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Jason of Cyrene

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186:. It is not known whether Jason's work stopped there as well, or if the epitomist of 2 Maccabees cut the story there, perhaps for literary reasons. If the motive of the author of 2 Maccabees was telling an uplifting account praising Judas Maccabeus, then stopping there would avoid Judas's upcoming death; if the motive of the author was to show that the Temple of Jerusalem had been protected, Nicanor's threats against it thwarted, and the Jewish religion restored, then this too would indicate that Adasa was an acceptable stopping point. 143:
number they seized the whole land and pursued the barbarian hordes, and regained possession of the temple famous throughout the world, and liberated the city, and re-established the laws that were about to be abolished, while the Lord with great kindness became gracious to them— all this, which has been set forth by Jason of Cyrene in five volumes, we shall attempt to condense into a single book.
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believe that Jason was likely a contemporary of Judas and the Maccabean Revolt, citing occasional highly accurate passages in 2 Maccabees. If this is true, then Jason's volume was likely written at some point in the middle of the second century BCE, from ~160–130 BCE. One interesting possibility is that the book of
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As the date of authorship of 2 Maccabees is unknown, so too is the date of Jason's work, other than that it must be prior to the abridgment. Most believe 2 Maccabees to have been written around 100 BCE, with some such as Daniel Schwartz suggesting even earlier dates as around 150 BCE. Many scholars
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The epitomist goes on to imply that Jason's original work "discuss matters from every side, and to take trouble with details, but the one who recasts the narrative should be allowed to strive for brevity of expression and to forego exhaustive treatment." It is also unknown just how much freedom the
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Some scholars suggest that Jason might have been an eyewitness to the events of the Maccabean Revolt and lived in Judea at some point. This is dismissed by other scholars as unlikely, as parts of the book 2 Maccabees that seem likely to stem from Jason's history make strange geographical statements
142:
The story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, and the purification of the great temple, and the dedication of the altar, and further the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator, and the appearances that came from heaven to those who fought bravely for Judaism, so that though few in
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epitomist allowed himself with Jason's narrative; in addition to rearranging it, he likely added his own details and altered others. Some readers of 2 Maccabees suggest that they can determine the "original" five parts that correspond to Jason's five volumes; the 1913
201:, and took pains to sculpt his history to validate and endorse Daniel's version of events where he could. While he did not concoct events from thin air, he did adjust them and their chronology such that they more closely aligned with Daniel. 420: 106:
would have meant that supporting the Maccabees and opposing the Seleucids would have aligned with the politics of the government, so there would be little fear of censorship.
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had spread through Ptolemaic lands in this era, so him being from Cyrene is plausible, and the long-standing Ptolemaic rivalry with the Seleucids that had resulted in the
413: 406: 86:; the rebels included both traditionalist Aramaic-speaking Jews as well as Greek-speaking Jews who opposed the anti-Jewish decrees of King 429: 656: 313: 492: 636: 631: 621: 502: 360: 507: 138:
made by the author of 2 Maccabees. According to the introductory chapters of 2 Maccabees, also written in Greek:
472: 336: 294: 271: 230: 148: 626: 497: 487: 47: 457: 651: 527: 482: 179: 590: 532: 288: 646: 379: 392: 543: 194: 87: 398: 348: 322: 257: 190: 159: 641: 595: 522: 467: 462: 58:, the Greek version of the Jewish scriptures. 2 Maccabees was eventually recognized as a 8: 600: 580: 31: 517: 512: 283: 218: 131: 43: 175:
named Jason; most believe that this Jason being the same person is doubtful, however.
356: 226: 95: 383: 59: 39: 561: 447: 309: 183: 83: 75: 251: 163:
proposed the parts may be divided by verses 3:40, 7:42, 10:9, 13:26, and 15:37.
