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Saul, that David was come again into their coun- || try, and that if he would afford them his assistance, they could catch him. So he came to them with three thousand armed men, and upon the approach of night he pitched his camp at a certain place called Hachilah. But when David heard that Saul was coming against him, he sent spies, and bade them let him know to what part of the country Saul was already come. And when they told him that he was at Hachilah, he concealed his going away from his own companions, and came to Saul's camp, having taken with him Abishai, his sister Zeruiah's son, and Ahimelech the Hittite. Now Saul was asleep, and the armed men, with Abner, their commander, lay round about him in a circle. Hereupon David entered into the king's tent, but he did neither kill Saul, though he knew where he lay, by the spear that was struck down by him,* nor did he give leave to Abishai, who would have killed him, and was strongly inclined so to do. For he said it was a horrid crime to kill one that was ordained king by **God, although he were a wicked man; for that he who gave him the dominion, would in time inflict punishment upon him: so he restrained his eagerness. But that it might appear to have been in his power to have killed him when he refrained from it, he took his spear, and the cruse of water which stood by Saul, without being perceived by any in the camp, who were all asleep, and went securely away; having performed every thing among the king's attendants that the opportunity afforded, and his boldness encouraged him to do. So when he had passed over the brook, and ascended to the top of a hill, whence he might be sufficiently heard, he cried aloud to Saul's soldiers, and to Abner their commander, and awakened them out of their sleep; and called both to him and to the people. Hereupon the commander asked who it was that called him? to whom David

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Carrying a long pike before a company of Arabs is a token that an Arab Sheekh, or prince, is there: the fixing of it likewise near a person of authority points out his dignity. Thus Josephus, giving an account of David's entering the camp of Saul, when that prince and his people were fast asleep, informs us, that notwithstanding the opportunity, he did no hurt to Saul, though he well knew where he slept, by the spea which was fixed near him, and that he suffered not Abishai to slay him then, though he would fain have done it. English readers generally suppose that every man had his spear stuck into the ground at his head: but Josephus supposes that circumstance distinguished the royal sleeping-place from that of every body else, which it would not have done, if it had not been something peculiar to Saul, distinguishing him from his officers and people. It was, it should seem then, a customary distinction in the time of Josephus, and he thought it also an usage as ancient as the time of Saul. Perhaps too, this describing Saul, as known by the spear, may intimate, that he slept with his face covered,

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replied, "It is I, the son of Jesse, whom thou makest a vagabond. But what is the matter? dost thou, that art a man of so great dignity, and of the first rank in the king's court, take so little care of thy master's person? and is sleep of more consequence to thee than his preservation? this negligence deserves death; and punishment ought to be inflicted on thee, who didst not perceive when a little while ago some of us entered into thy camp; nay, as far as to the king himself. If thou look for the king's spear, and his cruse of water; thou wilt learn what a mighty misfortune was ready to overtake you, in your very camp, without your knowing of it." Now when Saul knew David's voice, and understood that when he had him in his power, while he was asleep, and his guards took no care of him; yet did he him, when he might justly have cut him off: he said, that "He owed him thanks for his preservation; and exhorted him to be of good courage, and not to be afraid of suffering any mischief from him any more, and to return to his own home; for he was now persuaded, that he did not love himself so well as he was beloved by him; that he had driven away him that could guard him, and had given many demonstrations of his good will; that he had forced him to live so long in a state of banishment, and in great fears of his life; destitute of his friends and his kindred. While still he was often saved by him, and frequently received his life again when he was evidently in danger of perishing." So David bade them send for the spear, and the cruse of water, and take them back; adding, that God would be the judge of both their dispositions, and of the actions that flowed from the same: "for he knows," said he, "that when it was this day in my power to have killed thee, I abstained from it."t

Saul, having thus escaped the hands of David twice, returned to his royal palace, and his own

being laid on the ground in the open air. Thus de la Roque describes the Bedouin Arabs of the Holy Land, though in general they live under tents, yet, sometimes, he says, they sleep in their clothes, in summer-time, on the ground, only covering their body and face with their aba, or outer garment. Voy. dans la Pal. c. 12. p. 176. Josephus then, in all probability, supposes this expedition was undertaken in the time of summer; and that Saul's face was muffled up, so as rather to be known by the spear, than by his countenance, in a night sufficiently light to have distinguished him, had he not been so covered. It seems indeed to be the common practice of the Eastern people to sleep with their faces covered, according to Niebuhr; and he supposes that Europeans would find the benefit of it, if they would adopt the same usage, the dews and some winds being found to be very hurtful. Descript. de l'Arabie, p. 9. Harmer's Observations on Scripture, vol. i. p. 96. Clark's Edition. B.

