Condemnations of necromancy in the Hebrew Bible

Abstract

This study will address the question: why was necromancy illicit in the estimation of the biblical writers? Was it considered theologically aberrant (that is, did it offend any monotheistic or henotheistic sensitivities in the biblical writers)? Or, did social factors such as centralization, the rivalry of cultic practitioners, or nationalistic sentiment, play a leading role? To pursue these questions, this study will explore seven texts of relevance to this discussion: Deut. 18:9-14; 2 Kings 21:6; Isa. 8:19-20; 19:1-4.