The story of the witch of endor in the first book of the prophet Samuel, is the opposite of the divinations of the dreams of Pharaoh in the book of Genesis.
The two stories show to us and compare the difference between a medium and an oracle. The oracle acts in accordance to the Providence and the beatitute, the medium instead for economic reasons.
This story is very interesting to analyze because is a story about talking the death. Saul does not receive dreams or messages from oracles, so he decides to go against the religious law that prohibited mediums and witchcraft. Saul goes against the commandments.
The witch manages to establish a bridge of communication between the world of the dead and the world of the living. Samuel through the medium tells Saul the judgment and actions of God on a matter of war. The final message of the fortune teller is that God is against him and that he is destined to fail.
Consulting the spirits was common in the ancient world for matters of war, thence the existence of numerous sites dedicated to divination such as Delphi, Siwa, etc. This is the reason of why Saul consults the fortune teller.
The leviticus advises not to go to mediums or spiritists:
"Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and the spiritists from the land.
The Philistines assemble and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
Saul then said to his attendands, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her"
"There is one in Endor", they said.
So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me", he said, "and bring up for me the one I name".
But the woman said to him, "Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cutt of the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?"
Saul swore to her by the Lord, "As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished by this"
Then the woman asked, "Whom shall I bring up for you?"
"Bring up Samuel", he said
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of the voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth."
"What does he look like?" he asked.
"An old man wearing a robe is coming up", she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"
"I am in great distress", Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do".
Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors - to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines."
Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel's words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all the day and all the night. 1 Samuel 28: 3-20