JASON jā’ sən (LXX ̓Ιάσων, G2619, healing; sometimes substituted for Joshua and Jesus, by Gr.-speaking Jews [Jos. Antiq. XII. v. 1]). 1. Son of Eleazer, whom Judas Maccabeus sent to solicit Rom. aid against the Syrians, 161 b.c. (1 Macc 8:17). He (or his son) sought to renew the alliance in 144 b.c. (1 Macc 12:16; 14:22; Jos Antiq. XII. x. 6).

2. Son of Simon II, and brother of the high priest Onias III, who by bribery secured the office for himself. Through his influence, Gr. customs became popularized (2 Macc 4:7-26). He gave large gifts for the sacred games at Tyre honoring Hercules (4:16-20). His tenure was only three years (174-171 b.c.), when he was supplanted by Menelaus, who offered the king a greater bribe Jason fled to the Ammonites.

A false rumor of Antiochus’ death in Egypt brought Jason back to Jerusalem with a large following to overthrow Menelaus. Antiochus returned to wreak vengeance on the Jews; and Jason again fled to Ammon, then to Egypt, and later to Sparta, where he died (5:1-10).

3. A Cyrenian who wrote a history of the Jewish freedom-struggle against Antiochus Epiphanes and his successor Eupator. Second Maccabees is a condensation of this history. Jason’s name and residence indicate that he was Gr. His account ends with the year 160 b.c.; the book was prob. written shortly after that date. The preface of the book tells what is known of Jason.

4. A Jewish Christian (Acts 17:1, 4, 7), who was a relative of Paul (perhaps not by blood, Rom 16:21; cf. 9:3). This man was prob. the Thessalonian host to the missionaries Paul and Silas, and, who with others, was summoned to court on a charge of being hospitable to seditionists. Freedom was obtained by giving security for good conduct (Acts 17:5-9).

5. Another Jason could be the one referred to in Romans 16:21 as the object of Pauline salutation.

Bibliography N. Snaith, The Jews from Cyrus to Herod (c. 1950), 35f.; S. Tedesche and S. Zeitlin, The Second Book of the Maccabees (1954), 7, 13; J. Bright, History of Israel (1959), 403-405.