Phinehas

Phinehas

Phinehas or Pinhas (). The Christian book of Revelation mirrors this sentiment (cf. )

Phinehas son of Eleazar appears again in the book of Joshua. When the tribes of Reuben and Gad, together with the half-tribe of Manasseh, depart to take possession of their lands beyond the Jordan, they build a great altar on the other side; the remainder of the Israelites mistake this for a separatist move to set up a new religious centre, and send Phinehas to investigate ().

In addition to these episodes, Phinehas appears as the chief adviser in the war with the Benjamites. He is commemorated in Psalm 106:28-31.

According to , his relation to Zadok is the following: Phinehas begat Abishua, Abishua begat Bukki, Bukki begat Uzzi, Uzzi begat Zerahiah, Zerahiah begat Meraioth, Meraioth begat Amariah, Amariah begat Ahitub, and Ahitub begat Zadok.

In Jewish culture

Pinchas is the name of the 41st weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the eighth in the book of Numbers. The beginning of this parshah tells the judgement of Phinehas son of Eleazar; the end of the previous parshah tells of his zealous act.

The Hebrew expression "One who acts like Zimry and asks for a reward as he were Phinehas" (עושה מעשה זמרי ומבקש שכר כפנחס) refers to hypocrites who ask for undeserved rewards and honours. It derives from the Babylonian Talmud (Sotah, Ch.22, page 2), where it is attributed to the Hasmonean King Alexander Jannaeus (see Hebrew Wikipedia [http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%94_%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%A9%D7%94_%D7%96%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99_%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A7%D7%A9_%D7%A9%D7%9B%D7%A8_%D7%9B%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%97%D7%A1] ).

Racist interpretation

At various times, Phinehas and his acts were cited in the United States by the promoters of laws banning interracial marriages. These so-called anti-miscegenation laws were enforced in several US states until 1967. The story is also used by some Christian Identity groups, naming themselves Phineas Priesthood after Phinehas. They also claim that it is a Biblical injunction against interracial couples, transforming a conflict about temptation to idolatry into one about race.


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  • PHINEHAS — (Heb. פִּנְחָס), name of three biblical figures: (1) Son of eleazar , son of aaron the priest (Ex. 6:25; cf. genealogies in Ezra 7:1–5; I Chron. 5:28–41; 6:35–38). When the Israelites suffered a plague in punishment for indulging in the orgiastic …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • PHINEHAS — PHINEHAS, guardian of the Second Temple treasury in the last days of the Temple. Josephus (Wars, 6:387–91) relates that with the seizure of Jerusalem and the Temple (70 C.E.) Phinehas, taken prisoner, disclosed the tunics and girdles worn by the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Phinehas —    Mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro.    1) Son of Eleazar, the high priest (Ex. 6:25). While yet a youth he distinguished himself at Shittim by his zeal against the immorality into which the Moabites had tempted the people (Num. 25:1… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Phinehas — noun a) Any of a number of Old Testament men, including a son of Eli and a grandson of Aaron. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. b) of biblical… …   Wiktionary

  • Phinehas —    1) (fl. ?13th cent BCE)    Israelite priest, grandson of Aaron. He slew Zimri and as a reward he and his descendants were granted the priesthood (Numbers 25). He was also given a holding on Mount Ephraim. Phinehas continued to officiate and… …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Phinehas ben Jair — (Hebrew: פנחס בן יאיר) was a Tanna of the 4th generation who lived, probably at Lydda, in the second half of the 2nd century. He was the son in law of Shimon bar Yochai and a fellow disciple of Judah I. He was more celebrated for piety than for… …   Wikipedia

  • PHINEHAS BEN JAIR — (second half of second century), tanna renowned both for his saintliness and his ability to work miracles. He was a son in law of Simeon b. Yoḥai , with whom he studied, and achieved a reputation as a keen halakhist (Shab. 33b). Nonetheless, few… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • PHINEHAS BEN JOSEPH HA-LEVI — (13th century), Hebrew poet and paytan in Toledo. According to some scholars Phinehas was the brother of aaron ha Levi of Barcelona to whom the Sefer ha Ḥinnukh is attributed. He was one of the rivals of todros b. judah abulafia in the court of… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Phinehas (disambiguation) — Phinehas, Pinhas, or Pinchas may refer to:Biblical figures*Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest *Phinehas, son of the High Priest Eli. He was a priest at Shiloh, and died when the Philistines captured the Ark of the… …   Wikipedia

  • PHINEHAS BEN JACOB HA-KOHEN — (Kafra), eighth century Palestinian paytan. He is apparently the last in the list of the early poets given in saadiah gaon s Sefer ha Agron. As the acrostic to one of his piyyutim implies, he came from Kafra, near Tiberias, and his connection… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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