BALAÃO – O QUE OUVE AS PALAVRAS DE EL, TEM O CONHECIMENTO DE ELYON E VÊ A VISÃO DE SHADDAI: UM ESTUDO DE NÚMEROS 22-24

• Autor(a) principal: SOUZA, GERALDO DE OLIVEIRA
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da METODISTA
• Texto Completo: http://tede.metodista.br/jspui/handle/tede/1485
• topic: Balaão; Balaque; Maldição; Deir Alla; YHWH; Balaam; Balaque; Curse; Deir Alla; YHWH.; CIENCIAS HUMANAS::TEOLOGIA

The present research aims to assess exegetically the text found in the Bible, notably in the Book of Numbers chapters 22-24 which describes a character known as Balaam. The research also aims to study the Pantheon of Divinities reported in the same text, as well as the texts discovered in Deir Alla, in Jordan, which also mention a character called Balaam, probably the same character appearing in the Book of Numbers 22-24. The development of this research has been motivated by the finding of concepts related to different divine names in the text and by the existing prophetism outside Israel. Moreover, the view of hermeneutic possibilities opening from the reading of that biblical text was important to the decision making. Until then, according to the general concept, Israel was the only country where the “true” prophets existed and where the veneration for a single God prevailed (monotheism). So, it has been interesting to realize, mainly through the reading of biblic books, that the prophetism was not restricted to Israel. The prophetism precedes the formation of ancient Israel and it already existed in the Middle East lands. Furthermore, the ancient Israel, when formed, took much time to become monotheist. After all, who is Balaam, son of Beor? We will study his personal characteristics and his mission. We will analyse Deir Alla texts about Balaam and his mediator character nature that stays between the divine and the human. He was presented as a great prophet, famous in the role of divine presages interpreter. We will also analyse the important issue related to Pantheon of Gods appearing in Balaan’s narrative, such as El, Elyon Elohim and Shaddai, beyond Yahweh. At first, we understand that the text got a connection with the society in which it was written. Using the exegetical methodology, we will proceed with the text analysis, trying to understand its contents in depth, but always considering its historical and social setting. It’s worth remembering here that the scenario was presented by a prophet who is not Israeli, but is the one that says gods’ blessings over Israel and also pronounces curses for Israel’s enemies. We realize that part of the text under study is presented from the perspective of Israel in relation to the other countries. Therefore, the research confirms that the chapters 22-24 of the Book of Numbers, besides showing us a non-Israeli prophet equal to the Bible’s prophets, it also evidences that the Pantheon of Divinities was worshiped by Israel. Moreover, their names were, in fact, epithets of the same divinity, in this case YHWH. The research still advocates the existence of a project of political and military domination of Israel over the surrounding nations.