Balaam Lives

In February and March of 1967, H. J. Franken was conducting excavations at Deir 'Alla in the Jordan River Valley when his vigilant foreman, Abu Abdul Rasul, noticed writing on pieces of plaster being removed from the remains of an ancient building. He brought the information to the excavator."(1)

This inscription, dated approximately 700 B.C., is a narrative concerning the Old Testament non-Israelite prophet Balaam, well known to Bible students as the prophet who dominates Numbers 22-24.

The region in which the 119 total fragments were discovered is known as the biblical location of the Valley of Succoth (Ps. 60:8, 108:89) and near the proximity of the Plains of Moab where Balaam had an encounter with the Israelites.(2)

The plaster fragments record portions of Biblical history that render even more credibility to the accuracy of the Bible.(3) The fragments' text repeatedly refer to "Balaam son of Beor" and describe him as a "divine seer." Balaam gave us a fascinating non-Israelite perspective from those who conquered Caanan.(4)

"From the language and dialect of the tablets, we can clearly see that they seem to have been written not by an Israelite as was the biblical story of Joshua, but rather by a non-Israelite, probably a Moabite or Midianite."

"What we have found," says the Jerusalem historian, "seems to dramatically confirm the biblical narrative." "This momentous discovery seems to confirm the existence of the prophet Balaam, an epic figure of the Bible and a contemporary of Moses."5

References:
1. Carnagey, G., "Balaam - A Light to the Gentiles?," Chafer University
2. Oxford, M.L., "3,000 Year Old Fragments Parallel Biblical Narrative," Jerusalem Christian Review,
3. Same as #1
4. Same as #2
5. Professor Oyar Mazar, Hebrew University, quoted in reference 2.

Creation application: These tablets exists solely because the characters of the Bible were actual people who recorded actual events.