His explanation for why he merited long life: Megillah 27b
Rebbe said, "When we learned Torah by Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, six students would sit in the space of a cubit": Eruvin 53a
Rabbi Yochanan said, "The early ones [a reference to Rabbi Akiva or Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua] had hearts like the entrance to the Temple's large hall, and the later ones [a reference to Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua or Rabbi Oshia Berebi (Berebi=leader of his generation)] like the entrance to the Temple's smaller hall, and ours are like the eye of a clothes-needle." Abbaye added, "Our ability to understand is like that of a peg jammed into a small hole in a wall." Rava added, "Our minds' ability to understand is like a finger stabbing into thick wax." Rav Ashi added, "We forget as easily as a finger fits into a cistern's entrance.": Eruvin 53a
Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua was a student of Rabbi Akiva: Rashi Ketuvot 40a טובינא
Rav called Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua "the best of the sages": Ketuvot 40a
Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua cursed Rabbi Yosi Ben Durmaskit's eyes to fall out, for saying a Law spoken to Moshe at Sinai over as a modern institution, then prayed for him to be healed: Chagigah 3b
The law is like Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua in most cases of Bills of Divorce: Gittin 4a
Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua refused honors from the leadership of Jewry, saying that the honorers were trying to kill him by offering gifts/honors, which shorten lifespan: Megillah 28a
