After the first 20 years spent in the desert camp at Kadesh-barnea, on the present border between the Sinai and Negev deserts, the Israelites began their journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, bypassing hostile peoples. After a long detour that took them another 20 years or so, they headed toward what is now Jordan on the border between the territories of Moab and Ammon, before arriving opposite Jericho in Canaan. In the great desert plains east of the Dead Sea, near the Arnon River which marks the border between these territories, they pitched their tents. Balak, king of Moab, was concerned about their vast numbers and called upon a prophet of great repute, Balaam son of Beor, to curse them. But, on the way, Balaam was threatened by an angel, a messenger sent by God, to tell him to bless rather than curse the people of Israel.
Let's look at the continuation of the historical and biblical chronologies (for earlier dates, refer to the previous articles since Adam):
year 2454 (1306 BCE): date of the Exodus from Egypt
year 2455 (1305 BCE): camp of Kadesh-Barnea; beginning of the 40 years in the desert
year 2495 (1265 BCE): episode of Balaam son of Beor
year 2495 (1265 BCE): death of Moses (5 Adar)
year 2495 (1265 BCE): beginning of the conquest of Canaan (after Passover 2495)
This episode is recounted in chapters 22-24 of the Book of Numbers. The angel of God spoke to Balaam:
And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam: "Go with the men [the Moabites], but only the word that I shall speak unto you, that you shall speak." So, Balaam went with the princes of Balak. (Numbers 22:35)
Balaam then came to the camp of the Moabites, incited by their king Balak. The latter pointed out from a high spot the vast Israelite camp with its innumerable tents below them in the valley. But instead of cursing the people of God, Balaam could not contain the words of blessing that God put in his mouth!
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I execrate whom the Lord has not execrated? For, from the top of the rocks, I see them [the Israelites], and from the hills I behold them: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations. (Numbers 23:8-9)
The episode ends with a vision of the future that Balaam conceived while looking at the Israelite tents.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw [the people of] Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable and said: "The saying of Balaam son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened; The saying of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes. How goodly are yourtents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!" (Numbers 24:1-5)
Is there archaeological proof of the existence of this biblical Balaam? Yes, there is! In 1967, excavations at the Deir Alla site in Jordan uncovered an ancient inscription that begins as such:
The misfortunes of the Book of Balaam, son of Beor. A divine seer was he. (Deir Alla inscription, translated by McCarter, click here for the full text)
One cannot fail to notice the parallel with the biblical text: Balaam son of Beor and the man who was a seer! The comparison between the two texts can be pushed further:
Then he said to them: "Be seated, and I will relate to you what the Shaddai gods have planned (Balaam, i:7)
And he said unto them: 'Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as the Lord may speak unto me' (Numbers 22:8)
Balaam arose on the morrow. He summoned the heads of the assembly to him. (Balaam, i:5)
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak. (Numbers 22:13)
The gods came to him at night. (Balaam, i:2)
And God came unto Balaam at night. (Numbers 22:20)
And he beheld a vision in accordance with God's utterance. (Balaam, i:2)
And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth. (Numbers 23:5)
The misfortunes of the Book of Balaam, son of Beor. A divine seer was he. (Balaam, i:1)
The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened. (Numbers 24:3)
Balaam continued to utter an oracle, a prophecy, which apparently predicted the future of the Gulf Wars and the fall of Iraq. The interested reader can look up the details and interpretations in question.
I hope that this article on the theme "the Bible is true" was of interest to you. Do not hesitate to send me your comments, while waiting for a next biblical episode proven by history and archaeology.
To return to the home page of articles on this theme of "the Bible is true", click here.
Albert Benhamou
Private tour guide in Israel
February 2025
