Eleazar the Maccabee

Holy Martyr Eleazar the Maccabee is the aged teacher of the seven Maccabee brothers, commemorated with them and with their mother, Holy Martyr Solomonia. He lived in Judea and suffered in the year 166 before Christ.

Eleazar was a priest and teacher of the Law, advanced in years, renowned for wisdom and piety. Brought before the tormentor, he was forced to eat swine's flesh, a thing forbidden by God in the Old Law, but he chose rather a glorious death for the Law of God than an unworthy life won by breaking it. As he drew near death from the torments, he confessed that God knew he could have escaped, but that he bore the wounds willingly out of fear of the Lord.

Then the seven Maccabee brothers, his disciples, Abim, Antoninus, Gurias, Eleazar, Eusebonas, Alim and Marcellus, were seized with their mother Solomonia and were also forced to taste the forbidden food. One answered in the name of all that they would rather die than transgress the laws, and the king ordered his tongue cut out, his skin stripped and his hands and feet cut off before his brothers and mother.

The second endured in the same way and told the killer that he took from them the present life, but the King of the world would raise those who die for His laws. The third at once put out his tongue and stretched out his hands, saying that he had received them from God and for His laws did not spare them, hoping to receive them again from Him.

The other brothers then died in the same manner, and the youngest was urged by his mother to look at heaven and earth, to understand that God made all things out of nothing, not to fear the killer and to receive death, so that she might receive him again together with his brothers. After her sons Solomonia also died, thanking God.

Their commemoration is on 14 August (new style).