Endor (village)
Encyclopedia
Endor was a Canaan
ite city which is listed in the Book of Joshua
as one of the cities with its dependencies that the Israelites failed to dispossess. It is located between the Hill of Moreh
and Mount Tabor
in the Jezreel Valley
.
The original meaning of "Endor" is unknown and its spelling in Hebrew
varies. It is mentioned or alluded to in the Bible two more times in , and in . It may be connected with the words ein meaning "spring" and dor, meaning "settlement", or with the Dorians, a Greek
tribal group.
of Manasseh
. In , Saul
consulted the Witch of Endor
, who lived in the village, on the evening before the Battle of Gilboa, in which he perished. According to , it was the scene of the route of Jabin
and Sisera
after being defeated by Barak and Deborah in .
The ancient site of Endor is widely debated and many locations have been suggested. From the biblical accounts, an Endor that is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley seems to fit best. The tribal allotments of Manasseh, Saul's journey to Endor and the defeat of Sisera's army all fit well with a location that is on this side of the valley, somewhere between Ibleam and Ta'anach. However, there are difficulties with this location. From the origin of the name, a spring must also be located somewhere near, and archaeological evidence from the time of Joshua, Judges, and Saul is required.
Many suggested sites are located on the north side of the Jezreel Valley, near or on the Hill of Moreh. The main reasons for this placement are due to tradition and name preservation. The major difficulty in a northern location for Endor is that it does not seem to fit the biblical accounts well. The city lists in Joshua 17:11 and would be mentioning Endor out of logical order. In spite of this, a supporting factor for a northern site is that Saul had to be disguised as he traveled to the witch at Endor. This is usually attributed to the fact that Endor was behind enemy lines since the Philistines were camped at Shunem
, just southwest of the most accepted Endor site. Those who hold to a southern site location explain the disguise as necessary not to transverse any enemy lines but to hide Saul's identity from the medium. Both explanations are possible. The following are a list of suggested sites with a brief explanation of each:
Khirbet Jadurah - This site is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley, but with no spring the site has been deemed incorrect.
Tell Qedesh / Tell abu Qudeis - This tell is a much better site than Khirbet Jadurah and it is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley. It has two springs nearby, remains from the right time periods, and a walled city area. Proponents for a southern Endor usually hold to this as the correct site for ancient Endor.
Tell el-Ajjul / el-Ajyul / Agol (32°37′53.91"N 35°22′19.3"E) - This tell is located on the north side of the Jezreel Valley 3 km (2 mi) east of Nain, on the right of the road to Tamra
. The small hill, on the east side of the Hill of Moreh, is 211 meters high. Archaeologists have uncovered tombs and a spring inside a cave. The spring was named Fountain of Dor after it was believed to be the ancient site of Endor.
Indur
, Endur, En-dor (32°38′14.2"N 35°22′35.45"E) - The Palestinian
Arab
town of Indur
, depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
, preserved the name of the ancient site. Excavations were carried out on Indur, but with no remains found at the site it was largely ruled out as being ancient Endor.
Khirbet Safsafeh / Es-Safsafa (32°38′26.69"N 35°22′36.91"E) - Many believe Khirbet Safsafeh to be the site of ancient En-dor, as reflected as being the site most normally marked on maps. This site is located 6.7 km (4 mi) northeast of modern Sulam/Shunem
, 4 mi (6 km) south of Mount Tabor
. Two wadis drain from this location, one to the northeast and the other to the northwest. During the Roman Period, there was a large population on the site. It was later inhabited by Arabs until they abandoned it in 1948 due to the war. After the war, Israelis settled it and named it Ein Dor
. Tradition seems to be the best support for Khirbet Safsafeh. Since the 4th century CE, Endor has been recognized by early Christian pilgrims and by the Crusaders as Biblical Endor. During the Crusader Period it was mentioned by Brocardus, a 14th-century German priest. When Edward Robinson
came upon the site, he described it as an ordinary village. C. Conder and H. Kitchener also recognized the site and described it as a small village. Name preservation also supports Khirbet Safsafeh as being ancient Endor for although the site itself does not preserve the ancient name, its nearby neighbor to the northeast, Indur, did. The modern village could have easily moved from the ancient site, taking the name with it.
