In a satirical account, Numbers describes how a local, non-Israelite Transjordanian prophet and diviner is forced by YHWH to bless Israel instead of curse them. Deuteronomy recasts Balaam as a stereotypical Mesopotamian diviner from faraway Aram-Naharaim, making the point that YHWH’s power extends even into the heartland of Assyria.
Dr.
Ethan Schwartz
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What we know about where he lived, the language he spoke, and the gods he worshiped.
Prof.
Carl S. Ehrlich
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