Eleazar (High Priest)

{{Short description|High Priest of Israel}}

{{For|the earlier High Priest, son of Aaron|Eleazar}}

Eleazar was a Jewish High Priest (c. 260–245 BC) during the Second Temple period. He was the son of Onias I and brother of Simon I.{{cite book|author=Ingrid Hjelm|title=The Samaritans and Early Judaism: A Literary Analysis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1oZu6GjRg_IC&pg=PA133|access-date=16 December 2012|date=1 January 2000|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-84127-072-2|pages=133–}}

Eleazar was the high priest involved in communication with Ptolemy II Philadelphus discussed in the Letter of Aristeas. According to the letter, Eleazar sent seventy two scholars, six from each of the tribes of Israel to the island of Pharos, in order to provide the Library of Alexandria with a Greek translation of the Hebrew Law, also called the Septuagint.{{cite book|author1=James J. Clauss|author2=Martine Cuypers|title=A Companion to Hellenistic Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K73Tt_X1YaoC&pg=PA419|access-date=16 December 2012|date=17 May 2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-3679-2|pages=419–}}

He was succeeded by his uncle Manasseh.{{cite book|author=H. T. Spence|title=The Canon of Scripture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZeoGFEQ5WYC&pg=PA148|access-date=16 December 2012|year=2010|publisher=Foundations Bible College|isbn=978-1-882542-52-9|pages=148–}}