Andrea Villani: Leo Allatius on an ancient exegetical debate: Origen and Eustathius of Antioch interpreting the witch of Endor narrative (1King 28)

The Greek philologist and theologian Leo Allatius (1586-1669) is the author of the editio princeps of Origen’s homily on the witch of Endor as well as of Eustathius’ of Antioch treatise on the same subject, which has been composed exactly to refute Origen’s interpretation. In addition to the Greek text and his Latin translation of the two works, Allatius published a wide and learned commentary, the De engastrimytho syntagma, which is devoted to the history of the ancient exegesis of the biblical narrative on the witch of Endor (1King 28), and which mostly supports Eustathius’ view of the issue. This paper aims at analyzing method and purpose of Allatius’ syntagma as the first modern discussion of an until then neglected exegetical debate of the early Church.