Ein Dor
This village is located south of Mount Tabor. EinDor's fame is from the visit of King Saul to the witch from EinDor. There are 2 sites - an ancient Biblical Tell, and a Roman village that was continued until the last century.
1 Samuel 28:7: "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor"
Home > Sites > Yizreel Valley > Ein Dor
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Background:
Ein Dor (Endor) is a ruined Arab village which was built on top of a Roman village, and deserted in the Israeli Independence war (1948). The Iraqi Pipeline passed through the village on the way to Haifa.
A Tell (mound) nearby was a famous Biblical site, Ein-Dor (Endor), where King Saul consulted with the witch before the battle he lost and died on the Gilboa.
Location:
The ruins of the village is located 5KM south of Mount Tabor, on the road to the city of Afula. Taking the road towards Tamra and Neura, the ruins is located 0.5KM to the east of the main road on the first hillside.
The ancient site of Tell Zafzefa, located north to the Arab village, is according to some scholars a leading candidate for Biblical Ein Dor (see references), since it was inhabited in the Biblical times, and preserved the name (in the nearby village). Other scholars, such as Y. Aharoni, identifies the Biblical Ein Dor with Tell Agol (see Naim).
History of the place:
(a) Early history - Tell Zafzafot (Ein Dor?)
700M to the north of the Arab village is an earlier site, Tell Zafzafot. According to the stone and ceramics survey, it was inhabited almost continuously through the ages: from the Epi-Paleolithic period (16,000 to 8,300 BC), Chalcolithic (4500Bc to 3150BC), Early Bronze (3150BC - 2200BC), Middle Bronze age (2200 to 1550BC), Israelite/Iron age (1200 to 1000BC) and Persian period (586 to 332BC), Hellenistic (332BC - 37BC) , Roman/Byzantine (37BC-640AD), Arab, Mameluke and Ottoman.
(b) The Village
The population relocated probably in the Hellenistic period, as a general trend of many of the ancient sites in the Galilee. The new site, located on the hillside, was larger and thus could accommodate the larger population. The survey of the village revealed Roman ceramics and rock-hewn caves. The site continued until 1948.
(c) Kibbutz Ein Dor
A new Kibbutz was established in 1948, 2KM north-east to ancient Ein-Dor. The Kibuttz has a large wire factory ("TelDor"), agriculture, and a small but well organized museum on the ancient history of the area. Some of the findings from Ein-Dor are displayed there. According to the staff, they are hoping to recover one day the sword of King Saul. We recommend a visit to the museum.
Aerial Map:
The following aerial view shows the points of interest. You can point on the purple points to navigate to the selected point.
Photos:
(a) The Roman Village:
A view from the west towards the ruins of the Arab village, which is located on the hillside facing Mt. Tabor (North side). The deserted village is built on top of the ancient Roman village.
Click on the photo to view it in higher resolution...
A closer view of the Arab village.
(b) Tell Zafzafot:
North to the Roman/Arab village is a small Tell (mound) called Zafzafot, which may have been the Biblical site of Ein Dor. A spring, Ein Dor, is located to the east of the Tell and was the source of water at ancient times.
The Tell was burnt during the summer time, and so the stones are quite visible. Many of the stones were piled up on the Mound, cleared from the fields nearby. In this site there were several surveys, which identified pottery from Early Bronze period until recent time. A large oil press was also exposed on the north side, dated to the Byzantine and Early Arab periods.
Behind the Tell is Mt Tabor, with the monastery on the top.
Now - where is the witch from Ein Dor who gave King Saul the gloomy fortune which turned true? She is probably long gone. However, the name of the valley west (left) of the site is called "Kosemet", which means magician-woman in Hebrew. If you visit the site you may still try to find her on the site...
Biblical References:
Joshua 17:11
This text lists the cities within the tribe of Menashe (Manasseh). Ein Dor, and its towns, was part of the area of Issachar, but reassigned to the tribe of Menashe after some of its families (Aviezer, the family of Judge Gideon) moved into the area, including En-Dor.
11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of En-dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, even the three regions.
Psalms 83: 9:11
In this text is a description of one of the battles in the times of the Judge Gideon (12th C BC) against the alien nomads that penetrated from the desert into the Jezreel valley:
9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to
Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah,
and as Zalmunna
1 Samuel 28: 4-25
This interesting Biblical story describes how King Saul consulted with the wizard woman from Ein Dor (EnDor) before his fatal battle on the Gilboa. King Saul persecuted these spiritual persons during his Kingdom, so no wonder she was afraid of the King. Although he came to the meeting disguised, the witch recognized him. Saul required her services in order to get a sign about the future he will face in the crucial battle on the next day against the Philistines. King Saul brought back the ghost (ob) of the recently dead prophet Samuel, however Samuel did not deliver a positive outcome of the battle. Indeed, King Saul dies on the next day.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came
and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched
in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart
greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by
dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit,
that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold,
there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men
with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine
unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto
thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he
hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land:
wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no
punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me
up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman
spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the
woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up;
and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he
stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And
Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me,
and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor
by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me
what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is
departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the
kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce
wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the
Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also
shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid,
because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had
eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said
unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life
in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.
22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine
handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou
mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.
23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the
woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the
earth, and sat upon the bed.
24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and
took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat.
Then they rose up, and went away that night.
Archaeological References:
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Arch. Survey of Israel - Ein Dor Map (45) - Zvi Gal [1998] , site #6 (EnDor) and #7 (Tell Zafzafot)
Etymology (behind the name):
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