”Call Up Samuel”: Who Appeared to the Witch at En-Dor? (1 Sam 28:3-25)

Abstract

Interpreters have been divided on whether the figure who appeared to the witch and spoke to Saul was the post mortem Samuel or a demon impersonating Samuel to deceive Saul. This chapter argues for the second view, because the context involves Canaanite conjuring ritual; the medium speaks as a polytheist; the meal is part of the ritual; Saul has shown vulnerability to fortune-telling and the demonic; the rebuke by the apparent Samuel unfairly escalates Saul’s punishment, complains about ‘bringing me up’, and ignores the most obvious issue; the apparent Samuel’s predictions are questionable; Torah allusions offer clear guidance; the woman is a mixed character; and the narrator uses focalisation (or narration from one characters viewpoint) in saying Samuel appeared.