August 20: Prophet Samuel is celebratedtranslated

Today, August 20, the Church commemorates the Prophet Samuel and Saints Regina and Orestes, from Chalcedon.

Written by Theodoros Rokas, Theologian – PhD Candidate in Hermeneutical Theology

The Prophet and Judge Samuel The prophet Samuel, the last Judge of Israel, appeared in the foreground of biblical history at the end of the period of the Judges, which due to the lack of a king, "there was no king in Israel" (Judges 21:25), was a chaotic period with intense political instability and the influx of many foreign religious elements into the Israeli religion. Samuel came from the small town of Ramah, he was dedicated by his mother Anna, who gave birth to him after a long period of infancy, in the sanctuary of Shiloh, the most important sacred place of the Israelites, because there the Ark of the Covenant was kept, led by the priests Eli, and he was brought up according to the Mosaic tradition.

One night, while sleeping in the sanctuary of Shiloh, he heard the voice of God calling him and thus he was called to the office of prophet. This scene could be interpreted as an epiphany with the purpose of calling the prophet and sending a message from God during a night dream, a phenomenon...