General Notes

A soothsayer who lived in Pethor, Balaam was hired by King Balak of Moabto pronounce a curs e on the Israelites, then wandering from Egypt to thePromised Land.  The angel of the Lord in tervened, causing Balaam'sjackass to speak fo Balaam.  Instead of a curse, Balaam gave a bles sing,and was promptly fired by Balak.  Later, Balaam persuaded many Israelitesto adopt the im moral ceremonies pertaining to the cults of the heathentribes.  When the Israelites overcam e the Midianites and Moabites, theyslaughtered Balaam along with the leaders of the defeate d tribes.(Everyone in the Bible, by William P. Barker, 1966)