The Prophet Samuel

On 20 August the Church commemorates the Prophet Samuel. He belonged to the tribe of Levi and was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, in the hill country of Ephraim. Hannah, who had been unable to have children, prayed fervently. When Samuel was born, she dedicated him to God in gratitude.

Samuel grew up serving the Lord and became a judge and prophet of Israel. He anointed Saul as king and later David. His life and ministry form part of the biblical narrative in the Books of Kingdoms. His memory highlights obedience to God’s will and the responsibility of spiritual leadership.

Though Samuel the seer closed his eyes in death,
even after death he beholds the ever-living light.
On the twentieth day Samuel, who foresaw things to come, departed from this world.

The Greek commemorative verses describe Samuel closing his earthly eyes yet continuing to behold the ever-living light, and mark his departure on the twentieth day.

The Coptic monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor

Egypt is home to the Coptic monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor at Mount Qalamoun. This is a different saint, who lived in the seventh century, and not the biblical Prophet Samuel.

Accounts of the area describe an earlier presence of hermits in caves and the gradual formation of a monastic community. Basket weaving was among the activities that supported the monks. Samuel the Confessor died in 695 at the age of 98.

The monastery’s history includes periods of flourishing, abandonment and revival. The Coptic Patriarch Gabriel V of Alexandria (1409–1427) came from this monastery. Monastic life continues, with work and agricultural activities in the surrounding area.