Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
There was none that felt the death of Samuel more keenly than Saul.
Left alone and isolated, he did not shrink from extreme measures to
enter into communication with the departed prophet. With his two
adjutants, (73) Abner and Amasa, he betook himself to Abner's mother,
the witch of En-dor. (74) The king did not reveal his identity, but the
witch had no difficulty in recognizing her visitor. In necromancy the
peculiar rule holds good that, unless it is summoned by a king, a
spirit raised from the dead appears head downward and feet in the air.
(75) Accordingly, when the figure of Samuel stood upright before them,
the witch knew that the king was with her. Though the witch saw Samuel,
she could not hear what he said, while Saul heard his words, but could
not see his person another peculiar phenomenon in necromancy: the
conjuror sees the spirit, and he for whom the spirit had been raised
only hears it. Any other person present neither sees nor hears it.
The witch's excitement grew when she perceived a number of spirits
arise by the side of Samuel. The dead prophet, when he was summoned
back to earth, thought that the judgement day had arrived. He requested
Moses to accompany him and testify to his always having executed the
ordinances of the Torah as Moses had established them. With these two
great leaders a number of the pious arose, all believing that the day
of judgment was at hand. Samuel was apparelled in the "upper garment"
his mother had made for him when she surrendered him to the sanctuary.
This he had worn throughout his life, and in it he was buried. At the
resurrection all the dead wear their grave clothes, and so it came
about that Samuel stood before Saul in his well-known "upper garment."
Only fragments of the conversation between Samuel and Saul have been
preserved in the Scriptures. Samuel reproached Saul with having
disturbed him. "Was it not enough," he said, "for thee to enkindle the
wrath of thy Creator by calling up the spirits of the dead, must thou
need change me into an idol? For is it not said that like unto the
worshippers so shall the worshipped be punished?" Samuel then consented
to tell the king God's decree, that he had resolved to rend the kingdom
out of his hand, and invest David with the royal dignity. Whereupon
Saul: "These are not the words thou spakest to me before." (76) "When
we dwelt together," rejoined Samuel, "I was in the world of lies. Now I
abide in the world of truth, and thou heardest lying words from me, for
I feared thy wrath and thy revenge. Now I abide in the world of truth,
and thou hearest words of truth from me. As to the thing the Lord hath
done unto thee, thou hast deserved it, for thou didst not obey the
voice of the Lord, nor execute his fierce wrath upon Amalek." Saul
asked: "Can I still save myself by flight?" "Yes," replied Samuel, "if
thou fleest, thou art safe. But if thou acceptest God's judgment, by
to-morrow thou wilt be united with me in Paradise."
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