Saul’s Meal at Endor (1 Sam 28,20-25) and Its Contribution to Understanding the Story of Saul at Endor

This article deals with the final scene in the story of Saul and the medium at Endor. This episode, which describes Saul’s response to the appeals of the woman and his servants, that he eats, is a sort of anti-climax after the dramatic events that preceded it. Nonetheless, I believe that this scene makes a significant contribution to both the trajectory of the story and the depiction of Saul’s character, by symbolically showing that once Saul hears the prophet Samuel declare “tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me” (1 Sam 28,19), he no longer functions as king. The biblical narrator uses three literary devices to convey the message of Saul’s approaching demise: the secondary characters who cast light on Saul’s character; the leading phrase שמע בקול (“hear the voice”) and bread as a repeating motif.