A city and province of Libya, west of Egypt, between the Great Syrtis and the Mareotis, at present called Cairoan, in the province of Barca. It was sometimes called PENTAPOLIS, from the five principal cities that it contained-Cyrene, Apollonia, Arsinoe, Berenice, and Ptolemais. From hence came Simon the Cyrenian, father of Alexander and Rufus, on whom the Roman soldiers laid a part of our Savior's cross, Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 . There were many Jews in the province of Cyrene, a great part of whom embraced the Christian religion, though others opposed it with much obstinacy, Acts 6:9 11:20 13:1 .