452: 198: 172: 111: 63: 23: 615: 585: 572: 387: 99: 91: 355:. The Anchor Bible Series. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. p. 63–70. 287: 551: 477: 439: 317: 42:
and its preceding events (~178–160 BCE), which subsequently became a
168: 127: 103: 51: 38:~160–110 BCE?). He is the author of a five-volume history of the 126:
Jason's work is said to have been in five books, originally written in
55: 46:. His history was preserved indirectly in an abridgment by an unknown 79: 135: 94:
in the Hellenistic era was a province at the western edge of the
428: 115: 250: 223:
Judas Maccabaeus: The Jewish Struggle Against the Seleucids
326:. Vol. 11 (Second ed.). Macmillan Reference USA. 35: 34:
who lived around the middle of the second century BCE (
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book included in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian
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mentions an emissary sent by Judas Maccabeus to the
78:. While Greek-speaking, he still favored the rebel 16:Hellenistic Jewish historian (fl. 2nd century BCE) 613: 225:. Cambridge University Press. pp. 179–180. 178:2 Maccabees ends with the victory of Judas over 282: 121: 414: 430:Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible 421: 407: 286:; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). 217: 110:concerning the region, such as a claim in 347: 308: 98:, which also included Egypt and Cyprus. 244: 242: 193:argues that Jason was familiar with the 54:, which was eventually included in the 614: 493:Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel 402: 298:(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. 248: 239: 261:. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 197:prophecy of the second half of the 13: 302: 14: 668: 503:Chronicles of the Kings of Israel 373: 508:Chronicles of the Kings of Judah 255:. In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). 657:Historians of Jews and Judaism 341: 330: 295:New International Encyclopedia 276: 265: 211: 74:Jason of Cyrene is an unknown 1: 557:Five books by Jason of Cyrene 552:Aesop's fable of the Two Pots 204: 498:Book of the Wars of the Lord 488:Book of Shemaiah the Prophet 122:Lost history and 2 Maccabees 118:was visible from Jerusalem. 82:in their revolt against the 7: 458:Acts of the Kings of Israel 10: 673: 637:Hellenistic-era historians 632:Hellenistic Jewish writers 528:Story of the Book of Kings 483:Book of Nathan the Prophet 114::9 that a fire in distant 622:2nd-century BC historians 591:Epistle to the Laodiceans 570: 541: 533:Story of the Prophet Iddo 436: 27: 130:. The original work is 393:The Jewish Encyclopedia 289:"Jason of Cyrene"  249:Gigot, Francis (1913). 69: 349:Goldstein, Jonathan A. 154: 134:and known only in the 88:Antiochus IV Epiphanes 323:Encyclopaedia Judaica 258:Catholic Encyclopedia 191:Jonathan A. Goldstein 160:Catholic Encyclopedia 140: 627:2nd-century BCE Jews 596:Life of Adam and Eve 523:Sayings of the Seers 468:Book of Gad the Seer 463:Annals of King David 601:Martyrdom of Isaiah 581:Assumption of Moses 337:1 Maccabees 8:17–19 272:2 Maccabees 2:30–31 219:Bar-Kochva, Bezalel 149:2 Maccabees 2:19–23 518:Prophecy of Ahijah 513:Laments for Josiah 182:in 161 BCE at the 652:Jewish historians 609: 608: 437:Referenced in the 314:"Jason of Cyrene" 96:Ptolemaic Kingdom 28:Ἰάσων ὁ Κυρηναῖος 664: 423: 416: 409: 400: 399: 384:Richard