8th-century BC plaster wall inscription explicitly recording the prophecies of 'Balaam son of Beor, the seer of the gods'
Fragmentary red and black ink inscriptions painted on wall plaster in an enigmatic Northwest Semitic dialect, recounting apocalyptic nocturnal visions given by the Shaddayin deities to Balaam son of Beor.
Rigorous 4-part empirical analysis separating ancient text from bias and consensus
Combination I lines 1–2 reads: 'The misfortunes of the Book of Balaam, son of Beor, the man who was a seer of the gods. Lo! the gods came to him at night and spoke to him... and Balaam arose on the morrow weeping bitterly.'
Stunning extra-biblical attestation of Balaam son of Beor, the non-Israelite prophet hired by Balak king of Moab in Numbers 22–24, corroborating his regional reputation as an authentic seer of visions.
Linguists debate whether the language represents an early South Aramaic dialect or a distinct Canaanite branch; the divine title 'Shaddayin' (gods of the Shaddai) strongly parallels biblical 'El Shaddai'.
Presents Balaam as a revered prophetic authority in Transjordan; the text records his intercession to prevent an apocalyptic catastrophe threatened by nocturnal deities.