Eleazar the Priest אלעזר הכהן
Aaron's third son, who received the high priesthood from him on Mount Hor
Of Aaron's four sons the two elder, Nadab and Abihu, died bringing "strange fire." Eleazar and Ithamar remained.
The high priesthood passed on Mount Hor, by direct instruction: "strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there." So it was done, and the whole assembly saw that Aaron had died, and mourned him thirty days.
When Joshua was appointed Moses' successor, the shape of the new authority is spelled out: Joshua shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgement of the Urim. That is, the military leader does not get prophetic access himself — he goes to the priest with his question. It is the first division of power into two in the Torah.
At the apportioning of the land Eleazar is named first: "these are the inheritances the Israelites received… which Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun apportioned to them." He was buried on the hill of Phinehas his son, in the hill country of Ephraim — and the book of Joshua ends with his burial.
On the timeline
Sources
Tanakh
- Bemidbar 20:25–28 — Aharon's garments pass to his son on Mount Hor
- Bemidbar 27:18–23 — Yehoshua stands before Elazar and inquires by the Urim
- Yehoshua 14:1; 24:33 — the apportioning of the land, and burial on the hill of Pinchas
Basis: stated in the Tanakh.