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ite city which is listed in the Book of Joshua
Book of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
as one of the cities with its dependencies that the Israelites failed to dispossess. It is located between the Hill of Moreh
Moreh
Moreh is a name of a location, commonly used in the Genesis.-Torah locality:Translators who consider the obscure elon moreh of Genesis 12:6 to be the name of a locality, render it as "the plains of Moreh". Translators who consider the term to be a sacred tree or grove, often render it "terebinth",...
and Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor
-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
in the Jezreel Valley
Jezreel Valley
-Etymology:The Jezreel Valley takes its name from the ancient city of Jezreel which was located on a low hill overlooking the southern edge of the valley, though some scholars think that the name of the city originates from the name of the clan which founded it, and whose existence is mentioned in...
.
The original meaning of "Endor" is unknown and its spelling in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
varies. It is mentioned or alluded to in the Bible two more times in , and in . It may be connected with the words ein meaning "spring" and dor, meaning "settlement", or with the Dorians, a Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
tribal group.
Biblical basis
Endor was first mentioned in , when Endor fell within the tribal allotmentsTribal allotments of Israel
According to the Book of Joshua, Joshua divided the newly conquered land of Canaan into parcels, and assigned them to the Tribes of Israel by lot. The Book of Joshua describes the parcels by giving landmarks along the borders, or in some cases by listing the included cities...
of Manasseh
Tribe of Manasseh
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Manasseh was one of the Tribes of Israel. Together with the Tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh also formed the House of Joseph....
. In , Saul
Saul the King
According to the Bible, Saul was the first king of the united Kingdom of Israel. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah. He commited suicide to avoid arrest in the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, during which three of his sons were also killed...
consulted the Witch of Endor
Witch of Endor
The Witch of Endor, sometimes called the Medium of Endor, was a woman who called up the ghost of the recently deceased prophet Samuel, at the demand of King Saul of the Kingdom of Israel in the First Book of Samuel, chapter...
, who lived in the village, on the evening before the Battle of Gilboa, in which he perished. According to , it was the scene of the route of Jabin
Jabin
Jabin is a Biblical name meaning 'discerner', or 'the wise'. It may refer to:* A king of Hazor, at the time of the entrance of Israel into Canaan , whose overthrow and that of the northern chief with whom he had entered into a confederacy against Joshua was the crowning act in the conquest of the...
and Sisera
Sisera
Sisera was commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin of Hazor mentioned in the of the Hebrew Bible. After being defeated by Barak, Sisera was killed by Jael, who hammered a tent peg into his temple....
after being defeated by Barak and Deborah in .
The ancient site of Endor is widely debated and many locations have been suggested. From the biblical accounts, an Endor that is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley seems to fit best. The tribal allotments of Manasseh, Saul's journey to Endor and the defeat of Sisera's army all fit well with a location that is on this side of the valley, somewhere between Ibleam and Ta'anach. However, there are difficulties with this location. From the origin of the name, a spring must also be located somewhere near, and archaeological evidence from the time of Joshua, Judges, and Saul is required.
Many suggested sites are located on the north side of the Jezreel Valley, near or on the Hill of Moreh. The main reasons for this placement are due to tradition and name preservation. The major difficulty in a northern location for Endor is that it does not seem to fit the biblical accounts well. The city lists in Joshua 17:11 and would be mentioning Endor out of logical order. In spite of this, a supporting factor for a northern site is that Saul had to be disguised as he traveled to the witch at Endor. This is usually attributed to the fact that Endor was behind enemy lines since the Philistines were camped at Shunem
Shunem
Shunem is a small village mentioned in the Bible. It was located in the tribe of Issachar, to the north of Jezreel and south of Mount Gilboa .Shunem is where:*The Philistines encamped when they came against Saul, the first king of Israel;...
