Samuel, and treats only of the events which accompanied the
destruction of the sanctuary of Shiloh by the Philistines.

His two sons, on the contrary, took advantage of his extreme age to
annoy those who came up to worship, and they were even accused of
improper behaviour towards the women who "served at the door of" the
tabernacle. They appropriated to themselves a larger portion of the
victims than they were entitled to, extracting from the caldron the
meat offerings of the faithful after the sacrifice was over by means of
flesh-hooks. Their misdeeds were such, that "men abhorred the offering
of the Lord," and yet the reverence for the ark was so great in the
minds of the people, that they continued to have recourse to it on every
occasion of national danger.* The people of Ephraim and Benjamin having
been defeated once between Eben-ezer and Aphek, bore the ark in state to
the battle-field, that its presence might inspire them with confidence.
The Philistines were alarmed at its advent, and exclaimed, "God is come
into the camp. Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of
these mighty gods?... Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye
Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been
to you."** In response to this appeal, their troops fought so boldly
that they once more gained a victory. "And there ran a man of Benjamin
out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent,
and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his
seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God.
And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried
out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth
the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted, and came and told Eli. Now
Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could
not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army,
and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my
son? And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled
before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among
the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phineas, are dead, and the
ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the
ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of
the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and
heavy."***