Coins of Judea
Hasmonean Coins
| RULER | DESCRIPTION | PHOTO |
| John Hyrcanus I - Selucid | Issued in Jerusalem under Jewish direction. The coin has the Lily of Jerusalem on one side and the Selucid anchor on the other. It was minted around 164 B.C. | |
| John Hyrcanus I (Yehohanan) | John Hyrcanus I ruled from 134 - 104 B.C. Hyrcanus I expanded the boundries and gave the Jewish kingdom a level of power that ended after his death. | photo |
| Judah Aristobulus (Yehudah) | Judah Aristobulus was the oldest son of John Hyrcanus I. He was the first ruler to use the title "king" according to Josephus. His reign lasted from 104-103 B.C. | photo |
| Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan) | Alexander Jannaeus became the high priest and king upon the death of his brother, Judah Aristobulus. He was at odds with the religious establishment (Pharisees) because he surrounded himself with grandeur and excelled in military conquest. He did not have the image that the Pharisees expected of the High Priest. His reign was from 103-76 B.C. | photo |
| John Hyrcanus II (Yonatan) | His brother, Aristobulus II became king and high priest. Hyrcanus received an honorary title but no power. His advisor, Antipater, encouraged him to seize the throne. Hyrcanus made territorial concessions to the Nabatean king in return for assistance. Together, they besieged Aristobulus in Jerusalem in 65 B.C. He reigned in 67 and 63 - 40 B.C. | photo |
| Mattathias Antigonus | By the time Mattathias became ruler, Judea, was dominated by Rome. His brother's advisor had been consolidating power for some years. His son's became governors. In 40 B.C. Mattathias bribed Parthia to invade Jerusalem and help him gain the throne from Hyrcanus who still had the throne. Herod escaped to Rome where he was crowned king of Judea. | photo |
Herodian Coins
| Herod I (the great) | Herod was made king in 40 B.C. by Rome. In 37 B.C., with the help of Rome, Herod besieged Jerusalem and captured it. This is the Herod referred to in Matthew 2:1; Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king... Herod ruled until 4 A.D. | |
| Herod Archelaus | Herod Archelaus reigned from 4 B.C. to 6 A.D. He was the oldest son of Herod I (the great). He was hated by his subjects and eventually he was removed by Rome. See Mathew 2:22; But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go tither... | |
| Herod Antipas | Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and the brother of Archelaus. This is the Herod who ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded. It was to Antipas to whom Pontius Pilate sent Jesus. Caligula banished Antipas and confiscated his property when Agrippa plotted to make his uncle Antipas look like a traiter. Antipas reigned from 4 B.C. to 40 A.D. |
photo |
| Herod Philip I | Herod Philip was the youngest of Herod the Greats sons. Although Herod the Great willed Herod Archelaus to become king, Rome divided it. Philip founded Caesarea Philippi which he used as his capital. He reigned from 4 B.C. to 34 A.D. | |
| Agrippa I | Agrippa was a grandson of Herod I. While he was being educated in Rome, he became acquainted with both Caligula and Claudius. This resulted in him being one of the best known of the Judean kings. This is the Herod who killed James, the brother of John. His rule was from 37 - 44 A.D. | |
| Agrippa II | Agrippa's reign, started in 56 A.D. and lasted until 95 A.D. When his father, Agrippa I died in 44 A.D., Agrippa II was only 16. Although Claudius liked Agrippa II, he would not give rule of Judea to one so young. He sent the Procurator Cuspius Fadius to govern. |
Prefects and Procurators
| Coponius | Prefect under Augustus. His first official act was to take a census for the purpose of impose stiff taxes. His rule was from 6 - 9 A.D. All coins were dated year 36 which is 6 A.D. | |
| Marcus Ambibulus | Prefect under Augustus.9 - 12 A.D. | |
| Valerius Gratus | Prefect under Tiberius. 15 - 26 A.D. | |
| Pontius Pilatus | Prefect under Tiberius from 26 - 36 A.D. | |
| Antonius Felix | Procurator under Claudius 52 - 59 A.D. | |
| Porcius Festus | 59 - 62 A.D. Procurator under Nero. |
There were other Procurators but they did not issue coins.