New Books Network: Interview with Ben Wiggershaus

Episode: Ben Wiggershaus, "The Man of Opened Eye: Ancient Near Eastern Revelatory Convention and the Balaam Cycle" (Gorgias Press, 2025)
Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Michael Morales
Guest: Dr. Ben Wiggershaus, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and Ministry at Belhaven University

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michael Morales interviews Dr. Ben Wiggershaus about his imminent monograph, The Man of Opened Eye: Ancient Near Eastern Revelatory Convention and the Balaam Cycle. Wiggershaus brings fresh insight to the enigmatic Balaam narrative (Numbers 22–24) by reevaluating its perceived textual discontinuities through close comparative study of ancient Near Eastern revelatory conventions. The discussion explores longstanding scholarly questions about the unity, genre, and interpretation of the Balaam story, ultimately proposing a cohesive reading grounded in historical and cultural context.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Balaam Narrative: Problems and Scholarly Questions

• Wiggershaus introduces himself and outlines the genesis of his interest in Numbers, particularly the Balaam narrative, noting its relative neglect in scholarship.

  • [02:58] "A few of my peers and I decided to do an exploratory study of numbers with our mentor. And it was then that I learned about some of the questions that are raised by the diachronic analyses in the Book of Numbers."

• Main Scholarly Challenges:

  • Genre diversity: Within these three chapters, there are at least three genres (fable, oracles, narrative). [03:49]
  • 'Intrusive' donkey episode: The talking donkey is seen as an odd interruption, creating tension and perceived discontinuity. [04:38]
  • Inconsistent portrayal of Balaam: At different points, Balaam's character seems alternately positive and negative. [05:22]
  • Divine fickleness: God's instructions to Balaam appear inconsistent, making divine intent problematic. [05:54]
  • Ambiguous profession: Is Balaam a prophet, diviner, or Mesopotamian exorcist? [06:34]

• These questions, Wiggershaus notes, often lead scholars to posit multiple source traditions as the explanation for discontinuity, but seldom produce satisfying consensus.

  • [07:30] "Few scholars agree on how to answer them... so I thought a different method might be helpful."

Wiggershaus’s Comparative Method: Reframing Balaam

• Drawing from his background in archaeology and interest in historical context, Wiggershaus applies comparative analysis using ancient Near Eastern primary sources.
  • [08:18] "I thought, well, maybe if we compare the primary sources in the ancient Near East... maybe we would come up with a satisfactory answer to these five questions. And I believe that we do. And in doing so, we preserve the unity of the story."

The Ancient Near Eastern Revelatory Context

• Morales raises the perennial question: Is Balaam a benevolent prophet or a malevolent pagan diviner?

  • [10:31] "There is a lot of confusion regarding the character of Balaam. Even among scholars. Was he mostly good or devious? Was he a true prophet or a pagan diviner?"

• Wiggershaus's Core Argument:

  • The key to untangling the narrative’s puzzles is understanding Balaam’s profession in light of ancient conventions.
  • Ancient Near Eastern cultures shared common—though regionally varied—practices in prophecy and divination.
    • E.g., the "boat oracle" in Egypt, extispacy in Mesopotamia; both required interpreters of signs. [11:35]
  • Balaam is depicted as a professional diviner, not employed in multiple professions, but as someone through whom God sometimes communicates prophetically.
    • [13:36] "So the best way to understand this then is not that Balaam is practicing different professions at different times, but that Balaam is a professional diviner through whom God sends a couple of prophetic messages at key points in the story."
  • The biblical narrative is largely neutral on Balaam’s morality, seeing him as a working diviner rather than villain or hero—but sets prophecy above divination in value.
    • [14:19] "Balaam, unlike King Balak, is not an antagonist in the story. He's portrayed simply as a professional diviner doing his job…that being said, I also believe that the story exhibits ancient Israel's position that prophecy was superior to divination."

Genre and Movement Across the Oracles

• Morales requests an overview of the four main Balaam oracles and their significance. [14:46]
• Wiggershaus explains:
  • Two oracles in Numbers 23 match each other in form; the two in Numbers 24 form a second pair with markedly different form from the first.
    • Scholars perceive the structural discontinuity as evidence of disparate sources.
  • Key distinction:
    • The oracles in Numbers 23 reflect divinatory reports, with Balaam performing divination and interpreting omens.
    • The oracles in Numbers 24 are "vision reports," occurring once Balaam's eyes are "opened" and he receives direct prophetic vision.
    • [16:13] "The oracles in 23 are much more akin to the reports of divination…Conversely, the oracles in 24 are vision reports. Having his eyes now opened... Balaam sees the cosmic reality and God's plans for the tribes of Israel."
  • The narrative crescendo is when, poised to attempt divination anew, Balaam is overtaken by a direct prophetic vision—affirming the irrevocable blessing on Israel and the security of the Abrahamic promise.
    • [18:35] "At the climax of the story, the spirit of the Lord dramatically overwhelms Balaam… Jacob is indeed blessed and the promise to the patriarchs is indeed secure, even in the face of such supernatural practices."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Scholarly Discord:
  [07:30] Ben Wiggershaus: "Few scholars agree on how to answer them. Even if they agree that they all point to discontinuity in the text, they disagree on how to account for them."

• On Ancient Context:
  [11:35] Ben Wiggershaus: "Divination, for example, wasn't practiced the exact same way by the Hittites as it was by the Neo Assyrians. Nevertheless, there are certain conventions that seem to be common to these practices regardless of where and when they were practiced."

• On Balaam’s Professional Role:
  [13:36] Ben Wiggershaus: "Balaam is a professional diviner through whom God sends a couple of prophetic messages at key points in the story."

• On Prophecy vs. Divination:
  [14:19] Ben Wiggershaus: "The story exhibits ancient Israel's position that prophecy was superior to divination."

• On the Narrative Climax:
  [18:35] Ben Wiggershaus: "At the climax of the story, the spirit of the Lord dramatically overwhelms Balaam…Jacob is indeed blessed and the promise to the patriarchs is indeed secure, even in the face of such supernatural practices."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:58] – Wiggershaus introduces the central scholarly challenges in the Balaam narrative
• [07:30] – Rationale for undertaking a comparative ancient Near Eastern approach
• [10:47] – Begin discussion of Balaam’s profession and character in ancient context
• [13:36] – Core argument: Balaam as diviner through whom God occasionally prophesies
• [14:57] – Breakdown of the four oracles; genre differences
• [16:13] – Explanation of the shift from divinatory reports (Numbers 23) to vision reports (Numbers 24)
• [18:35] – The literary and theological climax: the affirmation of Israel’s blessing

Host & Guest’s Current Activities

• [19:05] Dr. Wiggershaus shares that he recently relocated to Jackson, Mississippi, and is settling into his position at Belhaven University, as well as brainstorming future research projects.

Takeaway

Dr. Ben Wiggershaus offers a fresh, cohesive account of the Balaam narrative by situating it within the wider conventions of ancient Near Eastern revelatory practices. His insights dispel easy dichotomies—Balaam is neither simply a prophet nor a villainous pagan, but a professional diviner occasionally commandeered by the God of Israel for prophetic ends. This approach both preserves the unity of the text and recovers its narrative drama for modern readers.