Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Silver tetradrachms of the king who desecrated the Temple, styling himself 'God Manifest'
Found 1800 — Known in European cabinets since the 18th century; excavated examples from Jerusalem (Givati Parking Lot), Beth Zur, Gezer and Samaria
Where Antioch mint; finds throughout Israel (Turkey (Antioch); Israel (finds))
Dates from 175–164 BCE · Seleucid · Persecution of Antiochus IV and the Maccabean revolt (Daniel 8, 11; 1–2 Maccabees)
Now at British Museum, London; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; American Numismatic Society and many collections
Names a biblical person Antiochus IV Epiphanes (deuterocanonical (1-2 Macc))
How Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes was found
Struck at Antioch and other mints; found in hoards and excavations throughout the Seleucid realm, including the Seleucid fort layers in Jerusalem.
What it is
Silver tetradrachms and bronzes with the diademed portrait of Antiochus, sometimes with a radiate crown, and on the reverse Zeus enthroned holding Nike, with the legend 'of King Antiochus, God Manifest, Bearer of Victory' (Theos Epiphanes Nikephoros).
Why it matters for the Bible
The coins show the king's face and the title 'Epiphanes' ('God Manifest') that made pious Jews call him 'Epimanes' ('madman'). His choice of Zeus for his coins matches his installation of a pagan altar in the Temple in 167 BCE, the 'abomination of desolation' of Daniel and 1 Maccabees. Coins found in the Seleucid fort at Jerusalem date the garrison of the Akra to his reign. Daniel 8:23-25 and 11:21-35 describe a 'contemptible person' who exalts himself; his coinage is that self-exaltation in metal.
The Hebrew word: shee-KOOTS me-sho-MAME
שִׁקּוּץ מְשֹׁמֵם
שִׁקּוּץ מְשֹׁמֵם is pronounced shee-KOOTS me-sho-MAME and means abomination that desolates (Daniel 11:31), the pagan altar Antiochus set up (Strong's H8251 + H8074).
People this discovery connects to
- Antiochus IV Epiphanes — אַנְטִיּוֹכוֹס (ahn-tee-YO-chos) — Greek Antiochos
Places
- Antioch — אַנְטִיּוֹכְיָה (ahn-tee-yo-che-YAH) — city of Antiochus
Events
Desecration of the Temple, 167 BCE · Maccabean revolt · Rededication of the Temple (Hanukkah), 164 BCE
Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in Scripture
Daniel 11:31 Forces of the king profane the sanctuary and set up the abomination of desolation, understood as Antiochus's altar of 167 BCE.
1 Maccabees 1:10 'A sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes', introduced with the very title his coins carry.
Daniel 8:9-11 The 'little horn' that grew great toward the glorious land and cast down the sanctuary.
Questions people ask
What is Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes?
Silver tetradrachms and bronzes with the diademed portrait of Antiochus, sometimes with a radiate crown, and on the reverse Zeus enthroned holding Nike, with the legend 'of King Antiochus, God Manifest, Bearer of Victory' (Theos Epiphanes Nikephoros).
When was Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes discovered?
It was found in 1800 by Known in European cabinets since the 18th century; excavated examples from Jerusalem (Givati Parking Lot), Beth Zur, Gezer and Samaria, at Antioch mint; finds throughout Israel.
Where is Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes today?
British Museum, London; Israel Museum, Jerusalem; American Numismatic Society and many collections.
Which Bible verses does Coins of Antiochus IV Epiphanes relate to?
Daniel 11:31, 1 Maccabees 1:10, Daniel 8:9-11.
Related discoveries
- מְצוּדָהThe Seleucid Akra (Givati Parking Lot)Fortification and Seleucid weapons in the City of David identified as the Akra of 1 Maccabees
- קֶדֶשׁTel Kedesh: The Persian–Hellenistic Administrative Building and Its 2,000 BullaeA governor's compound in Galilee abandoned after Jonathan Maccabee's victory, with its seal-impression archive intact
- אוֹצָרHeliodorus SteleSeleucus IV's order that put Heliodorus over the temples of Judea, the man of 2 Maccabees 3
- חֶבֶר הַיְּהוּדִיםHasmonean Coins of John Hyrcanus and Alexander JannaeusThe bronze prutot of the Maccabean priest-kings, with 'Yehohanan the High Priest' and Jannaeus's anchor and star
- יְהוּדYehud CoinsThe first Jewish coins, tiny silver pieces stamped 'YHD' for the Persian province of Judah
- מְנוֹרָהMenorah Coin of Mattathias AntigonusThe last Hasmonean king's bronze coin, the earliest known picture of the Temple menorah
Sources
- Houghton and Lorber, Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue, Part II (2008)
- Wikipedia: Antiochus IV Epiphanes
- British Museum: tetradrachm of Antiochus IV (RPK,p181A.10.AntIV)