BALAAM, a Biblical personage, the son of Beor, and a prophet of Pethor by the Eu phrates. The children of Israel had reached, m their journey, the plains of Moab. Balak, the King, terrified at seeing so great a host in vading his territory, sent, therefore, to Balaam, a well-lcnown prophet and soothsayer, to come and curse these hosts for him, so that, perad venture, he might then smite them and drive them out of the land. Balaam, warned of God in the night, refused to go with the messen gers, and sent them away. Balak sent yet others. He at first also refused them, but in the morning he went, with the divine injunc tion to speak what the Lord should tell him. The angel of the Lord met him in the way, fgave the ass he rode a vision in three several instances, and each time Balaam angrily smote the beast for her involuntary manifestations of terror. After the third beating an interlo cution ensued between the ass and the master, when the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and seeing the angel, he conversed with him in stead of the ass. As the result of the conver
sation, Balaam was permitted to go on, and the charge repeated to speak only that which the Lord should tell him. Coming unto Balak, he informed him that he could only speak that which God shall put into his mouth. Balaam refused to curse Israel, but pronounced a bless ing upon them, in the three several places to which Balak brought him in the vain hope of securing his purpose. This is the Old Testa ment history of the transaction, given in Num bers xxii-xxiv. In Numbers xxxi, 8-16, and Joshua xiii, 22, Balaam is mentioned as advis ing Balalc to lead the children of Israel into idolatry which, according to his directions, they did, and hence arose a war with Moab.