Мидраш к Шмуэль А 2:32

(Fol. 8) Rabba b. b. Ghana, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Pr. 10, 27) The fear of the Lord increases man's days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened? The fear of the Lord increases the days, alludes to the first Temple, during whose existence of four hundred and ten years there were only eighteen High-priests. And the years of the wicked will be shortened, alludes to the second Temple, which existed four hundred and twenty years, but more than three hundred High-priests succeeded each other during that period. Deduct the forty years during which Simeon the Righteous ministered, and eighty years of Jochanan, the High-priest's, ministry, and ten years of Ishmael b. Favi, and according to others, also the eleven years of R. Eliezer b. Charsum, and computing, you will see that subsequently not even one High priest completed his year. R. Jochanan b. Turtha said: "Why did all of this happen? Because they were appointed to the priesthood through bribery [and not because of their merits], for R. Assi said: 'A Tarkabful of denarim did Martha b. Boethus bring to king Jannai, until she succeeded in making him appoint Joshua b. Gamla [her husband], as the High-priest.'" R. Jochanan b. Turtha said further: "Why was Shiloh destroyed? Because two sins were committed there: adultery and the disgraceful treatment of sacrifices; as it is written (I Sam. 2, 33) Now Eli was very old, and heard that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel, etc.; and although Samuel b. Nachmemi, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Whoever says that the children of Eli sinned, errs, because (Ib. b) they only prolonged the confinement bird sacrizces; nevertheless since Scripture censures them in this way [by charging them with sin], we understand that adultery prevailed. Mistreatment of sacrifices, as it is written (Ib. ib., 15) before the fat was … And if the man said unto him: 'Let the fat … for the men despised the offering of the Lord."

R. Chanina and R. Hoseah were the two whom R. Jochanan was anxious to ordain, but being unsuccessful, he felt very sorry. "Let the master not worry," said they to him, "as we are descendants of the house of Eli and are prevented by Heaven from being ordained; for R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: 'Whence do we know that a descendant of the house of Eli cannot be ordained? It is said (I Sam. 2, 32) And there shall not be an elder in thy house in all times. What is the meaning of an elder? Shall we assume it means literally — an old man? Behold it is written (Ib. 33) And all the increase of thy house shall die as [young] men. We must therefore assume that it refers to ordination.' "