Gottheil 367: 366: 345: 339: 334: 328: 327: 310:Rappaport, Uriel 306: 300: 299: 291: 280: 274: 269: 263: 262: 254: 246: 237: 236: 215: 152: 60:deuterocanonical 40:Maccabean Revolt 29: 672: 671: 667: 666: 665: 663: 662: 661: 647:Cyrenean Greeks 612: 611: 610: 605: 566: 562:Story of Ahikar 537: 448:Acts of Solomon 438: 432: 427: 380:JASON OF CYRENE 376: 371: 370: 363: 346: 342: 335: 331: 307: 303: 281: 277: 270: 266: 247: 240: 233: 216: 212: 207: 184:Battle of Adasa 153: 147: 124: 84:Seleucid Empire 76:Hellenistic Jew 72: 32:Hellenistic Jew 20:Jason of Cyrene 17: 12: 11: 5: 670: 660: 659: 654: 649: 644: 639: 634: 629: 624: 607: 606: 604: 603: 598: 593: 588: 583: 577: 575: 568: 567: 565: 564: 559: 554: 548: 546: 539: 538: 536: 535: 530: 525: 520: 515: 510: 505: 500: 495: 490: 485: 480: 475: 473:Book of Jasher 470: 465: 460: 455: 453:Acts of Uzziah 450: 444: 442: 434: 433: 426: 425: 418: 411: 403: 397: 396: 375: 374:External links 372: 369: 368: 361: 340: 329: 301: 275: 264: 238: 231: 209: 208: 206: 203: 199:Book of Daniel 173:Roman Republic 145: 123: 120: 112:2 Maccabees 12 71: 68: 64:biblical canon 50:, the book of 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 669: 658: 655: 653: 650: 648: 645: 643: 640: 638: 635: 633: 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 619: 617: 602: 599: 597: 594: 592: 589: 587: 586:Book of Enoch 584: 582: 579: 578: 576: 574: 573:New Testament 569: 563: 560: 558: 555: 553: 550: 549: 547: 545: 540: 534: 531: 529: 526: 524: 521: 519: 516: 514: 511: 509: 506: 504: 501: 499: 496: 494: 491: 489: 486: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 464: 461: 459: 456: 454: 451: 449: 446: 445: 443: 441: 435: 431: 424: 419: 417: 412: 410: 405: 404: 401: 395: 394: 389: 388:Samuel Krauss 385: 381: 378: 377: 364: 362:0-385-04864-5 358: 354: 350: 344: 338: 333: 325: 324: 319: 318:Skolnik, Fred 315: 311: 305: 297: 296: 290: 285: 284:Gilman, D. C. 279: 273: 268: 260: 259: 253: 252:"Jason"  245: 243: 234: 228: 224: 220: 214: 210: 202: 200: 196: 192: 187: 185: 181: 176: 174: 170: 164: 162: 161: 150: 144: 139: 137: 133: 129: 119: 117: 113: 107: 105: 101: 100:Diaspora Jews 97: 93: 92:Cyrene, Libya 89: 85: 81: 77: 67: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 25: 21: 556: 544:Deuterocanon 478:Book of Jehu 440:Hebrew Bible 391: 353:II Maccabees 352: 343: 332: 321: 304: 293: 278: 267: 256: 222: 213: 188: 177: 165: 158: 155: 141: 125: 108: 73: 48:Egyptian Jew 19: 18: 642:Libyan Jews 195:apocalyptic 169:1 Maccabees 128:Koine Greek 104:Syrian Wars 52:2 Maccabees 616:Categories 232:0521323525 205:References 189:Historian 56:Septuagint 80:Maccabees 44:lost work 351:(1983). 312:(2007). 221:(1989). 146:—  30:) was a 320:(ed.). 180:Nicanor 136:epitome 359:  229:  151:(NRSV) 116:Jamnia 316:. In 24:Greek 386:and 357:ISBN 227:ISBN 132:lost 70:Life 390:at 382:by 90:. 36:fl. 618:: 571:… 542:… 292:. 241:^ 66:. 26:: 422:e 415:t 408:v 365:. 235:. 22:(

Index

Greek
Hellenistic Jew
fl.
Maccabean Revolt
lost work
Egyptian Jew
2 Maccabees
Septuagint
deuterocanonical
biblical canon
Hellenistic Jew
Maccabees
Seleucid Empire
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Cyrene, Libya
Ptolemaic Kingdom
Diaspora Jews
Syrian Wars
2 Maccabees 12
Jamnia
Koine Greek
lost
epitome
2 Maccabees 2:19–23
Catholic Encyclopedia
1 Maccabees
Roman Republic
Nicanor
Battle of Adasa
Jonathan A. Goldstein

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