New Books Network Ben Wiggershaus, "The Man of Opened Eye: Ancient Near Eastern Revelatory Convention and the Balaam Cycle" (Gorgias Press, 2025)
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Dec 22, 2025 Ben Wiggershaus, a biblical studies scholar and Assistant Professor at Belhaven University, dives into the complex Balaam narrative in Numbers 22-24. He explores the scholarly challenges of understanding this text and argues against traditional diachronic readings. Wiggershaus employs ancient Near Eastern sources to unravel the tensions within the Balaam Cycle. He intriguingly posits Balaam as a diviner with prophetic insights and clarifies the distinct forms of his oracles, shedding light on their narrative significance.
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Context Resolves Textual Puzzles
- Diachronic puzzles in Numbers 22–24 reflect interpretive assumptions, not necessarily textual seams.
- Ben Wiggershaus argues comparative ancient Near Eastern study can preserve the story's unity by explaining apparent discontinuities.
How The Project Began
- Ben began this project at Asbury Theological Seminary studying Numbers under Bill T. Arnold.
- He sought a less-studied Pentateuchal book and encountered persistent diachronic questions about the Balaam story.
Apparent Intrusions Gain Coherence
- Scholars mark the talking-donkey episode and tonal shifts as signs of textual intrusion or multiple sources.
- Wiggershaus reframes these markers as understandable once Balaam's divinatory role and ancient conventions are considered.
