Eleazar (son of Ananias)

Also known as: Eleazar · Family: seditious · Role: son of Ananias; governor of the temple · First appears: Book II, Chapter 17

In Book II, Chapter 17, Eleazar is identified as the son of Ananias, the high priest. He opposed Manahem, arguing with his party that the revolt against Rome should not replace Roman rule with a ruler from among their own people; they assaulted Manahem in the temple, and when he fled to Ophla, they captured, tortured, and killed him.

After Manahem’s death, Eleazar’s men continued pressing the siege of the Roman soldiers under Metilius. When the soldiers laid down their weapons under the capitulation, Eleazar’s men attacked and killed them despite their protests that the agreement had been broken, sparing Metilius only after he promised to turn Jew and be circumcised.

Relationship record

Life events

• Eleazar’s faction attacked, captured, tortured, and killed Manahem.(Book II, Chapter 17 · 📍 Ophla)
  • With: Manahem
  • “But Eleazar and his party fell violently upon him, as did also the rest of the people; and taking up stones to attack him withal, they threw them at the sophister, and thought, that if he were once ruined, the entire sedition would fall to the ground. Now Manahem and his party made resistance for a while; but when they perceived that the whole multitude were falling upon them, they fled which way every one was able; those that were caught were slain, and those that hid themselves were searched for. A few there were of them who privately escaped to Masada, among whom was Eleazar, the son of Jairus, who was of kin to Manahem, and acted the part of a tyrant at Masada afterward. As for Manahem himself, he ran away to the place called Ophla, and there lay skulking in private; but they took him alive, and drew him out before them all; they then tortured him with many sorts of torments, and after all slew him,”
• Eleazar’s men violated the capitulation and massacred Metilius’s disarmed soldiers, sparing Metilius after his conversion promise.(Book II, Chapter 17)
  • With: Metilius
  • “but as soon as, according to the articles of capitulation, they had all laid down their shields and their swords, and were under no further suspicion of any harm, but were going away, Eleazar's men attacked them after a violent manner, and encompassed them round, and slew them, while they neither defended themselves, nor entreated for mercy, but only cried out upon the breach of their articles of capitulation and their oaths. And thus were all these men barbarously murdered, excepting Metilius; for when he entreated for mercy, and promised that he would turn Jew, and be circumcised, they saved him alive, but none else.”

Book II, Chapter 17

• parent: Ananias (high priest) “Eleazar, the son of Ananias the high priest”
• rivals with Manahem “Now the overthrow of the places of strength, and the death of the high priest Ananias, so puffed up Manahem, that he became barbarously cruel; and as he thought he had no antagonist to dispute the management of affairs with him, he was no better than an insupportable tyrant; but Eleazar and his party, when words had passed between them, how it was not proper when they revolted from the Romans, out of the desire of liberty, to betray that liberty to any of their own people, and to bear a lord, who, though he should be guilty of no violence, was yet meaner than themselves; as also, that in case they were obliged to set some one over their public affairs, it was fitter they should give that privilege to any one rather than to him; they made an assault upon him in the temple”
• enemies with Manahem (Eleazar and Manahem's factions violently attack one another.) “But Eleazar and his party fell violently upon him, as did also the rest of the people; and taking up stones to attack him withal, they threw them at the sophister”
• with Metilius (Metilius negotiated with Eleazar for the soldiers' safety.) “but hoped to prosecute it with less danger, now they had slain Manahem. It is true, that when the people earnestly desired that they would leave off besieging the soldiers, they were the more earnest in pressing it forward, and this till Metilius, who was the Roman general, sent to Eleazar, and desired that they would give them security to spare their lives only”

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Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.