1 Samuel 4

The Israelites engage in battle with the Philistines at Ebenezer and suffer a significant defeat. Believing the Ark of the Covenant is a magical charm, they retrieve it from Shiloh and bring it into the camp. However, the Philistines are not deterred and attack again, inflicting a crushing blow, killing thirty thousand Israeli soldiers. Both of Eli's wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are killed, and the Ark of the Covenant is captured. When the elderly Eli hears the news, he falls backward, breaks his neck, and dies.