Phinehas (High Priest)

Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, is known from Numbers 25: at Shittim, as Israelites joined the worship of Baal of Peor with Moabite and Midianite women and a plague broke out, Zimri, a prince of Simeon, brought the Midianite Cozbi into the camp. Phinehas took a spear and killed them both, the plague stopped after 24,000 had died, and God granted him "My covenant of peace" and an everlasting priesthood (Numbers 25:12–13). He later went with the army against Midian carrying the holy vessels and trumpets (Numbers 31:6), and served before the Ark at Bethel during the war against Benjamin (Judges 20:28).

His zeal troubled the rabbis, who ruled that such an act is permitted but must not be taught as a rule (Sanhedrin 82a). A midrashic tradition identifies Phinehas with the prophet Elijah, the other great zealot of the Bible. Mattathias, father of the Maccabees, was hailed as acting "as Phinehas did" (1 Maccabees 2:26).