Balaam (/ˈbeɪlæm/;[1] Hebrew: בִּלְעָם, romanized: Bīlʿām), son of Beor,[2] was a biblical character, a non-Israelite prophet and diviner who lived in Pethor, a region or settlement which has never been located. According to chapters Numbers 22–24 of the Book of Numbers, he was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel, but instead he blessed the Israelites, as dictated by God. Subsequently, the plan to entice the Israelites into idol worship and sexual immorality (Numbers 25:1–3) is attributed to him (Numbers 31:16). Balaam is also mentioned in the Book of Micah.