The Deir Alla plaster inscription, excavated at Tell Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley in 1967, is a primary ancient text; the atlas records no publisher and no exact publication year because it is an excavated artifact rather than a published text, and names its author only as anonymous since it is an unsigned inscription. Its strength is that it is a rare non-biblical ancient text naming the seer Balaam, independent corroborating evidence that the figure known from the Book of Numbers was known in the wider ancient Near East outside the biblical text. Its limit is the ordinary one for any fragmentary excavated inscription: portions are damaged, and its precise relationship to the biblical Balaam narrative is debated among specialists.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Reliability tier 1: a rare non biblical ancient inscription itself, independent corroborating evidence outside the biblical text, though damaged in portions and its precise relationship to the biblical narrative debated among specialists. NotesAn ancient plaster inscription excavated at Tell Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley in 1967, recording a Balaam prophecy text.
Citation
AuthorAnonymous (excavated 1967)
Source Typeprimary-text
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Balaam directly: "ancient text naming the seer Balaam, independent corroborating evidence that the figure known from the Book of Numbers was known in the wider ancient Near East outside the biblical text."
This source names Jordan directly: "excavated at Tell Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley in 1967, is a primary ancient text; the atlas records no publisher and no exact publication year because it is an excavated artifact rather than a..."
Claims Backed By This Source (9 claims)
This source backs 9 claims across the atlas. As facts: 6 well-attested. As cited relationships: 2 holds. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 7 claims: 5 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Figures, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
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