The Abomination that causes Desolation
Last modified 2024-07-04 ....(under construction, not yet proof read)................... 1 page
In Brief: The Abomination that causes Desolation of Daniel 11 was the slaughtering of the pig on the altar by Antichous Ephiphanes.
Daniel 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
The Abomination that causes Desolation of Daniel 12 was Eleazar the Sagan (captain) of the temple in 66 AD
No one man did more damage (desolation) to the Jews of the first century than Eleazar. He was the primary actor behind Judaism's rebellion against Rome.
True, Nero (the man of sin, and the sea beast of Revelation) was raiding Judaism of its temple gold. And forcing his image to be used in the temple thru the roman coinage. Images were forbidden in the Temple, (which is why the shekel of the sanctuary had no images) and this had always been honored by all empires with the exception of Antihoccus Ephipanes and Caligula. True that the latest Roman Governor Floris was doing his best to start a war with the Jews, by perverting Justice, selling court decisions to the highest bidder. Something Albinus did secretly but Floris did openly.
But if you could have asked the Jews of September 70 AD on, thru the year 100 was the rebellion against Rome a smart thing to do, and if not, what should we have done differently, they surely would have said. Smart? NO WAY. What should we have done differently? Well this is hindsight, because at the time it seemed like the smart thing to do. Remember other provinces were in revolt at this time. Rome was at its weakest, especially with Nero's mis-management. We were being severly mis-treated at the hands of Floris, and Herods temple had just got completed in 64 so patrotism was at an all time high. Nero seemed to be on our side, even persecuting the Christians (our main enemy) with the blame of the fire of Rome in 64. So logically, we had the "strong delusion" that we could win our independence from the Roman Empire. But in hindsight, after seeing how it all turned out, we should have Let Nero take all our temple gold, it doesn't do the common man any good anyway, decorating the temple. Let Floris mis-rule us, as he will. Nero wont live forever, and maybe his successor will appoint a new procurator over us other than Floris, to deal better with us, especially if we repent and get back into Gods favor (which wasn't going to happen. There is nothing the Christ hating Jews can ever do, to win back Gods favor except convert to Christianity and bow the knee to their crucified Lord and Savior, per 1 John 2:22). If we Jews had done all this, at least we would have gotten to live. Our cities would not be burned up, our temple would still be standing, Jerusalems walls would still be there to keep us secure, and our people (spread out all over the Roman Known World) would still be getting rich through our trade and usury and monopolistic screw-the-gentile practices, all under the protection of the Roman Empire.
So, to the Average Jew of 66AD when the revolt happened, what God calls the Abomination of Desolation, wasn't such a bad fellow.
I believe Eleazar was motivated to become tyrant (emboldened to sieze power) after he saw what others before him had done. Consider Menahem, just 6 months earlier.
Menahem the Meglo-maniac
Aug 66 – Menahem returned from Masada where his soldiers had broke open Herod’s armory there and taken all the weapons out to arm his own men. He returned triumphantly like a king to Jerusalem, where he assumed command of the rebel forces attacking Herod’s palace where Agrippa’s troops, the moderate Jews, and Romans were camped. [War 2.433-434 (2.17.8)] Note: I use the notation B2-C18-S1 to mean Book 2, Chapter 18, Section 1 or sometimes just 2.18.1
This victory over the moderates inflated the ego of Menahem so much, Josephus says, that Menahem believed himself to have no rival in the leadership of the revolt, and became overbearingly tyrannical.
After doing all this, Menahem paraded himself through the city in purple as if he was now the King (in replacement of Agrippa and the other contenders).
Menahem, took the role of the Messiah for himself.
Eleazar and his men could not tolerate Menahem, so they formed a conspiracy to kill him and take full control of the rebel forces [War 2.442-443 (2.17.9)].
