Balaam
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.4|Balaam and the angel, painting from Gustav Jäger (painter)|Gustav Jaeger, 1836 Balaam (; ; ), son of Beor, was, according to the Bible, a gentile prophet and diviner who lived in Pethor, a place identified with the ancient city of Pitru, thought to have been located between the region of Iraq and northern Syria in what is now southeastern Turkey. According to chapters 22–24 of the Book of Numbers, he was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel, but instead he blessed the Israelites, as dictated by God. Subsequently, the plan to entice the Israelites into idol worshi
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Hebrew Tanakh
- Biblical criticism
- Deir Alla inscription
- In rabbinic literature
- In Josephus, Philo, and Christian sources
- In the Quran
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|upright=1.4|Balaam and the angel, painting from Gustav Jäger (painter)|Gustav Jaeger, 1836 Balaam (; ; ), son of Beor, was, according to the Bible, a gentile prophet and diviner who lived in Pethor, a place identified with the ancient city of Pitru, thought to have been located between the region of Iraq and northern Syria in what is now southeastern Turkey. According to chapters 22–24 of the Book of Numbers, he was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel, but instead he blessed the Israelites, as dictated by God. Subsequently, the plan to entice the Israelites into idol worship and sexual immorality is attributed to him. Balaam is also mentioned in the Book of Micah, the Second Epistle of Peter, the Book of Jude, and the Book of Revelation.
In rabbinic literature, Balaam is portrayed as a non-Israelite prophet with powers comparable to Moses but is often depicted negatively for his attempts to curse Israel, his role in leading them to sin, and his eventual execution. The Talmud emphasizes his importance by stating that Moses authored not only the Torah but also the section relating to Balaam (Bava Batra 14b).