† 1 Sam. xxvi. 23.

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city. But David was afraid, if he stayed there, he should be caught by Saul. So he thought it better to go up into the land of the Philistines. Accordingly he came with the six hundred men that were with him to Achish the king of Gath; which was one of their five cities. Now the king received both him and his men, and gave them a place to inhabit. He had with him also his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail; and he dwelt in Gath. But when Saul heard this, he took no farther care about sending to him, or going after him, because he had been twice, in a manner, caught by him, while he was himself endeavouring to catch him. However, David had no mind to continue in the city of Gath, but desired the king, that, since he had received him with such humanity, he would grant him another favour, and bestow upon him some place in that country for his habitation, for he was ashamed, by living in the city, to be grievous and burdensome to him. So Achish gave him a certain village, called Ziklag, which David and his sons were fond of when he was king, and reckoned it to be their peculiar inheritance. But about those matters we shall give the reader farther information* elsewhere. Now the time that David dwelt in Ziklag, in the land of the Philistines, was fourt months and twenty days. And now he privately attacked these Geshurites and Amalekites, that were neighbours to the Philistines, and laid waste their country, and took much prey of their beasts and camels; and then returned home. But David abstained from the men; as fearing they should discover him to king Achish. Yet did he send part of the prey to him as a free gift. And when the king inquired whom they had attacked, when they brought away the prey, he said, those that lay to the south of the Jews, and inhabited in the plain: whereby he persuaded Achish to approve of what he had done; for he hoped that David had fought against his own nation, and that now he should have him for his servant all his life-time; and that he would stay in his country.‡

CHAP. XIV.

OF SAUL'S APPLICATION TO A NECROMANTIC WOMAN TO RAISE UP

THE SOUL OF SAMUEL; AND OF THE DEATH OF HIMSELF AND HIS

SONS, UPON THE OVERTHROW OF THE HEBREWS IN BATTLE.

ABOUT the same time, the Philistines resolved to make war against the Israelites, and sent to all their confederates that they would go along with them to the war to Reggan, near the city Shunem,

*This farther account is not, I think, found in Josephus's present works. † A year and four months, in the Hebrew and Septuagint.

whence they might gather themselves together, and suddenly attack the Hebrews. Then did Achish, the king of Gath, desire David to assist them with his armed men against the Hebrews. This he readily promised; and said, that the time was now come wherein he might requite him for his kindness and hospitality. So the king promised to make him the keeper of his body after the victory, supposing that the battle with the enemy succeeded to their mind: which promise of honour and confidence he made on purpose to increase his zeal for his service.

Now Saul, the king of the Hebrews, had cast out of the country the fortune-tellers, the necromancers, and all such as exercised the like arts; excepting the prophets. But when he heard the Philistines were already come, and had pitched their camp very near to the city Shunem, situate in the plain, he hastened to oppose them with his forces. And when he was come to a certain mountain called Gilboa, he pitched his camp over against the enemy. But when he saw the enemy's army, he was greatly troubled; because it appeared to him to be numerous, and superior to his own; and he inquired of God, by the prophets, concerning the battle, that he might know beforehand what would be the event. And when God did not answer him, Saul was under a still greater dread and his courage fell; foreseeing, as was but reasonable to suppose, that mischief would befall him, now God was not there to assist him. Yet did he bid his servants to inquire for some woman that was a necromancer, and called up the souls of the dead; that so he might know whether his affairs would succeed to his mind. For this sort of necromantic women, who bring up the souls of the dead, do by them foretell future events to such as desire them. And one of his servants told him, that there was such a woman in the city Endor, but she was known to nobody in the camp. Hereupon Saul put off his royal apparel, and took two of those servants whom he knew to be most faithful to him, and came to Endor to the woman, and intreated her to act the part of a fortune-teller, and to bring up such a soul to him as he should name. But the woman opposed his motion; and said, she did not despise the king, who had banished this sort of fortune-tellers; and that he did not do well himself when she had done him no harm, to endeavour to lay a snare for her, and to discover she exercised a forbidden art, in order to procure her to be punished. Saul, however, sware

See 1 Sam. xxvii. 7, and xxix. 3, though the words are not very plain, even in them.

