Nadab and Abihu
two sons of Aaron the High Priest in the Abrahamic religions
In the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Nadab (Hebrew: נָדָב, Modern: Nadav, Tiberian: Nāḏāḇ, "generous") and Avihu (Hebrew: אֲבִיהוּא, Modern: ʾAvīhūʾ, Tiberian: ʾĂḇīhūʾ, "my father [is] he") were the two oldest sons of Aaron. According to Leviticus 10, they offered a sacrifice with "foreign fire" before Yahweh, disobeying his instructions, and were immediately consumed by fire.
Moses instructed Aaron and his family not to mourn, although the people at large were permitted.
Background
Nadab and Abihu were the first two sons of Aaron by his marriage to Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. They had four sons in total; the younger two sons were Eleazar and Ithamar. During the Exodus journey, after the Israelites affirmed their covenant with Yahweh in Exodus 24:3-8 Avihu and Nadav accompanied Moses, Aaron, and seventy elders up Biblical Mount Sinai. There they saw Yahweh with great clarity, walking on a pavement of sapphire stone, and shared a meal in God's presence, without being harmed.
Aaron and his four sons were the first Levites appointed as God established the priestly system. The Levites as a tribe were later ordained for the priestly service after answering a call to take Yahweh's side after the idolatry centered on the golden calf. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar took their places as priests, because neither Nadab nor Abihu had any sons.
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