Phinehas or Pinhas (Hebrew: פִּינְחָס, Standard Pinəḥas Tiberian Pînəħās) was the grandson of Aaron, and son of Eleazar the high priest (Exodus 6:25), who distinguished himself as a youth at Shittim by his zeal against the Heresy of Peor: the immorality with which the Moabites and Midianites had successfully tempted the people (Numbers 25:1-9) to worship Baal-peor. He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church on September 2. His name is a Hebrew pronunciation of the Ancient Egyptian name "Panehes".
The account appears immediately after the story of Balaam, who had been hired by the Moabite chieftain, Balak, to curse the Jews. Balaam failed to do so, as God had literally put words in his mouth of blessing for Israel, instead (the first prayer said by Jews as part of their daily prayer service comes from this exact text). Having failed to curse them, Balaam left for his own country. The Book of Numbers asserts a direct connection between Balaam and the events at Peor, stating that the Moabites "caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor"(Numbers 31:16). The Christian book of Revelation mirrors this sentiment (cf. Rev 2:14). Revelation describes Jesus as speaking to one of the newly founded Messianic (Christian) churches, saying: "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."
