he had worked so hard. If he could not curse Israel, he reasoned, perhaps God himself would curse his own people, if only they could be seduced to engage in sex worship of the Baal of Peor. So “Balaam . . . went teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.” (Rev. 2:14) “By Balaam’s word,” the daughters of Moab and Midian “served to induce the sons of Israel to commit unfaithfulness toward Jehovah over the affair of Peor, so that the scourge came upon the assembly of Jehovah.” (Num. 31:16) The result: 24,000 men of Israel died for their sin. (Num. 25:1-9) Neither did Midian, nor Balaam, for his part, escape divine punishment. Jehovah commanded that all their men, women and boys be executed; only virgins were spared. “And they killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.” (Num. 25:16-18; 31:1-18) As for the Moabites, they were barred from the congregation of Jehovah “to the tenth generation.”—Deut. 23:3-6.

BALADAN

(Balʹa·dan) [he has given a son].

The father of Merodach-baladan (Isa. 39:1; “Berodach-baladan” at 2 Kings 20:12). Baladan’s son Merodach-baladan was king of Babylon during at least part of the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (745-716 B.C.E.).

In the past, some viewed this mention of Baladan as in error, since the Assyrian inscriptions of King Sargon II refer to Merodach-baladan as the son of “Yakin.” However, in the inscriptions of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, King Jehu of Israel is called the “son of Omri,” whereas Jehu was actually the son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi. (2 Ki. 9:2) Though Omri’s dynasty ended with the death of Jehoram (2 Ki. 9:24), the Assyrians continued to refer to the kingdom of Israel as “Bit Humri” (House of Omri, or, Omri-land) and, correspondingly, the land of Merodach-baladan is referred to as “Bit Yakin.” So it appears that Merodach-baladan was the “son of Yakin” primarily in the sense of successor to his throne or dynasty.

Some consider “Baladan” to be an abbreviation of a fuller name, suggesting that Merodach-baladan’s father bore the same name as his son. Such abbreviation of names is not unusual in the Biblical record (as, for example, the abbreviation of “Jehoahaz” to “Ahaz”), nor is it unusual in the Assyrian and Babylonian texts.

BALAH

See BAALAH No. 3.

BALAK

(Baʹlak) [devastator].

Baal-worshiping king of Moab in the fifteenth century B.C.E.; son of Zippor. Balak’s people were frightened and filled with a “sickening dread” when they saw what Israel had done to the Amorites. In league with Midian, Balak sent to the town of Pethor by the Euphrates River for Balaam to come from Mesopotamia and curse Israel with “uncanny power,” hoping thereby to gain a military advantage. “Look!” Balak said to Balaam, “[the Israelites] have covered the earth as far as one can see, and they are dwelling right in front of me.” At first Balaam declined to go, but after Balak sent a more honorable delegation of princes and raised his offer, the greedy prophet finally accepted, with Jehovah’s allowance. Upon coming to the bank of the Arnon River, Balak chided him with: “Why did you not come to me [at first]? Am I not really and truly able to honor you?”—Num. 22:2-37.

Balak took Balaam to three vantage points from which to view the host of Israel. At each point the same sacrificial procedure was followed; Balak was directed to construct seven altars upon which seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. However, at each place, instead of cursing Israel, Balaam blessed them.—Num. 22:41–24:9; Mic. 6:5.

Well, at this turn of events “Balak’s anger blazed against Balaam.” Clapping his hands in a rage, he exclaimed: “It was to execrate my enemies that I called you, and, look! you have blessed them to the limit these three times. And now run your way off to your place.” But before this prophet from Pethor departed, he foretold the Messianic “star” coming through Jacob’s seed.—Num. 24:10-17; Josh. 24:9, 10; Judg. 11:25.

Subsequent events show that Balaam also “went teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.”—Rev. 2:14; Num. 25:1-18.

BALDNESS

The absence of hair on the head, although not necessarily a total loss of hair. Often baldness occurs in spots or patches, while on other parts of the head the hair grows normally. This kind of hair loss is called pattern baldness and accounts for about 90 percent of all cases. The Bible makes mention of crown baldness and forehead baldness. (Lev. 13:41-44) The exact cause of baldness is unknown. Heredity is considered the primary contributing factor, while infection, hormone imbalance, aging, nervous disorders and syphilis are also factors.

Baldness is a defect that interferes with personal attractiveness and so among peoples of ancient times was associated with shame, mourning and distress. (Isa. 3:24; 15:2; Jer. 47:5; Ezek. 27:31; Amos 8:10; Mic. 1:16) However, under the law of Moses, baldness was not considered as uncleanness. (Lev. 13:40) The Law given through Moses does not list baldness as a defect that would prevent one from being allowed to serve as priest, but the Hebrew Mishnah lists it as a disqualifying factor. In the prophet Ezekiel’s vision the command was given that the priests should wear their hair neither loose nor shaved, but clipped.—Ezek. 44:20.