Sep 66 – Menahem put on royal garments and pompously went up into the temple to worship with some of his armed men as bodyguards. While he was in the temple, Menahem was attacked by the priestly rebels under the command of Eleazar (who was the son of the Ananias killed by Menahem). Eleazar’s forces captured and killed Menahem in revenge for killing Eleazar’s father, and totally disrupted Menahem’s forces in Jerusalem. Eleazar had now regained control of the Zealot forces. [War 2.442-448 (2.17.9)]
What Eleazar did was mild compared to what Menahem did, just 6 months earlier. Just as What Nero planned on doing to the temple and to Jerusalem was mild compared to what Caligula came within a hairs-breadth of doing (luckily God struck Caligula dead, before his plans were carried out), but it surely emboldened Nero to try to rob the temple via Floris, and get his image set up there (initially in the form of Roman coins carrying Nero's image having to be used in the Temple once Floris robbed all the gold', but eventually, I believe Nero planned on having his statue set up in the temple, even as Caligula planned on so doing). Consider that Eleazar did a few good things, i.e. stopping Floris from robbing the temple further by blowing the Shofar and rallying all Jerusalem to block the streets, and by putting an end to Menahem's tyranny. Eleazar was just filling the power vacuum, after Cestius defeat, after all, someone had to be in charge of the rebels forces, and assetts. Eleazar was used to being in charge of all the temple assetts, so he was a natural for the job. The blood spilled in the temple was un-avoidable. Only safe way to get rid of Meneleus. I would have stopped the daily sacrifices too, since, why continue to sacrifice for an enemy. You dont want their sins being forgiven by God, you want them dead, and going to hell, if at all possible on your part. Sure, this is not the Christian practice of "love your enemies", but Eleazar was far from Christian. He probably murdered quite a few, in implementing his practical Judaism. The desolation he caused was primarily in keeping the gang warfare alive for the next 4 years, (causing a ton of blood to get spilled in the Temple) letting all the corn stockpiled in Jerusalem get burned, and killing fellow Jews in the ensuing gang warfare. Not to mention his troops terrorizing and plundering and murdering the citizenry of Jerusalem. He wasn't any worse than any of his predecessors, nor of John of Gischala or Simon.
Even though Menahem's character is more evil and megla-maniac than Eleazers (See Menahem the Meglo-maniac above.) We still have to stick with Eleazar as being the Abomination that causes desolation because of the timing of certain events.
Some might object: if Eleazar was such an Abomination that causes Desolation, why do we see him doing good things. When Floris (probably under orders from Nero) attempted to get the rest of the gold in the temple (after he had already squeezed 17 talents out of the temple administration, just months prior), Eleazar stopped him, by blowing the Shofar and having all the merchants and citizenry block the streets to the temple, with their carts, horses, and crowds so that Floris army could not get to the temple without a mass slaughter. Eleazar protected the temple gold for the Jews, and denied it to the thief Floris and to the Sea Beast of Revelation, Nero. Nero was preparing to go on tour, to Greece to compete in the Olympic Games at this time, raiding other Gods temples, of their gold, and singing, acting in plays, and racing in chariot races in Greece, when he was not accusing some rich Roman Senator of a capital crime, and putting him to death so he could steal his estate. Ed Stevens has a very good write up of this whole affair on page 211 FINAL_DECADE-STEVENS.PDF
But Eleazar fits Matthew 24:15-18 description of the Abomination that causes Desolation better than any one else. Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Even though the people were used to seeing Eleazer in the temple all the time, [since he was captain of the temple guard] so far, there is nothing to be alarmed at to perform Matt 24:16, 17, 18 (above).
It could be argued that Eleazar never meant to defile the temple with the blood of soldiers, nor their dead carcasses, but it was forced upon him by Menahem.
