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Musorites

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a superstitious sect of Jews, who are said to have reverenced rats and mice. The origin of this peculiarity is to be found in an event which is narrated in 1 Samuel 6. The Philistines had taken away the ark of the covenant and detained it in their country seven months, during which time the Lord in anger Bent a plague of mice, which destroyed the fruits of the ground. Under the dread inspired by this divine judgment upon their land they restored the ark, and by the advice of their priests and diviners they prepared as a trespass-offering to the God of Israel five golden emerods and five golden mice. Perverting the solemn incident of O.-T. history, the sect seems to have entertained a superstitious veneration for mice and rats.