, just southwest of the most accepted Endor site. Those who hold to a southern site location explain the disguise as necessary not to transverse any enemy lines but to hide Saul's identity from the medium. Both explanations are possible. The following are a list of suggested sites with a brief explanation of each:
Khirbet Jadurah - This site is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley, but with no spring the site has been deemed incorrect.
Tell Qedesh / Tell abu Qudeis - This tell is a much better site than Khirbet Jadurah and it is located on the south edge of the Jezreel Valley. It has two springs nearby, remains from the right time periods, and a walled city area. Proponents for a southern Endor usually hold to this as the correct site for ancient Endor.
Tell el-Ajjul / el-Ajyul / Agol (32°37′53.91"N 35°22′19.3"E) - This tell is located on the north side of the Jezreel Valley 3 km (2 mi) east of Nain, on the right of the road to Tamra
Tamra
Tamra is an Israeli Arab city in the North District of Israel located in the Lower Galilee north of the city of Shefa-'Amr and approximately east of Akko . The name Tamra means date palm in Arabic...
. The small hill, on the east side of the Hill of Moreh, is 211 meters high. Archaeologists have uncovered tombs and a spring inside a cave. The spring was named Fountain of Dor after it was believed to be the ancient site of Endor.
Indur
Indur
Indur was a Palestinian village, located southeast of Nazareth. Its name preserves that of ancient Endor, a Canaanite city state thought to have been located to the northeast. The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and its inhabitants became refugees, some of whom were...
, Endur, En-dor (32°38′14.2"N 35°22′35.45"E) - The Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
town of Indur
Indur
Indur was a Palestinian village, located southeast of Nazareth. Its name preserves that of ancient Endor, a Canaanite city state thought to have been located to the northeast. The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and its inhabitants became refugees, some of whom were...
, depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, preserved the name of the ancient site. Excavations were carried out on Indur, but with no remains found at the site it was largely ruled out as being ancient Endor.
Khirbet Safsafeh / Es-Safsafa (32°38′26.69"N 35°22′36.91"E) - Many believe Khirbet Safsafeh to be the site of ancient En-dor, as reflected as being the site most normally marked on maps. This site is located 6.7 km (4 mi) northeast of modern Sulam/Shunem
Sulam
Sulam is an Arab village in north-eastern Israel. Known in ancient times as Shunama and Shunem, it is first mentioned in the Amarna Letters in the 14th century BCE. Archaeological excavations in the village attest to habitation extending from the Bronze Age through to modern times. Located near...
, 4 mi (6 km) south of Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor
-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
. Two wadis drain from this location, one to the northeast and the other to the northwest. During the Roman Period, there was a large population on the site. It was later inhabited by Arabs until they abandoned it in 1948 due to the war. After the war, Israelis settled it and named it Ein Dor
Ein Dor
Ein Dor is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Lower Galilee, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 688.-History:...
. Tradition seems to be the best support for Khirbet Safsafeh. Since the 4th century CE, Endor has been recognized by early Christian pilgrims and by the Crusaders as Biblical Endor. During the Crusader Period it was mentioned by Brocardus, a 14th-century German priest. When Edward Robinson
Edward Robinson (scholar)
Edward Robinson was an American biblical scholar, known as the “Father of Biblical Geography.” He has been referred to as the “founder of modern Palestinology.” -Biography:...
came upon the site, he described it as an ordinary village. C. Conder and H. Kitchener also recognized the site and described it as a small village. Name preservation also supports Khirbet Safsafeh as being ancient Endor for although the site itself does not preserve the ancient name, its nearby neighbor to the northeast, Indur, did. The modern village could have easily moved from the ancient site, taking the name with it.