or PEOR, a deity worshipped at a very early period by the Midianites and Moabites, and probably by all the other tribes who then inhabited Syria. Much has been said concerning the functions of this god, and the rank which he held amongst the Pagan divinities; and many conjectures have been formed concerning the origin of his name. But most of these appear to have no better foundation than the senseless dreams of the Jewish rabbins. Phegor, or Peor, is undoubtedly the same with the Hebrew word pechor, which signifies "aperuit," and probably refers to the prophetic influence always attributed to the solar deity, by which he opened or discovered things to come. Accordingly we find Phegor or Peor generally joined to Baal or Bel, which was the Syrian and Chaldean name of the sun after he became an object of worship; and hence Bel-phegor must have been the sun worshipped by some particular rites, or under some particular character.