Jehovah’s prophet Elisha was bald. After he had succeeded to the prophetic office of Elijah, he was proceeding uphill from Jericho toward Bethel when he was mocked by a mob of children who cried: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” The primary reason for their jeers seems to have been not that Elisha was baldheaded but that they saw a baldheaded man wearing Elijah’s familiar official garment. They did not want any successor of Elijah around. He should either keep going his way up to Bethel or get off the earth altogether by making an ascent into the heavens as the former wearer of that official garment had done. To answer this challenge of his being Elijah’s successor and to teach these young people and their parents proper respect for Jehovah’s prophet, Elisha called down evil upon the jeering mob in the name of the God of Elijah. It was a test of his prophetship. Jehovah manifested his approval of Elisha by causing two she-bears to come out of the nearby woods and to tear to pieces forty-two of them.—2 Ki. 2:23, 24.

Some peoples made a practice of artificially imposing baldness by shaving in time of sorrow for a dead relative or for religious reasons, but the Israelites were forbidden to practice this. (Deut. 14:1) Priests were given a specific command that they should not make themselves bald or shave the extremities of their beards for the dead. (Lev. 21:5) Israel was commanded that they should not cut the side locks or extremity of their beards.—Lev. 19:27; Jer. 9:26.

In Egypt, the men generally shaved their heads, and they looked upon beards as a sign of slovenliness. For this reason Joseph, when taken out of prison, shaved before being brought into the presence of Pharaoh. (Gen. 41:14) However, the Egyptians covered baldness with wigs, and many who shaved their heads and beards wore wigs and tied on false beards. In the Papyrus Ebers, an Egyptian medical treatise from the second millennium B.C.E., there are eleven prescriptions for preventing baldness.

In the Law, one with head leprosy was to shave his head at the beginning of his quarantine period and on the day of purification and again on the seventh day. (Lev. 13:33; 14:8, 9) If a Nazirite became defiled, then at the time of establishing his purification he shaved his head. (Num. 6:9) A captive woman whom an Israelite soldier was to take as a wife had to shave her head.—Deut. 21:12.

Nebuchadnezzar’s troops experienced temporary baldness during the strenuous and difficult siege of the land city of Tyre. Their heads were made bald by the chafing of helmets and their shoulders from the rubbing of materials (for the construction of towers and fortifications). Jehovah through Ezekiel had foretold that “every head was one made bald, and every shoulder was one rubbed bare” as Nebuchadnezzar’s military force performed a “great service” in rendering God’s judgment on Tyre.—Ezek. 26:7-12; 29:17, 18.

In some places in the days of the apostles, such as in the immoral city of Corinth, women caught committing adultery or fornication were punished by having their hair shaved off. Slave girls had their hair clipped short. Paul apparently draws on this circumstance for illustration, showing that a woman in the Christian congregation who would pray or prophesy with her head uncovered, even though she had her hair as a covering, might as well go the whole way and show her shame in disrespecting God’s headship principle by having her hair completely shaved off.—1 Cor. 11:3-10; see BEARD.

BALSAM, BALSAM OF GILEAD

[Heb., beʹsem or boʹsem; tsoriʹ].

The term balsam applies to any of the many plants, shrubs and trees producing an aromatic and, commonly, oily and resinous substance. There are balsamiferous trees among the fir, spruce, poplar and other tree families. The balsamic oil is used medicinally (usually containing benzoic or cinnamic acid) and as a perfume.

Balsam plants and trees were always highly prized by the peoples of the Orient. The first mention of balsam oil occurs at Exodus 25:6 with reference to its use as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil of the tabernacle. (Also Ex. 35:8) The Hebrew word here used (beʹsem) derives from a root word (ba·samʹ), meaning “to be fragrant” or “to have a sweet odour,” and hence is sometimes translated as “perfume,” “sweet,” or “spices,” according to the context. (Ex. 30:23; Song of Sol. 4:10, 14, 16; 5:13; 6:2; 8:14) At Isaiah 3:24 its aromatic fragrance is contrasted with a “musty smell.”

The balsam used for the tabernacle service in the wilderness evidently came from outside of Palestine, perhaps from Egypt. During King Solomon’s reign the preciousness of balsam oil caused it to be ranked along with the gold and precious stones among the treasures that the queen of Sheba brought as gifts, as also in the tribute paid by the kings of many lands to the wise king in Jerusalem. (1 Ki. 10:2, 10, 25; 2 Chron. 9:1, 9, 24) It was among the precious things stored in the king’s treasure-house that Hezekiah unwisely showed to the emissaries from Babylon. (2 Ki. 20:13; 2 Chron. 32:27; Isa. 39:2) It was used in the embalming (though not in the Egyptian way) of King Asa’s body (2 Chron. 16:14) and, interestingly, our English word “embalm” appears to be originally derived from the Hebrew ba·samʹ. Esther was massaged with aromatic balsam oil during the final six-month period prior to her appearance before King Ahasuerus.—Esther 2:12.

