Bible Encyclopedia: Jason

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

JASON (1)

ja'-sun (Iason): A common name among the Hellenizing Jews who used it for Jesus or Joshua, probably connecting it with the Greek verb iashthai ("to heal").

(1) Son of Eleazar, sent (161 B.C.) by Judas Maccabeus with other deputies to Rome "to make a league of amity and confederacy" (1 Maccabees 8:17; Josephus, Ant, XII, x, 6), and perhaps to be identified with (2).

(2) The father of Antipater who went as ambassador of Jonathan to Rome in 144 B.C. (1 Maccabees 12:16; 14:22; Ant, XIII, v, 8).

(3) Jason of Cyrene, a Jewish historian, who is known only from what is told of him in 2 Maccabees 2:19-23. 2 Maccabees is in fact simply an abridgment in one book of the 5 books written by Jason on the Jewish wars of liberation. He must have written after 162 B.C., as his books include the wars under Antiochus Eupator.

(4) Jason the high priest, second son of Simon II and brother of Onias III. The change of name from Jesus (Josephus, Ant, XII, v) was part of the Hellenizing policy favored by Antiochus Epiphanes from whom he purchased the high-priesthood by a large bribe, thus excluding his elder brother from the office (2 Maccabees 4:7-26). He did everything in his power to introduce Greek customs and Greek life among the Jews. He established a gymnasium in Jerusalem, so that even the priests neglected the altars and the sacrifices, and hastened to be partakers of the "unlawful allowance" in the palaestra. The writer of 2 Maccabees calls him "that ungodly wretch" and "vile" Jason. He even sent deputies from Jerusalem to Tyre to take part in the worship of Hercules; but what he sent for sacrifices, the deputies expended on the "equipment of galleys." After 3 years of this Hellenizing work he was supplanted in 172 B.C. in the favor of Antiochus by Menelaus who gave a large bribe for the high priest's office. Jason took refuge with the Ammonites; on hearing that Antiochus was dead he tried with some success to drive out Menelaus, but ultimately failed (2 Maccabees 5:5). He took refuge with the Ammonites again, and then with Aretas, the Arabian, and finally with the Lacedaemonians, where he hoped for protection "as being connected by race," and there "perished-miserably in a strange land."

(5) A name mentioned in Acts 17:5-9 and in Romans 16:21. See following article.

J. Hutchison

JASON (2)

ja'-sun (Iason): A Greek name assumed by Jews who bore the Hebrew name Joshua. This name is mentioned twice in the New Testament. (See also preceding article.)

(1) Jason was the host of Paul during his stay in Thessalonica, and, during the uproar organized by the Jews, who were moved to jealousy by the success of Paul and Silas, he and several other "brethren" were severely handled by the mob. When the mob failed to find Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and "certain brethren" before the politarchs, accusing Jason of treason in receiving into his house those who said "There is another king, one Jesus." The magistrates, being troubled, took security from them, and let them go.

There are various explanations of the purpose of this security. "By this expression it is most probably meant that a sum of money was deposited with the magistrates, and that the Christian community of the place made themselves responsible that no attempt should be made against the supremacy of Rome, and that peace should be maintained in Thessalonica itself" (Conybeare and Howson, Paul). Ramsay (St. Paul the Traveler) thinks that the security was given to prevent Paul from returning to Thessalonica and that Paul refers to this in 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

The immediate departure of Paul and Silas seems to show the security was given that the strangers would leave the city and remain absent (Acts 17:5-9).

(2) Jason is one of the companions of Paul who unite with him in sending greetings to the Roman Christians (Romans 16:21). He is probably the same person as (1). Paul calls him a kinsman, which means a Jew (compare Romans 9:3; Romans 16:11, 21).

S. F. Hunter

Greek

2394. Iason -- Jason, the name of one, perhaps two, Christian
... Jason, the name of one, perhaps two, Christian. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Iason Phonetic Spelling: (ee-as'-oan) Short Definition: Jason ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2394.htm - 6k

Library

Aristo of Pella.
... The work of Aristo is known as the Disputation of Papiscus and Jason, and Celsus
tells us that Jason was a Hebrew Christian, while his opponent was a Jew of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/aristo of pella.htm

For, First of All, under King Seleucus, the Son of Antiochus the ...
... Then, after an interval of time, Jason, the brother of Onias, went to Antiochus
the king, who had succeeded his brother Seleucus, and promised him an increase ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xviii for first of.htm

Thessalonica and Berea
... took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and
set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/thessalonica and berea.htm

Paul and Silas in Macedonia
... They attacked Jason's house, so as to bring Paul and Silas out before the people,
and when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/paul and silas in macedonia.htm

