ELEAZAR BEN DINAI

ELEAZAR BEN DINAI (c. second half of the first century c.e.), Zealot leader. Josephus relates that for 20 years he ravaged Judea until, by ruse, he was captured by the procurator Felix (53–60) and sent to Rome. He is first mentioned in the period of the procurator Fadus (44–46) in connection with the conflict in the Philadelphia (Rabbath Ammon) area of Transjordan between the Jews and their neighbors, some of whom were killed. Subsequently Eleazar was arrested together with the other Jewish leaders and was banished. In the quarrel between the Jews and Samaritans arising from the murder of a Galilean pilgrim during the procuratorship of Cumanus Ventidius (48–52), the Jews called upon Eleazar, who had taken refuge in the mountains for some years, to assist them in taking vengeance. In the Mishnah, Eleazar is mentioned as a murderer in whose time the incidence of open murder greatly increased, leading to the discontinuation of the *Eglah Arufah ceremony for an unsolved murder (see Deut. 21:1–9; Sot. 9:9), and he is mentioned elsewhere as one of those who sought to hasten the advent of the Messiah but failed (Song R. 2:7). Some are of the opinion that at first his deeds were well-intentioned but in the course of time he accustomed himself to acts of violence. It is almost certain that he was executed after being brought to Rome.

bibliography:

Jos., Ant., 20:2–4, 121, 161; Jos., Wars, 2:235, 253; Klausner, Bayit Sheni, 5 (1963), 15–17.

[Lea Roth]