The Witch of Endor and the meal she offers Saul

[Quid est Veritas?]

1 Samuel 28

The Witch of Endor after Saul talks to Samuel's spirit sees Saul weakened and offers him food. But look what she offers: a fattened calf and unleavened bread. This seems like sacrificial food, does it not? After calling on her familiar spirit, she gives this to Saul, who initially refuses. Why would she feed a man she is deathly afraid of, who had systematically rooted out the practitioners of her profession before? It can't just be kindness, it seems more as if she is placing him in a sacrificial or mystical or ritual relationship to herself (more than just the salt and water of hospitality).

Also, Saul sees her with two companions to make up the ritualistic three, as in the three hung on the cross or the three chief disciples waiting in Gethsemane or three angels visiting Abraham. Are we looking at Saul as a failed Christ, both as God's anointed king as David keeps saying, and as a failed prefiguration of the Messiah? Is the witch of Endor making a pagan Passover?

Does anyone have specific insight on this? It feels to me as if I am missing some important context here, an understanding just out of reach.

 

[disciple Clint]

1 Samuel 28

The Witch of Endor after Saul talks to Samuel's spirit sees Saul weakened and offers him food. But look what she offers: a fattened calf and unleavened bread. This seems like sacrificial food, does it not? After calling on her familiar spirit, she gives this to Saul, who initially refuses. Why would she feed a man she is deathly afraid of, who had systematically rooted out the practitioners of her profession before? It can't just be kindness, it seems more as if she is placing him in a sacrificial or mystical or ritual relationship to herself (more than just the salt and water of hospitality).

Also, Saul sees her with two companions to make up the ritualistic three, as in the three hung on the cross or the three chief disciples waiting in Gethsemane or three angels visiting Abraham. Are we looking at Saul as a failed Christ, both as God's anointed king as David keeps saying, and as a failed prefiguration of the Messiah? Is the witch of Endor making a pagan Passover?

Does anyone have specific insight on this? It feels to me as if I am missing some important context here, an understanding just out of reach.

interesting thoughts, I need to think about it, I am trying to see if any failed types come to mind, obviously it is not a foreshadowing. Pagan Passover? in what way? she likely knew it was his last meal but Passover, I do not see a tie in there.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

she objected helping him initially because he had all the witches killed or exiled, but he promised she wouldn't be harmed. She probably offered something acceptable to his beliefs so as to not cause any issues.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

interesting thoughts, I need to think about it, I am trying to see if any failed types come to mind, obviously it is not a foreshadowing. Pagan Passover? in what way? she likely knew it was his last meal but Passover, I do not see a tie in there.

I don't specifically mean Passover necessarily, but a sacrificial meal. She uses unleavened bread, a point the narrative specifically makes and is associated with Passover, and a calf is sacrificed. The calf brings to mind the Red Heifer which was required to cleanse contact with a dead body. I don't know if I am reading too much here, but the fact that the narrative specifically mentions that she fed him unleavened bread and a calf was killed, seems significant. It could have just said that she fed him, or gave him bread and meat, say.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

she objected helping him initially because he had all the witches killed or exiled, but he promised she wouldn't be harmed. She probably offered something acceptable to his beliefs so as to not cause any issues.

That is the thing. If someone killed or exiled all your people and now suddenly tells you not to worry and you'll be okay, why believe them? It does not make sense, especially after she becomes aware he is Saul. Is she not trying to bind him to her in some way? Afterall, Saul might have her killed afterwards anyway, as him visiting a soothsayer cannot be good for his reputation.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

That is the thing. If someone killed or exiled all your people and now suddenly tells you not to worry and you'll be okay, why believe them? It does not make sense, especially after she becomes aware he is Saul. Is she not trying to bind him to her in some way? Afterall, Saul might have her killed afterwards anyway, as him visiting a soothsayer cannot be good for his reputation.

I've never got the sense that the food had anything to do with it, if she could discern that he was Saul, she could probably tell if he was lying also.

 

[Jonaitis]

1 Samuel 28

The Witch of Endor after Saul talks to Samuel's spirit sees Saul weakened and offers him food. But look what she offers: a fattened calf and unleavened bread. This seems like sacrificial food, does it not? After calling on her familiar spirit, she gives this to Saul, who initially refuses. Why would she feed a man she is deathly afraid of, who had systematically rooted out the practitioners of her profession before? It can't just be kindness, it seems more as if she is placing him in a sacrificial or mystical or ritual relationship to herself (more than just the salt and water of hospitality).

Also, Saul sees her with two companions to make up the ritualistic three, as in the three hung on the cross or the three chief disciples waiting in Gethsemane or three angels visiting Abraham. Are we looking at Saul as a failed Christ, both as God's anointed king as David keeps saying, and as a failed prefiguration of the Messiah? Is the witch of Endor making a pagan Passover?

Does anyone have specific insight on this? It feels to me as if I am missing some important context here, an understanding just out of reach.

Interesting, I can certainly see that, but the parallel seems a little bit of a stretch.

 

[AgapeBible]

As for a passover meal, unleavened bread and a fattened calf killed and roasted, that was how the first passover was eaten. It was eaten in a great hurry. God told the Hebrews to hurry and eat their meal, then pack up in a hurry to flee from Egypt. I think the witch fed Saul because she was anxious to get him out of her cave. She wanted to hurry up and get Saul out of there because she was afraid. Saul ate the food because he was hungry and did not care about the future. He knew he would die, but he may have had the attitude that he would not think about it until the time happened.

 

[disciple Clint]

As for a passover meal, unleavened bread and a fattened calf killed and roasted, that was how the first passover was eaten. It was eaten in a great hurry. God told the Hebrews to hurry and eat their meal, then pack up in a hurry to flee from Egypt. I think the witch fed Saul because she was anxious to get him out of her cave. She wanted to hurry up and get Saul out of there because she was afraid. Saul ate the food because he was hungry and did not care about the future. He knew he would die, but he may have had the attitude that he would not think about it until the time happened.

As for a passover meal, unleavened bread and a fattened calf killed and roasted, that was how the first passover was eaten.

I believe it was a lamb or goat and not a calf.

 

[Jake Arsenal]

I suspect it was food sacrificed to idols.