Jason's tenure came during a turbulent period, and ancient sources such as the book of 2 Maccabees are hostile to him as a moderate Hellenizer, even if he was not as extreme as his successor. The new king of the Seleucid Empire which ruled Judea at the time, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, apparently started to auction off the position of High Priest to the highest bidder: whoever offered the most yearly tribute from the Temple in Jerusalem to the Seleucid government in Antioch could have it.
Jason's tenure coincided with a tumultuous period, and ancient sources like the book of 2 Maccabees were hostile to him as a moderate Hellenizer, even if he was not as extreme as his successor. The new king of the Seleucid Empire that ruled Judea at the time, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, apparently started to auction off the position of High Priest to the highest bidder: whoever offered the most yearly tribute from the Temple in Jerusalem to the Seleucid government in Antioch could have it.