Rache Writes

When King Saul decreed that witchcraft was illegal and now punishable by death throughout the land, the Witch of Endor was furious. She loved her work–and she was good at it too. In a time of many impersonators, her skills were praised highly and people would travel weeks just to see her. As much as she did not want to give up her living, she also did not want to die. Luckily, she was always kind to her neighbors so they were kind to her. They gave her food and clothes and household work until she could support herself again. She made a new life for herself, but longed for the day she could return to the work she loved. One night, a man hidden under layers of robes approached her, asking to connect with a spirit. "You know Saul forbade all magic, and I don't even know who you are," she said. "How do I know that you aren't one of his servants, tricking me to perform my craft so that you can kill me?" The man replied, "I admit you have no reason to ...

Notes from the story of David from Folklore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer. King David began to work creating chain mail so that his people wouldn't be paying for his living. David asked Allah to grant him the same favor as previous kings, and said he could overcome the same things they were tempted with. Allah agreed to try him in this way and gave him the date and hour that he would be tried. On that day, David locked himself away. Later in the day, he saw a gorgeous bird, and he tried to lure it inside with breadcrumbs. He could not seem to catch the bird. When it began to fly away, David lunged towards the window one last time, and that's when he laid eyes on Bathsheba. Two angels confronted David about his failure. He was extremely remorseful, so Allah said that he was forgiven in his eyes, but that he must also be pardoned in Uriah's eyes. So, he traveled to Uriah's tomb and confessed. Uriah's voice said that since hi...

Moslem Cosmogony (cont.) from Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish by E. Hanauer When Allah was creating the world, he commanded a strong angel to support it. Then, Allah created a green emerald rock for the angel to stand on for support. Then, so that the rock had something to rest on, he created a massive bull. This is where earthquakes come from, and he is known as Behemoth. The bull stands on the back of a great whale which swims in an ocean created by Allah. This story explains eclipses by saying "the monster" (I'm not sure if the author is talking about the whale or the bull). The eclipses end more quickly if worshippers offer prayers to Allah, prompting him to make the monster release the moon. If the sun is eclipsed, it is because Allah is angry and is warning people against sin. A couple of points stood out to me from other stories in this unit, although were not the focus of their stories. I may want to come back to these when brains...