Jason
A celebrated hero, son of Aeson and Alcimedes. His education was entrusted to the Centaur Chiron. The greatest feat recorded of him is his voyage in the Argo to Colchis to obtain the Golden Fleece, which, aided by Juno, he succeeded in doing.
Medea, daughter of Aeetes, king of Colchis, fell in love with Jason. She was a powerful magician, and on Jason having vowed eternal fidelity to her, she gave him charms to protect him from danger. After securing the Fleece, Jason set sail from the country with his wife Medea. After some years he bebecame enamored of Glauce, daughter of Creon, king of Corinth, whom he married, having divorced Medea. This cruel act was revenged by Medea, who destroyed her children in the presence of their father.
Jason is said to have been killed by a beam which fell on his head as he was reposing by the side of the ship which had borne him to Colchis.
Jerusalem or Hierosolyma. The capital of Palestine, in Asia. It was originally the chief city of the Jebusites, a Canaanitish tribe, but was taken by David in B. c. 1050, and was made by him the capital of the kingdom of Israel.
Jordanes (Jordan). A river of Palestine, rising at the south foot of Mount Hermon (the southmost part of Anti-Libanus), flowing south into the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Tiberias), and thence into the lake Asphaltites (Dead Sea), where it is finally lost. Josephus, Flavius. A celebrated Jew, born in Jerusalem, who signalized himself in a siege conducted by Vespasian and Titus in a small town in Judaea. He was present at the siege of Jerusalem by Titus, and received all the sacred books which it contained, from the conqueror's hands. He wrote a history of the wars of the Jews in Syriac, and afterwards translated it into Greek. He also wrote a work, which he divided into twenty books, on Jewish antiquities. He died A. D. 93, in his fifty-sixth year.
Jovianus, Flavius Claudius. A native of Pannonia elected emperor of Rome by the soldiers after the death of Julian. He refused the purple at first, but on being assured that his subjects were favorably disposed toward Christianity he accepted the crown.
He died about seven months after assuming the supreme power, being found in bed suffocated by the vapors of charcoal which had been lighted in his room, A. D. 364.