1863: belphegor, demon of discoveries and ingenious inventions. he often takes the form of a young woman. he gives riches. the moabites, who called him baalphgor, worshipped him on mount phgor. some rabbis say that tribute was rendered to him on the commode, and that what was offered to him was the ignoble residue of digestion. it was worthy of him. it is for this [reason] that certain learned [men] see in belphegor aspects of the god pet [fart] or crepitus [an alleged roman god of flatulence]; other wise men hold that he is priapus [fertility god with an oversized, permanent erection]. [john] selden, cited by [abb antoine] banier, puts forward that human victims were offered to him, [and] that his priests ate of their flesh. [johann weyer] wirus remarks that it is a demon whose mouth is always open, an observation no doubt due to the fact that the name phgor, according to leloyer, signifies crevasse or fendasse [vulva], because he was worshipped in caves, and offerings were thrown to him through a vent > "israel settled in shitim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of moab. [the women] called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. israel attached itself to baal peor, and the wrath of hashem flared against israel." (bamidbar 25:3)
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