¹⁰ “‘Go, now, to my place that was in Shiloh [about 20 miles (32 km) north of Jerusalem], where I caused my name to reside at first, and see what I did to it because of the badness of my people Israel.

Jer. 7:12

11. In Samuel’s days, what happened at Shiloh that shocked the religious susceptibilities of the Israelites?

¹¹ What happened to Shiloh in the days of the young prophet Samuel shocked the religious susceptibilities of the Israelites. They trusted in the sacred ark of the covenant to save them from defeat at the hands of the Philistines. So it was taken out of the Most Holy of the tabernacle that was in Shiloh, and lawbreaking priests, the sons of high priest Eli, carried it into the battle. But the Ark did not protect them from the consequences of their violations of Jehovah’s law. Alas, the Ark fell into the hands of the pagan Philistines, Eli’s priestly sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed, and, on receiving the sad news, fat high priest Eli swooned backward, broke his neck and died. The Israelites continued under oppression by the Philistines, and never again did the Ark, the symbol of Jehovah’s presence, return to its place in the sacred tabernacle in Shiloh, even though it was sent back by the plagued idolatrous Philistines.​—1 Sam. 3:1 through 7:2.