The Arabic Reception of the Saul and the Medium of Endor Narrative

Abstract

This paper examines the Arabic reception of the story of Saul and the medium of Endor, focusing on the tenth-century Iraqi thinkers known as Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' (the Brethren of Purity, also known as the Sincere Brothers). Saul is a qur'anic figure, but the incident with the witch of Endor does not appear in the Qur'an. Ikhwān al Ṣafā' appear to borrow it from the Bible. In their epistle on magic, Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' use this narrative as part of their missionary activity, converting select people to Neoplatonic philosophy and asceticism. The paper briefly covers the history of the reception of this narrative in Muslim communities, looking at the reception of the narrative against the backdrop of the reception of the Bible in Muslim communities and its translation into Arabic. The paper also examines the work of Ikhwān al-Ṣafā' and the place of this narrative in it, and argues that quotations from the Bible, and this passage in particular, serve the authors' mission. Magic is part of the Neoplatonic worldview, and therefore has an important place in the philosophy of Ikhwān al-Ṣafā'. That the Bible attests its existence serves to show both that authoritative sources prove the point and also that magic has a place in different cultures and traditions, making it widely relevant even though its existence is denied by many.