The Man of Opened Eye (Hardback)

Higher critical studies of the last century have raised important questions regarding the unity of Numbers 22–24. Balaam’s multifaceted profession, for example, is often considered a marker for blended traditions. This study proposes that the solutions to such issues lie in the comparative materials. Utilizing primary sources and recent studies, it highlights conventions of supernatural revelation that were common throughout the ancient Near East. Those conventions of prophecy and divination—of both practice and reporting—are then compared with the details of the Balaam Cycle, resulting in a cohesive reading of the story.