God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab has sent [them] to me, [saying], ‘Behold the people coming out of Egypt, a ...

Read Blogging the Bible Entries about Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers. To learn more about the Blogging the Bible project, click here. Chapter 21 The Israelites are back to bellyaching again, ...

There is a clear parallel between Balak and events in the Book of Exodus. In both narratives, kings (Pharaoh of Egypt and Balak of Moab), alarmed about the success of the Jewish People, conspire to ...

It’s the end of Numbers and the Israelites are wrapping up 40 years of serious wandering, during which they’ve taken down a king or two. Meanwhile, as they travel east of the Jordan River, King Balak ...

Who is the storyteller? Is he reliable? All writers are faced with these questions. This week’s Torah portion begins with the Moabite king Balak sending messengers to the sorcerer Balaam with a ...

“Hen Am L’Vadad Y’Shkone…” (from the root BaDaD*). “Behold, it is a nation that shall dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations.” *More on this later. And so, Balaam’s attempted curse comes ...

This week’s portion, on the prophet Balaam and the king of Moab, Balak, is a sort of microcosm of the Torah in that it encapsulates so many of its greatest modes and themes. Balaam’s prophetic ...

There is a story in Numbers 22:6-35 about a prophet named Balaam and a King named Balak. Balak was the enemy of Israel and he believed in the prophet so much that he believed that if Balaam would ...

The legendary King Balak from the Book of Numbers may have been a real historical figure, according to a new reading of the Mesha Stele, the longest extra-biblical inscription in existence. The Mesha ...

Each week The Arty Semite connects the Torah reading — however tenuously — with a classic work of rock and roll. In this week’s parsha, Balak, the king of Moab, having heard about Israel’s ...

The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a sword drawn in his hand. He bowed and prostrated himself on his face. I recently lost my watch, and thought ...