The book of Samuel gets its name from the character of Samuel, who plays a significant role in the early parts of the narrative with the stories of his birth and of his childhood serving in the temple at Shiloh under Eli the priest. The book opens with the story of Samuel’s mother, Hannah, and follows Samuel’s birth, childhood, and his growth into the role of judge, prophet, and priest in Israel who eventually anoints Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David. It’s called the book of Samuel because, in large part, the book begins with a man named Samuel and details other significant events that took place in his day.