hosea ix. 10.

Others⁵ have asserted, that Baal-Peor was Saturn, a Deity adored in Arabia. The adventure related of this Deity, and his castration by his own Son, may have made way for the obscenities practised in the worship of Baal-Peor, whereof we have taken notice. Further, there may be some marks of resemblance discovered between Saturn and Lot, the Father of the Moabites, who were worshippers of Baal- Peor.

Some have believed, that in Baal-Peor they discovered the God worshipped by the Heathens, under the name of Crepitus º; the word Peor is derived from a Root, which signifies to be loose. Others were of opinion, that the Moabites adored their God under the name of Baal-Reem, the God of Thunder, but that the Hebrews in derision called him Baal-Peor, the God Fart. Vossius⁶ thinks the Moabites worshipped the Sun and Priapus under the name of Baal-Peor. Selden⁷ will have it, that Baal-Peor is the God Pluto. He founds his conjecture upon what is said in the Psalms: They joined themselves unto Baal-Peor, and ate the offerings of the Dead. The Sacrifices here intimated are those, says Selden, which were offered to appease the manes of the Dead. Apollinarius in his Paraphrase upon this Psalm says, that the Hebrews polluted themselves in the Sacrifices of Baal-Peor, by eating hecatombs offered to the Dead. Some affirm⁸, that Saturn ranked his Son Moth, whom he had by Rhea among the Gods, and that he was adored by the Phœnicians sometimes under the name of Death, and sometimes by that of Pluto.

But these several opinions seem all to be less probable than that which we have proposed and supported in our Dissertation on Baal-Peor; viz. that this false Deity was no other than Adonis, or Osiris. To what we have said elsewhere on this matter it may be added, that Adonis, as some believe, was the Father of Priapus; that funeral entertainments were made in honour of him, which may be very well understood Baruch vi. 32.by the name of Sacrifices: The Priests roar and cry before their Gods as men do at the Feast when one is dead, in cœna mortui. The Psalmist expresses himself in the plural number: Comederunt sacrificia mortuorum; for the Sacrifices of Baal-Peor were not like those of other Deities: they were repasts like those in use at the funerals of dead persons, with this difference, that the latter were often accompanied with real and sincere sorrow; whereas on the contrary in those of Adonis, the tears were all feigned, and the debauchery then indulged real. The Reader may see our Dissertation, and, if he pleases, Selden, De Diis Syris, and the Commentators upon Numb. xxv.

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