Eleazar

Eleazar was a Jewish martyr who died during the persecution of Judaism in Judea ordered by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Together with the woman with seven sons, he is one of the "Holy Maccabean Martyrs" celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. In the Eastern Orthodox calendar their feast day is August 1. The main source of information about Eleazar is the book 2 Maccabees, although a variant account of someone named Eleazar is found in 3 Maccabees. Depiction in 2 Maccabees The books of Maccabees describe a period of intense persecution of traditional Judaism by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of the Seleucid Empire that ruled Judea at the time (around 168–166 BCE). According to 2 Maccabees 6, Eleazar was an elderly and respected scribe. As part of the persecution, Jews were forbidden from keeping Jewish dietary law (kashrut); to break the practice, leading members of the community were required to publicly engage in performances of pork-eating. Eleazar was expected to do such a public performance. Some of his friends suggested he arrange to have some false meat ready, validly prepared under Jewish law, such that Eleazar could appear to be breaking the law, yet not truly break it. Eleazar sharply rebuked his friends and refused the offer, however, wishing to avoid even the appearance of breaking Jewish law. He did not wish for young Jews to think that Eleazar had gone over to a foreign religion merely to live a brief while longer and "defile and disgrace my old age". Instead, he dramatically spits out the food.