Gilbert House Fellowship #354: 1 Samuel 28–31

SAUL’S VISIT to the medium of En-dor is one of the more controversial chapters in the Bible. Does it prove that ghosts are real?

We discuss the recent research that shows why the Hebrew word ôb, usually translated into English as “medium,” more accurately means “owner of a ritual pit.” This is a concept that can be traced back through the archaeological record to the ancient Hurrians (the biblical Horites), who originated on the Ararat Plain—the valley below the mountains where Noah’s ark came to rest.

Here’s the excerpt from Derek’s book The Second Coming of Saturn that deals with 1 Samuel 28, the ôb, mediums, and necromancers: “Ritual Pits and Rephaim.”

Here’s a link to the article about the significance of the sacrifice of seventy bulls during the Feast of Tabernacles, “The Seventy Bulls Sacrificed at Sukkot (Num 29:12-34) in Light of a Ritual Text from Emar.”

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Note: Due to schedule conflicts, Doug Van Dorn, Dr. Judd Burton, and Timothy Alberino will join our tour in the spring of 2026.

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