In honor of Halloween, today’s installment of Stories From the Back of the Bible is the controversial tale of the Witch of Endor, featuring Saul, the handsome but historically inept first king of Israel.
For years, the prophet Samuel’s tough love helped Saul; Samuel rebuked him when necessary and interceded with the Lord and the Israelites on his behalf. After the prophet died, God refused to talk to Saul about the upcoming war, and the monarch despaired. Saul consulted a medium—in disguise, since he himself had banished purported magicians from the Kingdom. (Reminiscent of the way ex-New York Governor Spitzer cracked down on johns while hiring escorts. Politicians never learn.)
The Witch of Endor proved the end of Saul as neatly as Ashley Dupre. After reminding Saul of his hypocrisy, the witch conjured Samuel, who decreed that Saul would lose the upcoming battle, his three sons, and his life. Sure enough, with his army defeated and his sons dead, Saul fell on his sword. Did the witch really raise the dead? Was Saul punished for trying to divine the future? This much we know: Endora from TV’s Bewitched was named for this sorceress, who brought down a king.
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