Abihu son of Aaron אביהוא בן אהרן
Aaron's second son; he died with his brother on the day the service began
Abihu was Aaron's second son. The Torah names him only together with Nadab: consecrated together, they went up the mountain together, together they brought the fire they had not been commanded, and together they died on the first of Nisan, 2449.
What followed. Moses told their cousins to carry the bodies outside the camp, and forbade Aaron and the remaining sons to mourn: the service was going on and could not be broken off. The whole house of Israel mourned instead.
And a law was given then. Immediately after this account stands the prohibition on a priest entering the Tent having drunk wine—and in that neighbouring passage Chazal read one of the explanations of what happened. The reason is given there too: "to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and to teach the children of Israel".
He left no children, as his brother left none: the line of priests went on from Eleazar and Ithamar.
On the timeline
Related
Sources
Tanakh
- Vayikra 10:4–11 — the carrying out of the bodies, the ban on mourning, and the law of wine for priests
- Bamidbar 3:4 — "and they had no children"; the service passed to the younger brothers
Basis: stated in the Tanakh.