The Prophet Samuel was the fifteenth and last judge of Israel, who lived 1146 years before the Birth of Christ. He was descended from the tribe of Levi, and was the son of Elkanah of Ramathaim-Zophim, from Mount Ephraim. He was born, asked of the Lord by the prayers of his mother Anna (which is why he received the name Samuel, which means "asked"), and even before birth he was dedicated to God. When the boy was 3 years old, his mother went with him to Shiloh and, according to a vow, gave him to the tabernacle in the care of the high priest Elijah, who at the same time was a judge over the people of Israel. The prophet grew up in the fear of God, and already at the age of 12 he had a revelation that God would punish the entire house of the high priest Elijah for not restraining his wicked sons.
The prophecy came true when the Philistines, having killed 30,000 Israelites (among them were the sons of the high priest Ofni and Phinehas), won the victory and took the Ark of God. When the high priest Eli heard about this, he fell backwards from his seat at the gate and, breaking his back, died. Phinehas' wife, who heard about the incident at the hour when the baby was born, died with the words: "The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been taken" (1 Samuel 4:22).
After the death of Elijah, Samuel became the judge of the people of Israel. With him, the Ark of God was returned from captivity by the Philistines themselves, and after the Israelites turned to God, they regained all the cities that the Philistines had taken. When the prophet Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons Joel and Abijah as judges over Israel, but they did not inherit their father's honesty and justice, because they were greedy. Then the elders of Israel, desiring that the people of God should be "like other nations" (1 Samuel 8:20), demanded that the prophet Samuel appoint them a king. The Prophet Samuel saw in this the deep downfall of the people, who up to that time had been ruled by God Himself, proclaiming His will through the holy chosen ones. When leaving the position of judge, the prophet Samuel asked the people if he had offended anyone during his reign, but no one found anything behind him. After denouncing the first king Saul of disobedience to God, the prophet Samuel anointed Saint David to the kingdom, who found refuge with him, fleeing from the persecution of King Saul. The Prophet Samuel passed away, having reached a great old age. His life is described in the Bible (1 Samuel 46:16-23). In 406, the relics of the prophet Samuel were transferred from Judea to Constantinople.