Eleazar (or Elazar; pronounced /ɛliˈeɪzə/), (Hebrew: אֶלְעָזָר, Modern Elʻazar Tiberian Elʻāzār ; "God has helped") was a priest in the Hebrew Bible, the second Kohen Gadol (High Priest) - succeeding his father Aaron. He was a nephew of Moses.
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Eleazar fulfilled a number of functions over the course of the Wilderness wanderings, from creating the plating to the altar out of the firepans of Korah's assembly to performing the ritual of the Red Heifer. After the death of his older brothers Nadab and Abihu, he was appointed to the charge of the sanctuary. His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas, who would eventually succeed him as Kohen Gadol.
On Mount Hor he was clothed with the sacred vestments, which Moses took from off his father Aaron and put upon him as successor to his father in the high priest's office, which he held for more than twenty years. He took part with Moses in numbering the people, and assisted at the inauguration of Joshua.
He assisted in the distribution of the land after the conquest. When he died, he "was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim".[1] The Hill of Phinehas[2] related in the Bible is associated with the location of the village of Awarta in the Samarian section of the current day West Bank. Due to the uncertain security situation, the Israel Defence Forces limit visits to the site by Jews to one annual night close to the 5th of Shevat (around January–February) on the Hebrew calendar..
The high-priesthood remained in the family of Eleazar until the time of Eli, into whose family it passed (Eli was a descendant of Ithamar, Eleazar's brother[3]). The high priesthood was restored to the family of Eleazar in the person of Zadok after Abiathar was cast out by Solomon.[4]
According to Samaritan sources, a civil war broke out between the Sons of Ithamar and the Sons of Phinehas - which resulted in the division of those who followed Eli and those who followed High Priest Uzzi ben Bukki at Mount Gerizim Bethel (a third group followed neither). Likewise according to Samaritan sources, the high-priestly line of the sons of Phinehas died out in 1624 C.E. with the death of the 112th High Priest Shlomyah ben Pinhas, when the priesthood was transferred to the sons of Itamar; see article Samaritan for list of High Priests from 1613 to 2004-the 131st High priest of the Samaritans is Elazar ben Tsedaka ben Yitzhaq.
Eleazar is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church on September 2, and as one of the Holy Forefathers in the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 30.
Three other men named Eleazar are briefly mentioned in the Hebrew Bible:
In the New Testament, another Eleazar, the son of Eliud, is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Gospel of Matthew as the great-grandfather of Joseph, husband of Mary.
Simon Perry has argued that the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) refers to Eleazar of Damascus. In Gen 15:4, God says to Abraham, "this man will not be your heir." By locating Lazarus (an abbreviated transcript of Eleazar) outside the gates of Abraham's perceived descendent, but then having him in Abraham's bosom, Jesus is portrayed as radically redefining the covenant.[5]
According to proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis, the Elohist (E) document uses "Eleazar" as the name of the son of Moses (ref. Exodus 18:4). This figure is more commonly referred to with the name Eliezer. Eliezer is also the name of two other minor biblical figures.
| Preceded by Aaron |
High Priest of Israel Years unknown |
Succeeded by Phinehas |
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