The Image of the Prophet Balaam in Christian Tradition

Abstract

The aim of the article is to identify the main emphases of the assessment which the image of the prophet Balaam receives in the Christian tradition. To this end, the author first of all turns to the narrative features of the biblical account of the prophet, and also makes a brief review of the reception of Balaam’s personality in the Jewish scriptures. Considering the assessment of the prophet’s image in the Christian tradition, the author focuses his attention mainly on the exegesis of the Holy Fathers, whose ideas are also embodied in iconographic and hymnographic monuments. As a result, a conclusion is made that the assessment of the prophet’s personality within Christian tradition is ambiguous. This is due both to the peculiarities of the personality of the prophet himself, whose image is considered by interpreters in a dynamic aspect, and to the complex nature of his activity.