By Alexandria
The stories about Eleazer, the seven brothers and their mother intersect with the noble death tradition because in each story the victims of the King's persecution faced their death with courage. Eleazer chose to die nobly instead of eating the pig meat or even pretending to eat the pig meat. He chose to die because he didn't want to disappoint the young people that looked up to him, or lead them astray with his actions. Eleazer also mentioned that "Even if for the present I would avoid the punishment of mortals, yet whether I live or die I will not escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore by bravely giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws" (2 Maccabees, 6: 26-28). Eleazer's death is noble because he was not afraid to die for what he believed in.
The deaths of the seven brothers and their mother represent the noble death because like Eleazer they did not choose living in disgrace over dying courageously. Even though each brother watched his brother be tortured and die a horrible death, none of them showed fear. They all met their end with determination that they would not break the laws of God by eating the meat of the swine. Instead of being afraid, they all encouraged each other to be brave and remember that they would be rewarded by God for their piety.
These stories involve the rivalry in power between the King Antiochus IV and the Jews God. King Antiochus believes that he has the ultimate power because he is the one condemning Eleazer as well as the seven brothers and their mother to death for not partaking in eating the sacrificial flesh of the swine. But in reality it is them that have the power since they all chose to die instead. An example of this power takes place in the speech by the sixth brother, "Do not deceive yourself in vain. For we are suffering these things on our own account, because of our sins against our own God. Therefore astounding things have happened. But do not think that you will go unpunished for having tried to fight against God!" (2 Maccabees, 7:18-19). The youngest son before he died said "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our ancestors throw Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews will certainly not escape the hands of God. For we are suffering because of our own sins" (2 Maccabees, 7:30-32). Basically each of these speeches by the brothers conveys their opinion that their God is more powerful than that of some mortal king.
Ancient gender assumptions informed the portrait of the mother in 2 Maccabees 7:21 when the mother is described as "Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage". Instead of having her own courage, her courage is that of a man's. The mother also says that she is not the one that gave life to her sons, (something that is generally thought of as the role of the mother) but in fact God was the one responsible for that. In 4 Maccabees 14:11-12, "Do not consider it amazing that reason had full command over these men in their tortures, since the mind of woman despised even more diverse agonies, for the mother of the seven young men bore up under the rackings of each of her children". Here the assumption is that men can handle pain better than women (even though this mother willingly bore the agony of seven childbirths). However this mother is proof that this assumption is wrong since she bore the pain of watching her seven sons die and then chose to die an excruciating death with them. In Maccabees 16:25, the other gender assumption is that women should be consoled by men in the face of death, however it is opposite here. The mother in fact is the one lending her sons her strength and asking them to face death bravely rather than violate the command of God.
The stories about Eleazer, the seven brothers and their mother intersect with the noble death tradition because in each story the victims of the King's persecution faced their death with courage. Eleazer chose to die nobly instead of eating the pig meat or even pretending to eat the pig meat. He chose to die because he didn't want to disappoint the young people that looked up to him, or lead them astray with his actions. Eleazer also mentioned that "Even if for the present I would avoid the punishment of mortals, yet whether I live or die I will not escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore by bravely giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws" (2 Maccabees, 6: 26-28). Eleazer's death is noble because he was not afraid to die for what he believed in.
The deaths of the seven brothers and their mother represent the noble death because like Eleazer they did not choose living in disgrace over dying courageously. Even though each brother watched his brother be tortured and die a horrible death, none of them showed fear. They all met their end with determination that they would not break the laws of God by eating the meat of the swine. Instead of being afraid, they all encouraged each other to be brave and remember that they would be rewarded by God for their piety.
These stories involve the rivalry in power between the King Antiochus IV and the Jews God. King Antiochus believes that he has the ultimate power because he is the one condemning Eleazer as well as the seven brothers and their mother to death for not partaking in eating the sacrificial flesh of the swine. But in reality it is them that have the power since they all chose to die instead. An example of this power takes place in the speech by the sixth brother, "Do not deceive yourself in vain. For we are suffering these things on our own account, because of our sins against our own God. Therefore astounding things have happened. But do not think that you will go unpunished for having tried to fight against God!" (2 Maccabees, 7:18-19). The youngest son before he died said "What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king's command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our ancestors throw Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews will certainly not escape the hands of God. For we are suffering because of our own sins" (2 Maccabees, 7:30-32). Basically each of these speeches by the brothers conveys their opinion that their God is more powerful than that of some mortal king.
Ancient gender assumptions informed the portrait of the mother in 2 Maccabees 7:21 when the mother is described as "Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage". Instead of having her own courage, her courage is that of a man's. The mother also says that she is not the one that gave life to her sons, (something that is generally thought of as the role of the mother) but in fact God was the one responsible for that. In 4 Maccabees 14:11-12, "Do not consider it amazing that reason had full command over these men in their tortures, since the mind of woman despised even more diverse agonies, for the mother of the seven young men bore up under the rackings of each of her children". Here the assumption is that men can handle pain better than women (even though this mother willingly bore the agony of seven childbirths). However this mother is proof that this assumption is wrong since she bore the pain of watching her seven sons die and then chose to die an excruciating death with them. In Maccabees 16:25, the other gender assumption is that women should be consoled by men in the face of death, however it is opposite here. The mother in fact is the one lending her sons her strength and asking them to face death bravely rather than violate the command of God.