Witch of Endor

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The Witch of Endor, one of the most important characters in Western occult history, was a figure who briefly appeared in the Jewish Bible (the Christian Old Testament) in 1 Samuel 28. She was what in Hebrew was called an "ob." According to the story, Saul was about to fight his climactic battle with his traditional enemies, the Philistines. It was common prior to battle for him, the first king of the Jewish tribes, to seek supernatural guidance. Previously, he had several sources available to him, the most important being the seer Samuel. He could also consult dreams, cast lots, or refer to the mysterious stones worn on the high priest's breastplate called the Urim and Thummin. However, Samuel was dead and Saul had been cut off from Yahweh, the Hebrew deity, because of his disobedience. In his desperation, Saul turned to the "ob," a practitioner of one of the neighboring religions who had occult powers. He asked the woman to bring up the spirit of Samuel, his deceased seer advisor, who appeared and affirmed what Saul already knew, that it was the end. The next day Saul lost the battle. His sons were killed and he committed suicide.