The narrative of Phinehas in the book of Numbers (ch. 25) is a personal favourite of mine, as it, especially in light of Psa 106:30-31, refutes Reformed theology. For a discussion, see:
Response
to a Recent Attempt to Defend Imputed Righteousness
In the first century A.D. text, Pseudo-Philo, we read of
Phinehas’ exemption from death in ch. 48 which would be reflective of the high view of Phinehas held by those contemporary with the authors of the New Testament texts:
48 1* And in that time Phinehas laid himself
down to die, and the Lord said to
him, “Behold you have passed the 120 years that have been established for every
man. And now rise up and go from here and dwell in Danaben on the mountain and
dwell there many years. And I will
command my eagle, and he will nourish
you there, and you will not come down to mankind until the time arrives and
you be tested in that time; and you will shut up the heaven then, and by your
mouth it will be opened up. And afterward you will be lifted up into the place
where those who were before you were lifted up, and you will be there until I
remember the world. Then I will make you all come, and you will taste what is
death.” 2 And Phinehas went up and did all that the Lord commanded him. Now in those days
when he appointed Eli as priest, he anointed him in Shiloh. 3* Now
in that time when he went up, then the sons of Israel were celebrating
Passover, and they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go up and get wives
for yourselves, because we cannot give
you our daughters. For we made a vow in the time of our anger, but
let it not happen that one tribe be
blotted out from Israel.” And the sons of Benjamin went up and seized for themselves wives and built for themselves Gabaon
and began to dwell there. 4* And
while the sons of Israel were at rest in the meantime, they had no leader in those
days, and each one did what was
pleasing in his own eyes. 5 These are the commandments and
judgments and testimonies and manifestations that were in the days of the
judges of Israel, before a king ruled over them. (Daniel J.
Harrington, "Pseudo-Philo," in James H. Charlesworth, The Old
Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols. [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985],
2:362-63)
