Eli

Eli (/ˈilaɪ/ EE-lye; Hebrew: עֵלִי‎, Modern: ʿElī, Tiberian: ʿĒlī, lit. 'ascent' or 'above'; Koine Greek: Ἠλί Ēlī́ or Ἠλεί Ēleí; Latin: Heli; fl. c. 11th century BC) 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.

Eli occupies a prominent place in Samaritan religious tradition, as the Samaritans attribute the schism between their community and the Jews to Eli's establishment of a rival shrine at Shiloh, challenging what they regard as the original Israelite sacred site, Mount Gerizim.