The Witch of Endor - Necromancy in Scripture<br /><br />I Samuel Chapter 28<br />Sirach 46:20<br /><br />King Saul was terrified of a Philistine army gathering for battle against him<br />Samuel the prophet had recently died and he no longer had any help from him<br />He could not access god in dreams and visions or prophets any longer<br />He sought out a witch to contact the dead prophet<br />His servants found a woman at Endor<br />He went and approached the woman in secret at night in disguise<br />He went to her house and inquired of her powers<br />She was initially suspicious because Saul had driven all Witches and Wizards from the land and those remaining stayed on pain of death if discovered.<br />Saul swears to her confidence and secrecy, still in disguise<br />She asks who to conjure up<br />He answers the prophet Samuel<br />While conjuring up the spirit of Samuel, she recognizes she is speaking to King Saul, the king who drove out all Witches and Wizards from Israel on pain of death.<br />Saul swears again to her safety<br />He asks what she saw<br />She answers that she sees gods ascending out of the earth<br />She sees an old man dressed in a robe or mantle<br />Saul then sees Samuel<br />Saul stoops prostrate to the ground in reverence and homage to the prophet.<br />The prophet is irritated at King Saul for disturbing him and bringing him up from the land of the dead.<br />He asks Saul why did he do this<br />Saul answers that he no longer can contact god, so he did this conjuring instead.<br />Samuel asks why contact him, if he is an enemy of god?<br />Samuel said god took the kingdom from him, Saul, and gave it to David.<br />He also says that the Philistines will defeat him in battle and that he and his sons will be killed and join him, Samuel in the land of the dead.<br />Then Saul fell completely down because he was terrified and he had not eaten all day.<br />The Witch offered him bread, which he refused.<br />After his servants persuaded him, eventually, he relented and the witch killed a calf for him to eat also along with bread.  <br />She cooked the meal and sent Saul and his servants on their way back that night.<br /><br />///<br /><br />Commentary<br /><br />Interesting that people over the ages have twisted this story to shoehorn this into their preconceived theologies.  Every story to make it fit into theology is bizarre and weird.  <br /><br />Orthodox Study Bible posits 3 positions of the Church Fathers on this story.<br /><br />The Catholics seem to have a similar position as the Orthodox: mixed opinion on the actual reality of ghosts in general, and there is no official position one way or another, so people can believe whatever they want, although necromancy is strictly forbidden to be practiced.<br /><br />///<br /><br />However, theological nonsense to the contrary, the following can be concluded from the text of the story:<br />The dead can be called up<br />The dead can deliver messages of prophecy to the living<br />Certain people have special ac<br />...<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llqvDflI6E4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llqvDflI6E4</a>