With these words Saul reveals something of the understanding prevalent amongst the people of the ancient Near East. They considered the realm of the dead, also known as Sheol or Hades, to be beneath the earth’s surface. When someone died, he was said to go to this realm.1 In order to consult a dead person, it was thus necessary for his spirit to be brought up to the land of the living. Typically the medium would have some kind of a pit, and the spirit would speak
in a low voice from the pit (cf. Isaiah 29:4) through the voice of the medium.2
8 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.”