high priest of the Israelites, and judge over them for forty years, was descended from Ithamar, a junior branch of the house of Aaron, and seems to have blended the priestly with the judicial character in the year 1156 before the commencement of the Christian era. It appears that the Jews were in a state of subjection or vassalage to the Philistines during the greater part of Eli's administration, and, what may at first appear singular, he contributed to the degeneracy of his countrymen, although his own piety and goodness were unquestionably great. He did not exert his magisterial authority in the exemplary punishment of vice, and even permitted his own sons with impunity to perpetrate the most atrocious acts of impiety and debauchery. This want of firmness, to give it no worse a name, was very reprehensible in one who filled such an important office, and peculiarly so in a man who was himself a faint.

The celebrated Samson made his appearance during the administration of Eli, taking part in the management of public affairs for about twenty years, by whose astonishing deeds the independent spirit of that people was in some measure revived. The circumstances attending the death of Samson, which proved so calamitous to the nobility of the Philistines, might have induced the Jews to throw off the yoke; but they did not possess a sufficient degree of virtue and public spirit for such an exertion. Eli at this period was very far advanced in years, and, if possible, still more negligent in the discharge of his duty as a chief magistrate, allowing his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, to proceed to the most extravagant height of impiety and debauchery, whose example had a most powerful influence on the manners of the people. He was far from being unacquainted with their conduct, but he reproved them with such gentleness as was highly reprehensible, and but ill calculated to produce any change on the behaviour of his sons.

The deity was so justly offended with this deportment of Eli, that a sacred seer was commissioned to upbraid him for his ingratitude and want of reformation. Young Samuel likewise was favoured with a vision of the approaching ruin of Eli's family, which he related to the otherwise venerable old man, on being solemnly adjured not to conceal a single circumstance. When Eli heard the declaration of the young prophet, being fully convinced that his conduct had been highly reprehensible, he exclaimed, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." Soon after this the Israelites sustained a considerable loss in attempting to procure their emancipation, carrying the ark of God into their camp to animate the people, and intimidate their enemies; but the ark was captured by the Philistines, and Hophni and Phineas were slain. This intelligence having been brought to Eli, he no sooner heard that the ark of God was taken, than he fell backwards from his seat, broke his neck, and died in the 98th year of his age.