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of ...
... xii.2.5), Eleazar, Manasseh (Ant. xii.4.1), Onias II., Simon II.((Ant. xii.4.10),
Onias III., Jason (Ant. xii.5.1), Menelaus, and Alcimus (Ant. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iv an abstract of.htm

Acts XVII
... And rushing to the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the
people. (6) But not finding them, they dragged Jason and ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xvii.htm

The Syrian Persecution.
... and vulgar, and the brothers of the good Onias were among the worst; Joshua, the
next in age, changed his glorious prophetic name to the Greek Jason, and going ...
/.../yonge/the chosen people/lesson xvii the syrian persecution.htm

1 Thessalonians i. 3-Jan
... Did not they that warred against the Preaching go to Paul's host, and not
having found him, drag Jason before the rulers of the city? ...
/.../homily i 1 thessalonians i.htm

How
... we have already informed the reader. This Jesus changed his name to Jason,
but Onias was called Menelaus. Now as the former high ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 how.htm

After This, Selecting from all the Treatises which Contain ...
... impress those of more intelligent mind, he continues: "Of such a nature do I know
the work to be, entitled Controversy between one Papiscus and Jason, which is ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lii after this selecting.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Jason

he that cures

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Jason

(one who will heal), called the Thessalonian, entertained Paul and Silas, and was in consequence attacked by the Jewish mob. (Acts 17:5,6,7,9) (A.D. 48.) He is probably the same as the Jason mentioned in (Romans 16:21) It is conjectured that Jason and Secundus, (Acts 20:4) were the same.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Jason

A kinsman and host of Paul, at Thessalonica. His person and goods were interposed to shield the apostle from the rabble, A. D. 52, Acts 17:5-10. He seems also to have been with him at Corinth, five years afterwards, Romans 16:21.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

He that will cure, the host of Paul and Silas in Thessalonica. The Jews assaulted his house in order to seize Paul, but failing to find him, they dragged Jason before the ruler of the city (Acts 17:5-9). He was apparently one of the kinsmen of Paul (Romans 16:21), and accompanied him from Thessalonica to Corinth.

Thesaurus

Jason (5 Occurrences)
... The Jews assaulted his house in order to seize Paul, but failing to find him, they
dragged Jason before the ruler of the city (Acts 17:5-9). He was apparently ...
/j/jason.htm - 12k

Jason's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Jason's (1 Occurrence). Acts 17:5 And the unbelieving
Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken ...
/j/jason's.htm - 6k

Menelaus
... men-e-la'-us (Menelaos): According to the less likely account of Josephus (Ant.,
XII, v, 1; XV, iii, 1; XX, x, 3), Menelaus was a brother of Jason and Onias III ...
/m/menelaus.htm - 9k

Desolation (131 Occurrences)
... leader of the old orthodox party in Judea; the head of the Hellenists was his own
brother Jesus, or, as he preferred to designate himself, Jason, this being ...
/d/desolation.htm - 46k

Unpersuaded (3 Occurrences)
... Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. (WEB). ...
Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people. ...
/u/unpersuaded.htm - 7k

Onias
...Jason, the brother of Onias, having offered the new king larger revenue, secured
the priesthood, which he held until he himself was similarly supplanted by ...
/o/onias.htm - 10k

Antiochians
... Many worldly Hebrews, however, for material advantage were willing to apostatize,
among them, Jason, the brother of the faithful high priest Onias III. ...
/a/antiochians.htm - 10k

Sosipater (1 Occurrence)
... SOSIPATER. so-sip'-a-ter (Sosipatros): Sosipater unites with Lucius and Jason
in sending greetings to the Roman Christians (Romans 16:21). ...
/s/sosipater.htm - 7k

Thessalonica (8 Occurrences)
... The "rulers of the city" before whom the Jews "drew Jason," with whom Paul and Silas
lodged, are in the original called politarchai, an unusual word, which was ...
/t/thessalonica.htm - 25k

Antiochus
... an-ti'-o-kus (Antiochos; A, Antimachos (1 Maccabees 12:16)): The father of Numenius,
who in company with Antipater, son of Jason, was sent by Jonathan on an ...
/a/antiochus.htm - 17k

Bible Concordance

Jason (5 Occurrences)

Acts 17:5 But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 17:6 When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 17:7 whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus!"
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Acts 17:9 When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Romans 16:21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Jason

Jason: A Christian at Thessalonica

Jason: Probably Paul's Kinsman, Mentioned In

Related Terms

Jason's (1 Occurrence)

Menelaus

Desolation (131 Occurrences)

Unpersuaded (3 Occurrences)

Onias