The last words of this book, in the Latin & Hebrew, are: “Eleazar also son of Aaron died: and they buried him in Gabaath of Phinees his son, which was given to him in Mount Ephraim.” “[It is] credible,” says Masius, “[that] the Commander [Joshua] and the Pontiff [Eleazar], since in all [their] life [they] had been most closely joined, departed from it [life] at nearly the same time: but [that], for the order of the history, the Pontiff [is placed] later.” And of old, indeed, Aaron the Pontiff died before Moses; now, after Joshua, Eleazar the Pontiff dies — so that [it] might be signified [that] the Jewish priesthood, the old [one], perished either with the observation of the Mosaic law, or even a little before [it]; but [that] the Christian priesthood and pontificate remains after CHRIST’s death, and [that] other priests always straightway succeed [one another]; and [that] this priesthood [is] not to be taken away, until the true JESUS return to judgment.
But concerning the sepulchre we heard before (q. 10) [from] St. Jerome. It was Gabaath (which the 70 retain as [it were] a proper name — but [with] the last letter faulty, γάβααρ [gabaar]; others turn [it] “in the hill” [in colle]) of Phinees. But since [there] was an inheritance of the priests, as [was] said above (ch. 21), in the tribes of Juda, Simeon, & Benjamin — how did Phinees take a hill in Ephraim? The text answers [that] it was given to him. But three [things] are asked. First: To whom was that hill given — to Phinees? or to Eleazar? For mention [is] made of both; and to either the pronoun “to him” [illi] can be accommodated. Masius answers [that it] was given to Eleazar: but D. Jerome, in the Epitaph of Paula, signifies [it was] given to Phinees. Second: Why [was it] given to either? First: So that the Pontiff might be near the Commander, since the latter depended most greatly on the mouth and prescript of the former (Num. 27; & shown above several times). Second: So that the High Pontiff might also be near God’s tabernacle. Third: If the hill was given to Eleazar, why is [it] called “the hill of Phinees” or “Gabaath”? Masius answers: because, at that time at which this narration was being written, [it] was called “the hill of Phinees” — namely, because [Phinees] was then dwelling in it, and because Eleazar had not dwelt in it long, since [he] had received it after the division of the land.