Witch of Endor (Biblical figure)

The Witch of Endor (Biblical Hebrew: בַּעֲלַת־אֹוב בְּעֵין דּוֹר, romanized: baʿălaṯ-ʾōḇ bəʿĒyn Dōr, lit. 'mistress of the ʾōḇ in Endor'), according to the Hebrew Bible, was consulted by Saul to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. Saul wished to receive advice on defeating the Philistines in battle after prior attempts to consult God through sacred lots and other means had failed. However, what was summoned (whether the actual ghost of Samuel or a spirit impersonating him) delivered a prophecy of doom against Saul and his army, who were defeated. This event occurs in 1 Samuel 28:3–25 and is also mentioned in the deuterocanonical Book of Sirach. The late Joseph Blenkinsopp argued that the characterization of the woman as a "witch" reflects later medieval Christian preconceptions. She is not a sorceress practicing harmful magic, but instead a traditional Israelite necromancer or spirit-diviner, and she can be referred to as "mistress of the spirits" or "lady of the pit".