Birth Of Shᵊmu•eilꞋ

Central Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ – Shil•ōhꞋ, Beit-Eil,, Râm•âhꞋ, Shᵊpheil•âhꞋ and Pᵊli•shᵊt•inꞋ Plain.

Almost 4 centuries had passed since Yᵊho•shuꞋa Bin-Nun pitched the ŌꞋhël Mō•eidꞋ in Shil•ōhꞋ, in the Ë•phᵊr•aꞋyim Tribal Territory, housing the •rōnꞋ-​Bᵊrit and making Shil•ōhꞋ the first capital of Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ. Residents had since built a Hei•khâlꞋ to house the A•rōnꞋ-Bᵊrit, where Eili now sat by the mᵊzuz•âhꞋ, presiding as kō•heinꞋ.

It was at this time that Ël•qân•âhꞋ, of the Tribe of Ë•phᵊr•aꞋyim, lived in the village of Râm•âhꞋ with his two wives, KhanꞋâh and PᵊninꞋâh – and PᵊninꞋâh's children. But KhanꞋâh had no children, and that often made her so depressed that she cried and wouldn't eat.

Every year, the family made the Khag to the Hei•khâlꞋ, spending the days of the Khaj•imꞋ in the capital of Shil•ōhꞋ. Year after year, KhanꞋâh wept at the Hei•khâlꞋ, praying to give birth to a son.

One year, as she prayed silently at the Hei•khâlꞋ, she vowed that if י‑‑ה would grant her a son, she would give that son to י‑‑ה as a nâ•zirꞋ to officiate like a kō•heinꞋ for all the days of his life; never shaving nor cutting his hair.

Eili the kō•heinꞋ noticed her in a state of depression with her lips moving but saying nothing. He figured she'd had too much wine. As soon as he chided her for being drunk at the Hei•khâlꞋ, however, he immediately recognized that she was praying, not drunk. "May you find peace." Eili consoled her. "May ël•oh•eiꞋ Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ grant your request." Upon hearing that, KhanꞋâh wasn't sad anymore.

After they returned home to Râm•âhꞋ, KhanꞋâh finally became pregnant and gave birth to a baby, and it was a boy! She named her son "Shᵊmu•eilꞋ" to exalt ël•oh•imꞋ answering: meiי‑‑ה shᵊilᵊtiv.

The following year, when the family went to Shil•ōhꞋ, KhanꞋâh couldn't travel because she was nursing Shᵊmu•eilꞋ. But the next year, she took Shᵊmu•eilꞋ with her to Beit י‑‑ה in Shil•ōhꞋ – along with 3 bulls, a bushel of meal and a flask of wine for sacrifices.

After offering her sacrifices, she brought Shᵊmu•eilꞋ to Eili ha-ko•heinꞋ.

When she had identified herself to him, she reminded him of her vow to loan her son to י‑‑ה as a nâ•zirꞋ. "And so, I myself hi•shᵊilᵊtiꞋhu to י‑‑ה. All of the days he has, he shâ•ūlꞋ to י‑‑ה."

So Shᵊmu•eilꞋ grew up under the tutelage of Eili the kō•heinꞋ, bowing to י‑‑ה in the Beit י‑‑ה, in Shil•ōhꞋ.

Eili's 2 Sons: Kō•han•imꞋ hâ-RëshꞋa

Now Eili had two sons. But they were both corrupt, kō•han•imꞋ hâ-RëshꞋa. They abused their office, taking extortionate portions of the people's sacrifices for themselves; profaning themselves, the sacrifices and the Hei•khâlꞋ. Consequently, י‑‑ה was furious with them, promising to pour out His anger on both of them.