Eleazar ben Annas
Sadducee, eldest son of High Priest Anna. He was thirty to thirty-five years old during the Public Life of Jesus. Judas boasts of having him among his acquaintances.[1]
He served as High Priest at a very young age, but for a short duration.
The character is influential and feared.
He is a member of a delegation that comes to reprimand Jesus during His retreat at "Clear Water", where He tolerates the presence, nearby, of a "prostitute", Aglae.[2]
Later, he violates a young girl:
"Eleazar, the son of Annas, saw a girl, the daughter of a widow and… he called her saying that he had some work to give her, because they earned their living doing needlework, and… he seduced her. The girl died three days later, and her mother died, too. But before dying they told their only relative everything, notwithstanding that they had been threatened not to…"[3]
The latter complains to High Priest Anna: he has Eleazar arrested. The trial before the Sanhedrin turns in Eleazar's favor: the innocent accuser is condemned.
Three Sanhedrists protest: Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Eleazar Ben Boethos. Nothing helps.
At the last Feast of Tabernacles, Eleazar intervenes to drive Jesus out of the Temple, when the soldiers sent to arrest Him return empty-handed.[4]
He believes himself to be the "friend" of Pontius Pilate, and leads the Sanhedrin delegation to request the Proconsul's intervention against Jesus after the resurrection of Lazarus. The delegation is dismissed and humiliated. Caiphas then issues the condemnation notice that forces Jesus to withdraw to Ephraim.[5]
Eleazar is present on Golgotha with his group of followers.[6]
His name
Eleazar, in Greek Lazarus means "God has helped". Historical reference: the son of Aaron who became high priest like him upon his death.
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Eleazar ben Hanna was high priest under Valerius Gratus, in 16-17, succeeding Ishmael ben Phiabi, and was replaced by Simon ben Camithos.[7] He sat on the Sanhedrin in the Sadducees' chamber.
Although the law does not fix an age for accession to the high priesthood, rabbinical tradition fixes it at 20 years. Eleazar must have been appointed at that age. At the time of Jesus' public life, fourteen years later, he was, according to Maria Valtorta's observation, "thirty, thirty-five years old".