The prophet samuel (in hebrew, “ shmuel ”) was one of the most important figures in jewish history; Our sages describe him as the equivalent of moses and aaron combined. Samuel is a pivotal figure in the history of israel, serving as the last judge, a prophet, and a priest.

The account of samuel’s life and ministry and the national developments up to the time of his death may reasonably be credited to samuel as they are given in the book bearing his name. Samuel[a] is a figure who, in the narratives of the hebrew bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the united kingdom of israel under saul, and again in the monarchy 's transition … Samuel was a religious hero in the history of israel, represented in the hebrew bible (old testament) in every role of leadership open to a jewish man of his dayâ€seer, priest, judge, prophet, and military …