Jason of Cyrene (Greek: Ἰάσων ὁ Κυρηναῖος) was a Hellenistic Jew who lived about 100 BC and wrote a history of the times of the Maccabees down to the victory over Nicanor (175-161 BC). This work is said to have been in five books and formed the basis of the present 2 Maccabees.[1] See 2 Maccabees 2:19-32.,[1] especially: