a 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. He flourished 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 unimpeachable. He did not exert his magisterial authority in the exemplary punishment of vice, and even permitted his own sons to perpetrate with impunity the most atrocious acts of impiety and debauchery.

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 resolution. The young Samuel was likewise favoured with a vision of the approaching ruin of Eli's family, which he related to the venerable high priest, 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 in order to animate the people and intimidate their enemies; but the ark was captured by the Philistines, and Hophni and Phineas were slain. When intelligence was brought to Eli that the ark of God was taken, he instantly fell backwards from his seat, broke his neck, and died, in the ninety-eighth year of his age.