Which book of the Hebrew Bible contains the haftarah about Hannah read on Rosh Hashanah? The passage is found in 1 Samuel, especially 1 Samuel 1:1–2:10.
The reading tells how Hannah, who had been unable to have children, prayed fervently at the sanctuary in Shiloh. She vowed that, if granted a son, she would dedicate him to God. Her prayer was answered, and the child Samuel later became a prophet and judge of Israel.
The haftarah is paired with the Rosh Hashanah Torah reading about the birth of Isaac, creating a thematic link around infertility, prayer and miraculous birth. Hannah’s prayer and her song of thanksgiving are especially important examples of personal prayer in Jewish interpretation.
A common mix-up is treating the passage as a separate book called “Hannah.” It is part of 1 Samuel, the first volume of the biblical narrative about Samuel, Saul and David. In some traditions, the broader Books of Samuel are counted as one book.