Balaam the son of Beor

Who was he?

Balaam was a non-Israelite seer/diviner/prophet who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel. Interestingly, an ancient inscription discovered at Deir ʿAlla in modern Jordan mentions a “Balaam son of Beor” who is described as a “seer of the gods.” The inscription dates to around the 8th century BC and appears to preserve a Balaam tradition from the Transjordan. This provides important extra-biblical evidence that Balaam was a known prophetic figure in the ancient region, although the inscription does not recount the events of Numbers 22–24. [^1][^2]

Balaam is slain by Israel in Numbers 31.8 along with the kings of Midian.

Sources

[^1]: BAS Library: Deir ʿAlla Inscription [^2]:TheTorah.com: Balaam the Seer: From the Bible to the Deir ʿAlla Inscription