Eli was, according to the Book of Samuel, a priest and a judge of the Israelites in the city of Shiloh, ancient Israel. When Hannah came to Shiloh to pray for a son, Eli initially accused her of drunkenness, but when she protested her innocence, Eli wished her well. Hannah's eventual child, Samuel, was raised by Eli in the tabernacle. When Eli failed to rein in the abusive behavior of his own sons, God promised to punish his family, which resulted in the death of Eli's sons at the Battle of Aphek where the Ark of the Covenant was also captured. When Eli heard the news of the captured Ark, he fell from his seat, broke his neck, and died. Later biblical passages mention the fortunes of several of Eli's descendants.
1645 painting by Jan Victors of Hannah presenting her son Samuel to Eli, who is seated on the right.
Depiction of Eli and Samuel by John Singleton Copley, 1780.
The Book of Samuel is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
Page from the book of Samuel, in the Biblia de Cervera (1299/1300)
Ernst Josephson, David and Saul, 1878
David and Bathsheba, by Artemisia Gentileschi, c. 1636. David is seen in the background, standing on a balcony.
Hannah presenting Samuel to Eli, by Jan Victors, 1645