St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-11-13

eyes, he may wen talk for he SS
even now an old man and it means not
much to him to die. But how is 1t
with US who have wives and children
and much goods in the city We may
outwardly yield to these Gentiles and
still be Jews at heart. Of what avail
if we die?"
Thus was the city filled with conten-
ton among the Jews, few choosing
to remain loyal to Moses law, while
the great majority outwardly obeyed
the mandates of the man from Athens.
1t was during these days that the
king of Greece celebrated the anniver-
sary of his birth, and the Greeks in
Jerusalem, anxious to do honor to
their king and to their great god, made
great sacrifices and held feasts and
commanded that the Jews Of the city
enter into the festivities, and eat Of
the meats which had been offered to
their god And when the feast of Bac-
chus was kept the Jews were COM
PEELED to go in the procession carrying
ivy and garlands before the great ina
age. Moreover there went out the
| decree to the neighboring cities
against the Jews that they should OBJ
serve the same fashions and be par
! takers of their sacrifices. And whose
| would not conform themselves to the
| manners of the Gentiles should be put
| to death.
| And that terror might seize upon
| the hearts of the people who dared to
disobey, two women who had circum-
cised their babes after the law and
command of Moses, were taken and
having been openly led about the city
with their babes in their arms, they
were taken to the highest point on
the wall and cast upon the jagged
rocks in the abyss below. And 9TH
ers, that had run together in the
| caves nearby to keep the Sabbath day
secretly, being discovered, were all
burned together, because they feared
to dishonor God and violate his holy
day.
And Eleazar, who had done much to
encourage the people to remain loyal
to Gods law, was not to escape, for
he was seized and made to open his
mouth into which swine flesh was
thrust with the command to eat for
his good health. But he, choosing
rather to die gloriously than to live
stained with such abomination, spit II
forth.
Then did those who had charge OF
the wicked feast, and who had come
to know the old man and understand
his great influence with his people, be
| ing anxious to win him over to their
customs, that it might encourage 9th
ers to do likewise, took him one side
and said:
What profit If you should die. Let
us tell thee how thou canst save thy
self and still remain true to thy law
Bring thy own flesh such as is lawful
for thee to use, and make as though
thou didst eat of the meat of the sac
rifice commanded by the king, but eat
that which thou thyself hath provided
Then all will be we'll"
at becometh not my age in any wise
to dissemble," he declared with dig
nifty, for by SO doing many persons
might think that Eleazar being four
score years old and ten, were gone
to strange religion, and so they
through mine hypocrisy, and desire tt
1 live little time, should be deceived
by me, and get a stain to mine OLD
age, and make 1t abominable. For
though for the present time I should
be delivered from the punishment oil
men; yet should not escape the hand
of the Almighty, neither alive or dead
Wherefore now, manfully changing
this life, I will show myself such an
one as mine age requireth, and leave
a notable example to such as be
young, to die willingly and courage
ously for the honorable and holy
laws"
And having thus spoken to those
who would have saved him If he
would have but dfssembled, they were
greatly inflamed against him anC
dragged him off to the torment which
was made as awful as possible, his
tongue being first cut out and then al
his extremities cut off and last of al
he was cast upon red-hot pan. And
when he was about to give up the
ghost, he cried:
1T Is manifest unto the Lord, tha
hath the holy knowledge, that where
as might have been delivered from
death, I now endure sore pain in my
body, but in soul am well conten
to suffer these things, for fear him.
Thus did Eleazar die, leaving hi
death for an example of noble cour
age, and a memorial of virtue, no