A Star Was Born... About the Bifocal Reception History of Balaam

Balaam counts among the most enigmatic characters within the Old Testament. Not everyone has the privilege to meet an angel, and to be addressed by a donkey. Moreover, the Biblical Balaam, as he is presented in Num 22–24, has given rise to multiple interpretations: did the Biblical authors want to narrate about a pagan diviner, who intended to curse the Israelites, but who has been manipulated – against his will – by God in order to bless them, or was he rather considered to be a real prophet? The first part of this article concisely deals with the ambiguous presentation of Balaam that is given in Numbers 22–24. Secondly, I focus on Balaam’s presentation in the other books of the Bible. In the last section I will show how the bifocal Biblical presentation of Balaam has left its traces on the reception of this personage in Christian arts