However; "At the time of the rebellion, Eleazar was Sagan (captain of the temple guard, "governor of the temple", Wars 2.409). That was the second highest position in the priesthood (right underneath the High Priest). The Sagan was appointed by the High Priest and approved by the Sanhedrin. ... A few months after the incident with Florus in Apr 66, Eleazar illegally stopped the daily sacrifices of all Gentiles (in Aug 66). This was totally unprecedented and lawless in the extreme. Never had Gentile sacrifices and offerings been refused. Ever since Moses and Aaron had instituted the sacrifices at the tabernacle, God had ordered them to accept all Gentile offerings and sacrifices (as long as they were clean animals and not unclean). ... As Yosippon indicates (Sefer Yosippon, Chapters 72, 75), Eleazar was the one who literally “sat in the temple” controlling all the affairs of the temple, priesthood, and sacrifices, and used the Temple as his fortress during nearly the entire war, beginning in April AD 66, until just before Titus began the siege in AD 70 (about three and a half years)." Therefore spilling the most blood of anyone, in the Temple. fjk page 214 FINAL_DECADE-STEVENS.PDF
Eleazer moving his army inside the Temple area, polluted it. The temple had a regular guard, to keep order, but these had barracks away from the holy areas. Moving in an armed band of men 5000 or 10,000 in size into the temple area, turned it into an armed camp. This action alone would be an unthinkable abomination to the priesthood of just a decade earlier. Now add to that battle scenes inside the temple.
How much suffering and desolation, did he help cause?
Wars page 578 or WARS-B6-C3-S3 (Book 6, Chap 3, Section 3)
3. Now of those that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious, and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable ; for : if so much as the shadow of any kind of food did} anywhere appear, a war was commenced presently ; and the dearest friends fell a-fighting one with another about it, snatching from each other the most miserable supports of life. Nor would men believe that those who were dying had no food ; but the robbers would search them when they were expiring, lest any one should have concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited dying: nay, these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling and staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the doors of the houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great distress they were in, rush into the very same houses two or three times in one and the same day. Moreover, their hunger was so intolerable, that it obliged them to chew everything, while they gathered such things as the most sordid animals would not touch, and endured to eat them; nor did they at length abstain from girdles and shoes ; and the very leather which belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed: the very wisps of old hay became food to some; and some gathered up fibres, and sold a very small weight of them for four Attic, [drachme.] But why should I describe the shameless impudence
that the famine brought on men in their eating inanimate things, ...
Note: Josephus goes on to describe a woman who kills the nursing babe at her breast, and roasts him and eats half. The seditious smell it, and come to her house to steal her food, but when shown the babe, they are appalled, ... at which the mother says "if you be so scrupulous, and do abominate this my sacrifice, as I have eaten the one half, let the rest be reserved for me also.” After which, those men went out trembling, being never so much affrighted at anything as they were at this, and with some difficulty they left the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which, the whole city was full of horrid action immediately ; and while everybody laid this miserable case before their own eyes, they trembled, as if this unheard-of action had been done by themselves, So those that were thus distressed by the famine were very desirous to die; and those already dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough either to hear or see such miseries. 5. This sad instance was quickly told to the Romans, some of whom could not believe it, and others pitied the distress which the Jews were under; but there were many of them who were hereby induced to a more bitter hatred than ordinary against our nation; but for Cesar, he excused himself before God as to this matter, and said that he had proposed peace and liberty to the Jews, as well as an oblivion of all their former insolent practices; but that they, instead of concord, had chosen sedition ; instead of peace, war; and before satiety and abundance, a famine. That they had begun with their own hands to burn down that temple, which we have preserved hitherto; and that therefore they deserved to eat such food as this was. (though it was more fitting food for the fathers who were fighting against us, than for the mothers, Caesar said).
In Feb-68 AD – (Eleazer sent for a foreign army [The Idumaens] to come and plunder the moderates inside Jerusalem) The Idumaeans got into Jerusalem under the cover of night and a terrible thunderstorm. [Wars 4.286-301 (4.4.5-7)] When night fell, there was a frightful storm (with severe lightning and torrential downpours with high winds) which drowned out the noise of some of the Zealots who escaped from the temple and opened a small gate for the Idumaeans to come in. Once they were inside, they killed the guards of Ananus and liberated the Zealots from the temple. Then they turned their wrath upon the two (former) high priests (Ananus II and Jesus b. Gamaliel) and the citizenry. Ananus II and Jesus were killed along with about 8500 other soldiers and citizens. “The whole outer courts of the temple were deluged with blood.” (Cornfeld translation) [Wars 4.313-325 (4.5.1-2)]
For all the above reasons, I differ with Ed, (who prefers to maintain a vast spread of potential candidates) and I differ from Jordan (who wants to hearken back to Antiochus Ephiphanes). I think Eleazar as general of his standing army, in the temple, is the best candidate for "the Abomination that Causes Desolation" of Matt 24 and Daniel 12.
