right|thumb|A map showing Endor in ancient [[Galilee. The actual location of Endor is disputed.]]
Endor ( or ) was listed in the Book of Joshua () as one of the Canaanite cities the Israelites failed to dispossess, neither the city nor its dependencies. It was located between the Hill of Moreh and Mount Tabor in the Jezreel Valley. It is mentioned twice more in the Hebrew Bible, in 1 Samuel and in Psalm 83.
Etymology
The original meaning of "Endor" is unknown and its spelling in Hebrew varies. It may be connected with the words ʿen "spring" and dor "generation".
In the Bible
thumb|right|Saul consults the witch of Endor, 1860 woodcut by [[Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld]]
Endor was first mentioned in , when Endor fell within the allotments of the Tribe of Manasseh.
In , Saul consulted the Witch of Endor (), who lived in the village, on the evening before the Battle of Gilboa, in which he perished.
According to , it was the scene of the rout of Jabin and Sisera Excavations were carried out on Indur, but with no remains found at the site, it was largely ruled out as being ancient Endor.
- Khirbet Safsafeh / Es-Safsafa (): Many believe Khirbet Safsafeh to be the site of ancient En-dor, as reflected as being the site most normally marked on maps. This site is located northeast of modern Sulam, south of Mount Tabor. Two wadis drain from this location, one to the northeast and the other to the northwest. During Roman Palestine, the site had a large population. Arabs later inhabited it until it was depopulated during the 1947–1949 Palestine war. After the war, Israelis built a kibbutz there named Ein Dor. Tradition seems to be the best support for Khirbet Safsafeh. Since the 4th century, Endor has been recognized by early Christian pilgrims and by the Crusaders as Biblical Endor. During the Crusader era, it was mentioned by Brocardus, a 14th-century German priest. When Edward Robinson came upon the site, he described it as an ordinary village. C. Conder and H. Kitchener also recognized the site and described it as a small village. Name preservation also supports Khirbet Safsafeh as being ancient Endor, for although the site does not preserve the ancient name, its nearby neighbor to the northeast, Indur, did. The modern village could have easily moved from the ancient site, taking the name with it.
See also
- Ein Dor (kibbutz)
- Witch of Endor
- Endor (Star Wars)