Eleazar was an elderly Jewish scribe who lived during the second century BC. He is remembered as a martyr who died while resisting the religious persecutions imposed by the Seleucid King Antiochus IV Epiphanes in Judea. According to the biblical book of 2 Maccabees, he chose to face a violent death rather than violate Jewish dietary laws to satisfy the king's demands. His refusal to compromise his faith served as a significant example of courage for his community.