Mailbag: Ghosts and the Bible
Now that the semester is over my helper has been back, intermittently. Recently they rolled out from under the blog's workings to comment that some readers had been lead to the webpage by queries phrased as, "What about ____ and the Bible?"
If you're curious about what topics are mentioned in the Bible, I can recommend two good sources:
1) a print concordance to a particular translation of the Bible (it is best if the translation the concordance matches the Bible you are looking ate, but since once of my fascinations is translation differences I am always interested to see how different translations phrase things.)
Some samples:
The Concise Concordance to the New Revised Standard Version by John R. Kohlenberger (ISBN 978-0195284102)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible by James Strong (ISBN 978-0195282764)
The New American Bible Concise Concordance by John R. Kohlenberger III (ISBN 978-0195282764)
Or, online (this is no endorsement: none of these pages replicate good Bible research software for the range of translations, ease of searching, and working with the original languages):
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
http://bibleresources.bible.com/bible_read.php
http://www.biblestudytools.net/
(Bear in mind that sites put interpretive resources and helps close at hand because that's what they want you to read (or the resource is out-of-print and thus postable.)) I am warmly in favor of reading broadly and making up one's own mind: there is a far broader world to how the Bible is (and has) been read than any of these sites suggest.
I know of only one ghost story in the Bible, a nice old-fashioned séance (in this case very old, and less a Victorian séance than necromancy (magic for summoning (or conversing with) the dead), RSV 1 Samuel 28:7-21:
Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at Endor." So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments, and went, he and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night.
And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you."
The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?"
But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing."
Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."
The king said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?"
And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth."
He said to her, "What is his appearance?"
And she said, "An old man is coming up; and he is wrapped in a robe."
And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress .... therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do."
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? ...."
Then Saul fell at once full length upon the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified ....
Note: many cultures, including the Ancient Near East and the Classical era, though the opinions and comfort of the dead were tremendously important. It's only human to worry about the welfare of those for whom nothing more can be done and part of what makes a culture is how they treat and relate to their departed.
-Kushana
If you're curious about what topics are mentioned in the Bible, I can recommend two good sources:
1) a print concordance to a particular translation of the Bible (it is best if the translation the concordance matches the Bible you are looking ate, but since once of my fascinations is translation differences I am always interested to see how different translations phrase things.)
Some samples:
The Concise Concordance to the New Revised Standard Version by John R. Kohlenberger (ISBN 978-0195284102)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible by James Strong (ISBN 978-0195282764)
The New American Bible Concise Concordance by John R. Kohlenberger III (ISBN 978-0195282764)
Or, online (this is no endorsement: none of these pages replicate good Bible research software for the range of translations, ease of searching, and working with the original languages):
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
http://bibleresources.bible.com/bible_read.php
http://www.biblestudytools.net/
(Bear in mind that sites put interpretive resources and helps close at hand because that's what they want you to read (or the resource is out-of-print and thus postable.)) I am warmly in favor of reading broadly and making up one's own mind: there is a far broader world to how the Bible is (and has) been read than any of these sites suggest.
I know of only one ghost story in the Bible, a nice old-fashioned séance (in this case very old, and less a Victorian séance than necromancy (magic for summoning (or conversing with) the dead), RSV 1 Samuel 28:7-21:
Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a medium at Endor." So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments, and went, he and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night.
And he said, "Divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you."
The woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?"
But Saul swore to her by the LORD, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing."
Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul."
The king said to her, "Have no fear; what do you see?"
And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth."
He said to her, "What is his appearance?"
And she said, "An old man is coming up; and he is wrapped in a robe."
And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance.
Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress .... therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do."
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? ...."
Then Saul fell at once full length upon the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified ....
Note: many cultures, including the Ancient Near East and the Classical era, though the opinions and comfort of the dead were tremendously important. It's only human to worry about the welfare of those for whom nothing more can be done and part of what makes a culture is how they treat and relate to their departed.
-Kushana
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