Hebrew Studies announces a call for papers on the encounter between Saul and the medium of Endor for our 2021 issue
The description of the events leading up to and the exchange between Saul and the medium of Endor in 1 Sam 28:4-24 raises several questions. What are ovot and yid’onim, and why did Saul expel them (or those who consult them) from the land in 1 Sam 28:3? How common was it for people to resort to these sorts of specialists at that time? What was the difference between licit (communication by dreams, prophecy or the use of Urim and Thummim) and illicit forms of inquiry of occult/supernatural forces? Why is it specifically a woman Saul asks for when he seeks a medium? Were women more likely to be associated with the ability to communicate with the dead? What conception of the afterlife is reflected in this text? How does this episode relate to the rest of the Saul cycle? Contributions can address any of these questions or other issues related to this encounter.
Articles should be 10,000 words or less, including footnotes and headings but excluding the abstract.
Please send the manuscript as Word file as an attachment by January 15, 2021 to <[email protected]>.
The name of the file should consist of the article’s abbreviated title. Together with the article, the author must include a file containing the author’s name, the title of the article, and the author’s contact information, including full postal address and e-mail address. The name of this file should be the author’s name. Do not include the author’s name in the main file; also, the author should exclude or mask any information in the article that may be used to identify the author.
Any inquiries should be addressed to Pamela Barmash, Editor, Hebrew Studies <[email protected]> or Hilary Lipka, guest editor <[email protected]>.
For more information about submissions to Hebrew Studies, see <https://www.naphhebrew.org/publication/hebrew-studies>.
Hilary Lipka
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