ELEAZAR (e'le-5'zar), (Heb. el-aw zawr', God is helper); this was an exceedingly com mon name among the Hebrews.
1. Eldest son of Aaron (Exod. vi :23, 25), who acted in his father's lifetime.as chief of the tribe of Levi (Num. :32) (B. C. 1619), and at his succeeded him in the high-priesthood (Num. xx :28, sq.). His pontificate was contemporary with the military government of Joshua, whom he appears to have survived. A perfectly good understanding seems at all times to have subsist ed between Eleazer and Joshua, as we cobstantly trace that co-operation and mutual support which the circumstances of the time and of the nation rendered so necessary. Eleazar is supposed to have lived twenty-five years after the passage of the Jordan, and the book of Joshua concludes with a notice of his death and burial.
2. A son of Aminadab, to whose care the ark was committed, when sent back by the Philistines (I Sam. vii it). It is believed that Eleazar was a priest, or at least a Levite, though his name is not inserted among the Levites. (B. C. 1124.) 3. One of the three most eminent of David's heroes, who 'fought till his hand was weary' in maintaining with David and the other two a dar ing stand against the Philistines after 'the men of Israel had gone away.' He was also one of the same three when they broke through the Phil istine host to gratify David's longing for a drink of water from the well of his native Bethlehem (2 Sam. xxiii :9, io, 13). (B. C. about 1046.)
(See DAvin.) 4. The fourth of the Maccabean brothers, sons of the priest Mattathias (i Macc. ii :5). He was crushed to death by the fall of an elephant which he stabbed under the belly in the belief that it bore the king, Antiochus Eupator (i Macc. vi: 43-46). (B. C. 164.) 5. An aged and venerable scribe who, 'as be came his age, and the excellency of his ancient years, and the honor of his grey head,' chose rath er to submit to the most cruel torments than con form to the polluting enactments of Antiochus Epiphanes (2 Macc. vi :18-31). (B. C. about 167.) 6. Son of Mahli and grandson of Merari. He was a Merarite Levite who is mentioned as hav ing only daughters who were married to their "brethren," i. e., their cousins (1 Chron. xxiii :21, XXIV :28). (B. C. about 1618.) 7. A priest who was present at the feast of dedi cation under Nehemiah (Neh. xii :42). (B. C. 446.) S. Son of Parosh, a layman, who married a for eign wife and had to put her away (Ezra x :25). (B. C. 410.) 9. A Levite, son of Phinehas (Ezra viii :33). (B. C. 459.) 10. Son of Eliud, three generations above Jo seph, the husband of Mary ( Matt. i :Is).