Who was Eli?

Eli was a high priest of Israel in the time of the Judges. He was the priest in Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and he was also a judge. Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were priests under him but were notorious for their wickedness and cruelty. Eli failed to discipline his sons, and they continued in their sinful ways, even stealing from the offerings brought to the Lord by the people. Eventually, the Lord spoke to Eli through the prophet Samuel, telling him that He was going to punish his family for their wickedness. The Lord indeed carried out this punishment: both of Eli's sons died in battle, and Eli himself died after he fell backward and broke his neck when he heard the news of the deaths of his sons and the capture of the Ark. Eli was a man of great age and is said to have been 98 years old when he died. Despite his failure to discipline his sons, Eli was a man of great piety and is remembered as a faithful servant of the Lord.