fjk
Matthew 24:15
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let
him understand:)
Matthew 24:16
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Matthew 24:17
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house:
Matthew 24:18
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Matthew 24:19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
Matthew 24:20
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day:
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matthew 24:22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:23
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there;
believe it not.
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect.
How much desolation, continued:
WARS-B6-C9 Page 587 3. Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand ; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege, eleven hundred thousand, the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation, [with the citizens of Jerusalem,] but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut up by an army, which, at the very first, occasioned so great a straitness among them ... The whole multitude of the Jews that were destroyed during the entire seven years before this time (i.e. outside the siege of Jerusalem) amounts to 1,337,490.
WARS-B6-C9 Page 588 an estimate of the population of Jerusalem based on the sacrifices presented at the temple, "amounts to two millions seven hundred thousand and two hundred persons that were pure and holy ; for as to those that have the leprosy, or the gonorrhcea, or women that have their monthly courses, or such as are otherwise polluted, it is not lawful for them to be partakers of this sacrifice; nor indeed for any foreigners neither, who come hither to worship.
* Here we may note, that 3,000,000 of the Jews were present at the passover, AD 65; which confirms what Josephus elsewhere informs us of. that at a passover a little later, they counted 256,500 paschal lambs; which, at twelve to each lamb, (comes out to 3m) Wars bk2, section 3 page 484
Note: you should ask yourself, who in his right mind would go up to the passover of 70 AD, when Titus army lay in the land, and everyone knew he was gunning for Jerusalem as soon as he cleaned up the hinterlands. Even after Vespasian and Titus had conquered all of Judea, all of the small citys in the entire land had fallen. None had held out. All were either conquered or surrendered. Only Jerusalem was left, where all the "true believers", i.e. hardened Jews, i.e. Zealots, decieved by the "strong delusion" sent by God, that Jerusalem would not fall, had retreated unto. Wise Jews would have stayed away from the 70 AD passover, surrendered to Rome, come back under Roman Empire rule, and lived in peace. Zealot Jews, eager for a change in their government, wanting positions of power in the new govt. and mad about the abuses of Florus, who also hearkened back to the glory days of the Maccabees when the Greeks were successfully revolted against, these would put their faith in their idols, Jerusalem their "holy" city and in Herods Temple. However, they had to have heard of the gang warfare going on in Jerusalem prior to this, they had to have experienced the brazen treason and sedition of the robbers who had gotten armies gathered around themselves, plundering the countryside ... Comment: I believe that the demonic false Jews are incapable of governing themselves, ever since the days of Pompey. They will always form rival gangs that compete for power unto death, even the death of the populace. It takes gentiles with some semblance of Christianity to impose order upon them. Of course if the more control they gain over the the gentiles that rule over them, the more economic crashes, monopolies, scandals, porn, national swindles, blackmail, bribery, assasinations, terrorism, that country suffers, as they compete for power. The USA is the greatest example of this today. Hitlers 3rd Reich is the greatest anti-example. Reflect upon Germanies prosperity during the world wide depression years of the 1930's. Primarily achieved by driving the false Jews out of Germany. It has to ever be thus, with the false Jews who consider their gentile hosts (of whom the Jews are actually parasites to) to be but beasts and cattle, to be exploited, and slaughtered at will.
Josephus seems to agree, when he is commenting on the abominations done by John of Gischala (70AD) when he got hold of the temple from Eleazar:
"I suppose that had the Romans made any longer delay in coming against these villains, the city would either have been swallowed up by the ground opening upon them, or been overflowed by water, or else been destroyed by such thunder as the country of Sodom perished by, for it had brought forth a generation of men much more
atheistical than were those that suffered such punishments ; for by their madness it was that all the people came to be destroyed.
