Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 25/0

Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 25

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Overview

This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.

Pinchas, Moshe, and Nadav and Avihu

The unusual form of Pinchas’ heroism is best understood by comparing it to other narratives of zealotry in Tanakh. The figure and story of Pinechas has been compared to multiple narratives including Shimon and Levi's massacre in Shekhem, Moshe's actions in the wake of the sin of the calf, Nadav and Avihu's bringing of incense, and Eliyahu's prophetic tenure.

Tools

Primary Sources

• Pinechas and Eliyahu – Several sources draw a connection between and identify the personalities of Pinchas and Eliyahu, both known for their zealotry.  For example, see Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan) Shemot 6:18, Yalkut Shimoni Bemidbar 25:11-13 and Midrash Aggadah (Buber) Bemidbar 25:13.

Articles

• Pinechas vs. Moshe and Nadav and Avihu
• See The Zeal of Moshe, Nadav and Avihu, and Pinchas (or the Hebrew version here), by Professor Yonatan Grossman, for analysis of the parallels and contrasts between these three stories and what the comparison teaches about the proper role and limits of zealousness. Prof. Grossman suggests that Pinchas’ defining quality is his lack of self-interest; this is what differentiates his zeal from that of others, making it laudatory.
• Pinechas vs. Shimon and Levi