The “balsam [Heb., tsoriʹ] in Gilead” appears to have been of a unique quality and possessed of special medicinal properties. (Jer. 8:22; 46:11) The Hebrew word used is from a root meaning “to bleed,” perhaps indicating the process by which the oil or gum was extracted or “bled” from the balsam plant. Such balsam is first mentioned as among the articles carried by the caravan of Ishmaelites coming out of the Transjordanian region of Gilead and to whom Joseph was subsequently sold. (Gen. 37:25-28) Jacob later included it in with the “finest products of the land” when sending a gift to Egypt with his returning sons. (Gen. 43:11) According to Ezekiel 27:17, the wealthy merchants of Tyre imported it from the kingdom of Judah.

References to the healing virtues of such balsam are common in ancient literature, chiefly as a cure for wounds. All references to such healing properties in the Scriptures are made by Jeremiah. He uses these, however, in a figurative sense, first when lamenting the spiritual breakdown in Judah (Jer. 8:14, 15, 21, 22; compare James 5:14, 15), then in chiding Egypt as to her vain efforts to avoid defeat by Babylon (Jer. 46:11-13), and, finally, in pronouncing God’s judgment of calamity against Babylon.—51:8-10.

Identification of the specific plants or trees represented by the Hebrew words beʹsem and tsoriʹ is not definite. The name of Gilead has been applied to a shrublike evergreen tree called Balsamodendron opobalsamum or gileadense. Its greenish-yellow oily resin is gathered by making incisions in the stem and branches, and the little balls of sap that form are later collected. While this particular tree is found chiefly in S Arabia and does not presently grow in Palestinian territory, the Jewish historian Josephus indicates that it was cultivated around Jericho in Solomon’s time, while the Greek geographer Strabo records that in Roman times it was also grown beside the Sea of Galilee.

Another balsamic plant suggested is an evergreen named Pistacia lentiscus, which produces a pale-yellow fragrant gum called “mastic,” as well as an oil used for medicinal purposes obtained from the bark, leaves and berries. Mastic continues to be used by Arabs as a flavoring agent in coffee and sweets. The tree is common in Palestine and its name in Arabic is very similar to the Hebrew tsoriʹ.

BAMOTH

(Baʹmoth) [heights, or, high place].

One of the encampment stages of the nation of Israel on its approach to the land of Canaan. (Num. 21:19, 20) Bamoth is listed as between Nahaliel and “the valley that is in the field of Moab, at the head of Pisgah.” It is probably a shortened form of Bamoth-baal.—See BAMOTH-BAAL.

BAMOTH-BAAL

(Baʹmoth-baʹal) [high places of Baal].

A town in Moab to which Balak, the king of Moab, conducted the prophet Balaam so that he might see the camp of Israel and call down a curse upon it. (Num. 22:41) Balak’s selection of this location for the enacting of the curse and the accompanying sacrifices may indicate that it was a center for Baal worship, evidently situated in an elevated place. (Num. 23:1-9) Thereafter, Bamoth-baal and other towns “on the tableland” were assigned to the tribe of Reuben as an inheritance. (Josh. 13:15, 17) In the latter part of the tenth century B.C.E. King Mesha of Moab states that he rebuilt “Beth-bamoth, for it had been destroyed.” (Line 27 of the Moabite Stone) It seems likely that Bamoth, Bamoth-baal and Beth-bamoth were all names of the same place.—Compare Baal-meon, Beon, Beth-baal-meon in the article on BAAL-MEON.

The description given in the Bible account indicates a place on the plateau region toward the NE corner of the Dead Sea. While the identification is only tentative, a suggested location is that of Khirbet el-Quweiqiyeh, about nine miles (14.5 kilometers) E of the Dead Sea, near the probable location of Mount Nebo.

BAN

This word is used in certain modern translations (JB, NW) to translate the Hebrew hheʹrem, also rendered in the New World Translation as “thing devoted to destruction.” The Hebrew word refers to that which is irrevocably and irredeemably devoted to God and thus separated out for sacred use, but is most frequently used with reference to things thus separated for complete destruction. It can apply to an individual person (Ex. 22:20; The Jerusalem Bible here reading: “Anyone who sacrifices to other gods shall come under the ban [be devoted to destruction, NW]”; Lev. 27:29); or apply to his possessions (Ezra 10:8); to an animal, field, or any article so devoted