WARS page 570 WARS-B5-C13-S6
And what was the desolation like in the countryside, in the small cities in Judea, after the rebellion started in 66 AD (which should have been a warning to stay away from all Jewish govt, especially in Jerusalem).
Page 492 B2-C18-S1. Now the people of Caesarea had slain the Jews that were among them on the very same day and hour [when the soldiers were slain,] which one would think must have come to pass by the direction of Providence; insomuch that in one hour’s time above two thousand Jews were killed, and all Caesarea was emptied of its” (note: Jewish) inhabitants ; for Florus caught such as ran away, and sent them in bonds to the galleys. Upon which stroke that the Jews received at Caesarea, the whole nation (note: of Jewry) was greatly enraged; so they divided themselves into several parties, and laid waste the villages of the Syrians, and their neighboring cities, Philadelphia (note: most probably one of the 7 cities of the book of Revelation, but the saints were raptured out of there by now), and Sebonitis, and Gerasa, and Pella (note: where Christians fled, according to early church fathers tradition to escape this great tribulation of Roman-Jewish persecution, but they too would have been raptured out of there), and Scythopolis, and after them Gadara, and Hippos; and falling upon Gaulonitis, some cities they destroyed there and some they set on fire, and then they went to Kedasa, belonging to the Tyrians, and to Ptolemais, and to Gaba, and to Caesarea; nor was either Sebaste (Samaria) or Askelon able to oppose the violence with which they were attacked ; and when they had burned these to the ground, they entirely demolished Anthedon and Gaza; many also of the villages that were about every one of those cities were plundered, and an immense slaughter was made of the men who were caught in them.
2. However, the Syrians were even with the Jews in the multitude of the men whom they slew ; for they killed those whom they caught in their cities, and that not only out of the hatred they bare them, as formerly, but to prevent the danger under which they were from them; so that the disorders in all Syria were terrible, and every city was divided into two armies encamped one against another, and the preservation of the one party was in the destruction of the other; so the daytime was spent in shedding blood, and the night in fear, which was of the two the more terrible ; for when the Syrians thought they had ruined the Jews, they had the Judaisers in suspicion also; and as each side did not care to slay those whom they only suspected on the other, so did they greatly fear them when they were mingled with the other, as if they were certainly foreigners.
Moreover, greediness of gain was a provocation to kill the opposite party, even to such as had of old appeared very mild and gentle towards them ; for they without fear plundered the effects of the slain, and carried off the spoil of those whom they slew to their own houses, as if they had been gained in a set battle ; and he was esteemed a man of honour who got the greatest share, as having prevailed over the greatest number of his enemies. It was then common to see cities filled with dead bodies, still lying unburied, and those of old men, mixed with infants all dead and scattered about together; women also lay among them, without any covering for their nakedness: you might then see the whole province full of inexpressible calamities, while the dread of still more barbarous practices which were threatened, was everywhere greater than what had been already perpetrated.
3. And thus far the conflict had been between Jews and foreigners; but when they (note: the Jews) made excursions to Scythopolis, they found Jews that acted as enemies ;. for they stood in battle array with those of Scythopolis, and preferred their own safety (note: of standing with their neighbors) before their relation to us, they fought against their own countrymen ;, nay, their (note: Jewish residents of Scythopolis) alacrity was so very great, that those (note: non-Jews) of Scythopolis suspected them (note: Jewish residents of Scythopolis, i.e. their neighbors). These non-Jews were afraid, therefore, lest they (note: Jews living amongst them) should make an assault upon the city in the night-time, and to their great misfortune, should thereby make an apology for themselves to their own people for their revolt from them (note: i.e. desert over to the the other side, i.e. to the side of the attacking Jews). So they (note: non-Jews of Schthopolis) commanded them (note: their neighbors who were Jewish, but suspected of switching loyalty to the besieging Jews without the city), that in case they would confirm their agreement and demonstrate their fidelity to them, who were of a different nation, they should go out of the city, with their families, to a neighboring grove : and when they had done as they were commanded, without suspecting anything, the people of Scythopolis lay still for the interval of two days, to tempt them to be secure; but on the third night they watched their opportunity, and cut all their (note: Jewish neighbors) throats, some of them as they lay unguarded, and some as they lay asleep. The number that was slain was above thirteen thousand, and then they plundered them of all that they had ...