1 Sam. xxvii. 12.

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that nobody should know what she did; and that he would not tell any one else what she foretold; but that she should incur no danger. As soon, therefore, as he had induced her by this oath to fear no harm, he bade her bring up to him the soul of Samuel. She not knowing who Samuel was, called him out of Hades. When he appeared, and the woman saw one that was venerable, and of a divine form, she was in disorder; and being astonished at the sight, she said, "Art not thou king Saul?" for Samuel had informed her who he was. When he had owned that to be true, and had asked her, whence her disorder arose? she said that she saw a certain person ascend, who in his form was like to a god. And when he bade her tell him what he resembled; in what habit he appeared; and of what age he was; she told him he was an old man, and of a glorious personage, and had on a sacerdotal mantle.* So the king discovered by these signs that he was Samuel; and he fell down upon the ground, and saluted, and worshipped him. And when the soul of Samuel asked him, why he had disturbed him, and caused him to be brought up, he lamented the necessity he was under: for, he said, his enemies pressed heavily upon him; that he was in distress what to do in his present circumstances; that he was forsaken of God, and could obtain no prediction of what was coming, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. And these were the reasons why he had recourse to him. Butt Samuel seeing the end of Saul's life was come, said, "It is in vain for thee to desire to learn of me any thing farther, when God hath forsaken thee. However, hear what I say :-David is to be king, and to finish this war with good success, and thou art to lose thy dominion and thy life; because thou didst not obey God in the war with the Amalekites, and hast not kept his commandments, as I foretold to thee while I was alive. Know, therefore, that the people shall be made subject to their enemies; and that thou, with thy sons, shall fall in the battle to-morrow; and thou shalt then be with me in Hades."

When Saul had heard this, he could not speak for grief; but fell down on the floor. Whether it

1 Sam. xxviii. 14.

This history of Saul's consultation, not with a witch, as we render the Hebrew word here; but with a necromancer, as the whole history shows, is easily understood; especially, if we consult the recognitions of Clement, 1. 5. 11. 13. at large; and more briefly, and nearer the days of Samuel, Eccles. xlvi. 20. "Samuel prophesied after his death; and showed the king his end; and lift up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people." Nor does the exactness of the accomplishment of this prediction the very next day, permit us to suppose any imposition upon Saul in the present history.

were from the sorrow that arose upon what Samuel had said, or from his emptiness; for he had taken no food the foregoing day and night; he easily fell quite down. And when with difficulty he had recovered himself, the woman would force him to eat; begging this of him as a favour, on account of her concern in that dangerous instance of fortune-telling, which it was not lawful for her to have done, because of the fear she was under of the king; while she knew not who he was; yet did she undertake it, and go through with it. On which account she entreated him to admit that a table and food might be set before him, that he might recover his strength, and so get safe to his own camp. And when he opposed her motion, and entirely rejected it, by reason of his anxiety, she forced him; and at last persuaded him to it. Now she had one calf, that she was very fond of, and one that she took a great deal of care of, and fed it herself; for she was a woman that got her living by the labour of her own hands, and had no other possession but that one calf. This she killed, and made ready its flesh, and set it before his servants and himself. So Saul returned to the camp, while it was yet night.

Now it is but just to§ commend the generosity of this woman; because, when the king had forbidden her to use that art, whence her circumstances were improved; and when she had never seen the king before, she still did not remember to his disadvantage that he had condemned her sort of learning, and did not refuse him as a stranger, and one she had no acquaintance with ; but she had compassion upon him, and comforted him, and exhorted him to do what he was greatly averse to; and offered him the only creature she had, as a poor woman; and that earnestly, and with great humanity; while she received no requital for her kindness, nor hunted after any future favour from him; for she knew he was to die. Whereas men are naturally either ambitious to please those that bestow benefits upon them, or are very ready to serve those from whom they may receive some advantage. It would be well therefore to imitate the example of this woman,

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