Besides these passages in the Books of Moses we find the plague of Baal-Peor further mentioned in the following places in the Old Testament:
_Joshua_, Ch. 22. v. 17: “Is the iniquity of “Peor too little for us, _from which we have not “cleansed ourselves unto this day_, although there “came a plague upon the congregation of the “Lord?” _Psalm_ 106. verses 28-30.: “They joined “themselves also unto Baal-Peor, and ate the 29) “sacrifices of the dead (idols). Thus they “provoked him to anger with their doings; and 30) “the plague brake in upon them. Then stood “up Phinehas, and executed judgement: and “so the plague was stayed.” _Hosea_, Ch. 9. v. 10.: “I found Israel like “grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers “as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first “season; but they came to Baal peor, and “consecrated themselves unto the shameful thing, “and became abominable like that which they “loved.”
We find the Jews on their march towards Canaan already arrived at the Jordan, from which river Shittim lay at a distance of 60 Stades or 2½ leagues according to _Josephus_[101], and the neighbouring Peoples in a state of terror at their near approach and at their victories. The King of the Moabites, Balak, had sent to the soothsayer Balaam, that the latter by his arts (his curse) might annihilate the threatening foe. Balaam however, inspired by the spirit of the Lord, blessed the sons of Israel instead of cursing them, but gave Balak counsel how he could in another way bring about the ruin of the Jews. This counsel is indicated in the passage quoted, Numbers Ch. 31, v. 16, without being explicitly stated; but what it was can indeed be partially gathered from the context of the whole passage, and was apparently so understood by the author of the Apocalypse, when he says:[102] “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, _to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication_.” Both _Philo_ and _Josephus_, who perhaps lived only a little later, picture the course of events in full detail, though, it is true, from unknown authorities.