Jose A. Lopez Ortega

Why We Suffer, the Story of Balaam and the Talking Donkey Jose A. Lopez Ortega Lrg edition

The story of the prophet Balaam in the Book of Numbers is one of the most fascinating that I have ever read. I was captivated by the tale's humor, and also by the prophet being given the privilege to speak with God in his dreams. I liked it so much that I wanted to illustrate it so that readers of the Bible could become better acquainted with the extraordinary story that is part of Israel's journey to the Promised Land. The Balaam incident demonstrates that when an individual willfully disobeys God's commandments, which are daily guides to living, it can cause suffering and death. I have fictionalized portions of the Balaam story to demonstrate that it was possible for Balaam and Moses to have encountered each other; however, the Torah, the Hebrew scriptures, does not indicate that they ever did. Recommended for ages 10 - 100.