Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I
Bronze coins of the Gospel-era Herods — Tiberias palms and Agrippa's canopy
Found 1900 — Known from 19th-century collections; excavated at Tiberias, Magdala, Sepphoris, Jerusalem and elsewhere
Where Tiberias (Antipas); Jerusalem (Agrippa I) (Israel)
Dates from Antipas c. 20–39 CE; Agrippa I 37–44 CE · Early Roman · Ministry of Yeshua; persecution in Acts 12
Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Kadman Numismatic Pavilion, Tel Aviv; widely held
Names a biblical person Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa I
How Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I was found
Antipas struck bronzes at Tiberias in a few dated years (his years 24, 33, 34, 37, 43); Agrippa I's small prutah of year 6 (41/42 CE) was minted in Jerusalem in enormous numbers and is the most common coin of the period in Judea.
What it is
Antipas' coins avoid human images: a palm branch or reed with 'Herod the Tetrarch' in Greek, and a wreath around the city name 'Tiberias'. Agrippa I's Jerusalem prutah shows a royal canopy with 'of King Agrippa' and three ears of barley; his coins from Caesarea show his own portrait and even the emperor's, showing his two faces as Jewish king and Roman client.
Why it matters for the Bible
These are the coins of the two Herods in the Gospels and Acts: Antipas, who executed John the Baptist and mocked Yeshua, and Agrippa I, who killed James and imprisoned Peter. Antipas' image-free coins show a ruler careful of Jewish scruples in Galilee, while Agrippa's Caesarea issues fit the man Josephus and Acts describe dying after accepting praise as a god. A coin of Agrippa I found in the Caiaphas tomb helped date that burial.
The Hebrew word: TET-rarch
טֶטְרַרְךְ
טֶטְרַרְךְ is pronounced TET-rarch and means tetrarch, 'ruler of a fourth' (Greek tetrarches, G5076) — Antipas' actual title, not 'king' (Strong's G5076).
People this discovery connects to
- Herod Antipas — הוֹרְדוֹס אַנְטִיפַּס (Hor-DOS An-TEE-pas) — tetrarch of Galilee and Perea
- Herod Agrippa I — אַגְרִיפַּס הַמֶּלֶךְ (Ag-REE-pas ha-MEH-lech) — king of Judea 41–44 CE, grandson of Herod
Places
- Tiberias — טְבֶרְיָה (Te-ver-YAH) — city named for Tiberius
Events
Death of John the Baptist · Yeshua before Antipas (Luke 23) · Death of James and imprisonment of Peter (Acts 12)
Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I in Scripture
Matthew 14:1 First mention of Herod Antipas in Scripture.
Luke 3:1 'Herod being tetrarch of Galilee' — Antipas' coins carry exactly this title.
Acts 12:21-23 Agrippa in royal robes accepting divine honors at Caesarea — his portrait coins show the same ambition.
Questions people ask
What is Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I?
Antipas' coins avoid human images: a palm branch or reed with 'Herod the Tetrarch' in Greek, and a wreath around the city name 'Tiberias'. Agrippa I's Jerusalem prutah shows a royal canopy with 'of King Agrippa' and three ears of barley; his coins from Caesarea show his own portrait and even the emperor's, showing his two faces as Jewish king and Roman client.
When was Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I discovered?
It was found in 1900 by Known from 19th-century collections; excavated at Tiberias, Magdala, Sepphoris, Jerusalem and elsewhere, at Tiberias (Antipas); Jerusalem (Agrippa I).
Where is Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Kadman Numismatic Pavilion, Tel Aviv; widely held.
Which Bible verses does Coins of Herod Antipas and Herod Agrippa I relate to?
Matthew 14:1, Luke 3:1, Acts 12:21-23.
Related discoveries
- חָרָשׁSepphoris (Tzippori)The 'ornament of all Galilee' rebuilt by Antipas an hour's walk from Nazareth
- טָבַלMachaerusHerod Antipas' fortress east of the Dead Sea where John the Baptist was beheaded
- כָּבוֹדTheater of Caesarea and the Death of Herod Agrippa IThe seaside theater where Josephus and Acts both place the king's fatal appearance
- סֶלַעPetra: Nabataean Capital of Aretas IVThe rock-cut city ruled by the king whose governor tried to arrest Paul, and the 1993 church papyri
- צֶלֶםTribute Penny (Denarius of Tiberius)'Whose image is this?' — the silver denarius with Caesar's portrait
- שְׁבִיJudaea Capta CoinsRoman coins celebrating the conquest of Judea with a weeping woman under a palm tree
Sources
- Hendin, Guide to Biblical Coins (5th ed., 2010); Meshorer, A Treasury of Jewish Coins (2001)
- Wikipedia: Herod Antipas; Herod Agrippa
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