Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-28
&eadinq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
"THE WITCH OF ENDOR."

REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
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"THE WITCH OF ENDOR."
Whilst Saul was foolishly and wickedly
prosecuting David, the Philistines were not
idle. 1t is highly probable that they had,
from various causes, increased in number,
and had made great encroachments upon the
territory of the Hebrews The Phillistines
were descended from Mizraim, as welearn from
Gen. 10: IA. They came originally from
Egypt, drove out the Avim and settled in
their place. Their territory extended along
the coast of the Mediterranean sea, about
forty miles, and was bounded on the East by
the tribes of Simeon and Dan. These two
tribes occupied the most south westernly por-
tion of the land of Canaan. Just previous to
the remarkable event of which we propose to
write, we find the Phlistines encamped at
Shunem. This town was in the territory be-
longing to the tribe of Issachar, fifty or sixty
miles distant from Ekron, the most northern
city of the Philistines. From this fact and
others, we may conclude that much of the
southern part Of the land of Canaan was at
least overrun by the Philistines. When the
Phiistines were encamped at Shunem, Saul
collected his forces at Mount Gilboa. This
place was not far from the river Jordan, on
the line which separated the territory Of Ma
nasseh from that of Ephraim. How far the
two armies we're apart We cannot certainly
tell. Gilboa was south east of Shunem, per-
haps twenty or twenty-five miles; but we
would suppose the armies were not so far as
this apart 1t may have been that they were
several miles apart, for strange as it may
seem, ancient armies were better prepared to
make long and rapid marches than modern
armies are.
Saul, for some reason, became frightened.
No doubt the army of the Philistines had re-
Gently been greatly increased. About this
time Amasis had driven great many indi-
viduals out of Egypt, and it is probable that
those, or some of them, had connected their
fortunes with those of the Philstines. Saul
may have learned this, and doubted whether
or not he we're able to withstand his foe. The
simple fact that his enemy was in the very
heart of his country was enough to startle
him. In the midst of his distress he called
on God but received no answer. Previous to
this he had, in fit of mad frenzy, slain all
the priests except Abiathar, who fled and
Joined David. 1t is probable that Saul had
constituted some one priest, but who that
some one was, we cannot tell. In state Of
desperation he inquired if any one knew of an
individual who had a familiar spirit that he
might consult her. Some one, possibly the
notorious Doeg, gave the frantic king the de-
sired information. He was told that there
was at Endor such woman. Endor was
situated in the valley of Jezreel, in the terri
tory belonging to the tribe of Manasseh, and
was about equally distant from Mount Gilboa
where Saul was encamped, and Shunem where
the Philistines had collected their forces. So
soon as Saul learned that such a woman re.
sided at Endor, he and two men set out
thither to consult her. Very likely Doeg was
one of these two men, for he seems to have
always been ready to engage in schemes Of
doubtful morality. 1t was night when they
arrived at Endor, and the woman refused to
divine for them, assigning as reason that Saul
had put to death all of those of the same
craft with herself that he could find. One
would suppose from the simple narrative that
this woman did not, at first, know Saul. This,
in all probability, was only pretence. Saul
took solemn oath that she should not be
hurt, and then she consented to operate.
With respect to the witch of Endor," three
questions naturally arise in the mind of the
reader. 1st Who was the witch Of Endor ?
2nd What was her business? Sd. Did she
really bring up Samuel? 1t is impossible for
us to tell to what nation this woman belonged.
If she did not actually know Saul, it would
seem to indicate that she was foreigner.
The business in which she was engaged was
species of idolatry, but this would not argue
that she was not Hebrew, for Rachel was
guilty of something Of the same sort. She
stole her fathers seraphim. Joseph also uses
language, with regard to his cups, which his
brothers we're feignedly charged with purloin-
ing, which seems to indicate that something
of the same kind was very common amongst
the Israelites. Jacobs sons learned magic
arts from their mothers, Leah and Rachel,
and the two maid servants Zilpah and Bilhah.
In answer to the second inquiry, the Ian
guage of the Bible is this "A woman having
familiar spirit" From the connection
(see 1st Sam. 2S) we learn that she was en-
gagged in necromancy. Her business was to
reveal future events by communicating with
the dead. The words which are translated,
"a woman that hath familiar spirit, would
be literally and just as intelligibly translated,
"a woman, mistress of the wine or water
skim" AS we learn from the little incident
of Joseph and his brethren (Gen. A: 81 we
learn that cups or wine bottles were in some
way used by these magicians, of which the
necromancers were a class. This kind Of
fortune telling was very common amongst the
Egyptians and Canaanites. 1t is still COM
mon amongst some of the Nigritians, and in
fact amongst all ignorant people. There are
in Christendom some people so ignorant, or
so wicked, as to pretend to tell fortunes from
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