פירוש על עבודה זרה 32:15

Eliezer finds a tricky answer with which to respond to the governor. Daniel Boyarin has noted that this is a different strategy towards trials than that typically adopted and celebrated by early Christians. Rather than martyr himself, R. Eliezer finds a way of saying the right thing to the governor without actually betraying his God. We will have stories of martyrdom elsewhere in the Talmud. This story could be considered an “anti-martyr” story—when faced with accusations of heresy, choose life over death.