The Martyrdom of Eleazar

¹⁸ Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pig’s flesh.^(A)

Jewish Resistance to Ptolemy

¹⁶ Then the priests in all their vestments prostrated themselves and entreated the supreme God to aid in the present situation and to avert the violence of this evil design, and they filled the temple with cries and tears;^(A)

⁴ And Hermon, keeper of the elephants, proceeded faithfully to carry out the orders.^(A)

⁵ But the courageous and noble man, like a true Eleazar,^[a] was unmoved, as though being tortured in a dream,

An Encomium on Eleazar

7 For like a most skillful pilot, the reason of our father Eleazar steered the ship of piety over the sea of the passions,