Halloween seems like an appropriate time to review what is perhaps one of the strangest events recorded in the scriptures: the account of King Saul's encounter with the Witch of Endor.
The Impending Battle
In his preoccupation with the pursuit of his rival David, King Saul had neglected the growing Philistine threat to Israel. Meanwhile, the Philistines undertook a new strategy and marched into the Jezreel Valley where they could use their chariots to advantage, thus cutting Saul off from the northern tribes. (This same valley is destined to be the site of the future battle of Armageddon.) The Philistines were encamped at Shunem, a city in the Valley of Jezreel situated on the south slope of the Hill of Moreh. The Israelite forces were camped five miles to the south at Mount Gilboa.

When Saul saw the Philistine army he was so afraid that his heart "greatly trembled." He was gripped with fear. Saul inquired of the Lord, but there was no answer. The prophet Samuel was dead. No encouraging word from the Lord would be forthcoming.

Consulting the Witch

With the heavens silent, Saul sought out a medium to enable him to determine the outcome of the battle ...   more »

US scientists have cracked the entire genetic code of breast and colon cancers, offering new treatment hopes.
The genetic map shows that nearly 200 mutated genes, most previously unknown, help tumours emerge, grow and spread.
The discovery could also lead to better ways to diagnose cancer in its early, most treatable stages, and personalised treatments, Science magazine reports.
The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center says the findings suggest cancer is more complex than experts had believed.
Distinct differences
The mutated genes in breast and colon cancers were almost completely distinct, suggesting very different pathways for the development of each of these cancer types.
Each individual tumour appeared to have a different genetic blueprint, which could explain why cancers can behave very differently from person to person, the scientists said.
"No two patients are identical," co-author Dr Victor Velculescu explained.
  Scientists hope to be able to tailor plans for preventing or treating cancer to each person's individual genetic profile
Ed Yong of Cancer Research UK
Now researchers will study how these mutations occur in breast and colon cancers.
Previous cancer gene discoveries have already led to successful detection and treatment strategies.
For example, the breast cancer drug Herceptin targets a ...   more »

One of the world's most incredible--but true--love stories began
in the worst place imaginable By Herman Rosenblat
 August, 1942. Piotrkow, Poland. The sky was gloomy that morning as we
waited anxiously. All the men, women, and children of Piotrkow's Jewish
ghetto had been herded into a square. Word had gotten around that we were
being moved. My father had only recently died from typhus, which had run
rampant through the crowded ghetto. My greatest fear was that our family
would be separated. "Whatever you do," Isidore, my eldest brother, whispered
to me, "don't tell them your age. Say you're sixteen." I was tall for a boy
of 11, so I could pull it off. That way I might be deemed valuable as a
worker. An SS man approached me, boots clicking against the cobblestones. He
looked me up and down, then asked my age.
     "Sixteen," I said. He directed me to the left, where my three brothers
and other healthy young men already stood.
     My mother was motioned to the right-with the other women, children,
sick and elderly people. I whispered to Isidore, "Why?" He didn't answer. I
ran to Mama's side and said I wanted to stay ...   more »