HANNAH busied herself with preparations for the trip, trying to keep her mind occupied. It should have been a happy time; Elkanah, her husband, has customarily taken the whole family on these annual journeys to worship at the tabernacle in Shiloh. Jehovah meant for such occasions to be joyful. (Deuteronomy 16:15) And no doubt Hannah from her childhood had delighted in those festivals.

In the early hours, the household was bustling. Everyone was getting ready for the trip, even the children. The journey to Shiloh would take the large family across more than 20 miles [30 km] of the hilly country of Ephraim.* On foot, the trek would last a day or two.