WARS OF THE JEWS Page 493
5. Besides this murder at Scythopolis, the other cities rose up against the Jews that were among them: those of Askelon slew two thousand five hundred, and those of Ptolemais two thousand, and put not a few into bonds; those of Tyre also put a great number to death, but kept a greater number in prison; moreover, those of Hippos and those of Gadara did the like, while they put to death the boldest of the Jews, but kept those of whom they were most afraid in custody ; as did the rest of the cities of Syria, according as they every one either hated them or were afraid of them ; only the Antiochians (note: the believers were first called Christians at Antioch, and this great city became the center of Christianity after the Apostles fled Jerusalem, fjk), the Sidonians, and Apamians, spared those that dwelt with them, and they would not endure either to kill any of the Jews, or to put them in bonds. |
Consider:
Acts 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. 25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Those were the desolations found out in the countryside, before the passover of 70 AD. Now back to what was going on inside Jerusalem, prior to 70 AD
Now this Simon, who was without the wall (of Jerusalem), was a greater terror to the people than the Romans themselves, as-were the zealots who were within it more heavy upon them than both of the other; and during this time did the mischievous contrivances and courage [of John of Gischala] corrupt the body of the Galileans ; for these Galileans had advanced this John, and made him very potent, who made them a suitable requital from the authority he had obtained by their means; for he permitted them to do all things that any of them desired to do, while their inclination to plunder was insatiable, as was their zeal in searching the houses, of the rich; and for the murdering of the men, and abusing of the women, it was sport to them. They also devoured what spoils they had taken, together with their blood, and indulged themselves in feminine wantonness, without any disturbance, till they were satiated therewith: while they decked their hair, and put on women’s garments, and were besmeared over with ointments; and that they might appear very comely, they had paints under their eyes, and imitated, not only the ornaments, but also the lusts of women, and were guilty of such intolerable uncleanness, that they invented unlawful pleasures of that sort. And thus did they roll themselves up and down the city, as in a brothel-house, and defiled it entirely with their impure actions: nay, while their faces looked like the faces of women, they killed with their right hands ; and when their gait was effeminate, they presently attacked men, and became warriors, and drew their swords from under their finely-dyed cloaks, and ran everybody through whom they alighted upon. However, Simon waited for such as ran away from John, and was the more bloody of the two; and he who had escaped the tyrant within the wall was destroyed by the other that lay before the gates, so that all attempts of flying and deserting to the Romans were cut off, as to those that had a mind so to do.
So when exactly did Eleazar become "the abomination that causes desolation"?
B1-C20-S3
Joseph also, the son of Gorion, and Ananus the high priest, were chosen as governors of all affairs within the city, and with a particular charge to repair the walls of the city ; for they did not ordain Eleazar the son of Simon to that office, although he had gotten into his possession the prey they had taken from the Romans, and the money they had taken from Cestius, together with a great part of the public treasures, because they saw he was of a tyrannical temper; and that his followers were, in their behaviour, like guards about him. However, the want they were in of Eleazar’s money, and the subtle tricks used by him, brought all so about, that the people were circumvented, and submitted , themselves to his authority in all public affairs
When do we first hear of Eleazar?
Sep-Oct 62 – Sicarii activity began to escalate. After Albinus the Procurator had rounded up and imprisoned some of the Sicarii, the other Sicarii then took hostages to trade for their comrades that Albinus had imprisoned. One of those who were taken hostage by the Sicarii was Eleazar b. Ananias (son of Ananias b. Nedebaeus, and scribe of the Temple governor), who was captured by the Sicarii at the Feast of Booths (Sept 62). [Antiq. 20:208 (20.9.3)]