Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus
The last Hasmonean king's bronze coin, the earliest known picture of the Temple menorah
Found 1900 — Rare examples known since the early 20th century; specimens found in Jerusalem excavations; looted examples have been seized abroad and returned to Israel (2025)
Where Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from 40–37 BCE · Late Hasmonean · End of the Hasmonean dynasty; Herod's rise
Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem; British Museum, London; private collections
How Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus was found
Struck in Jerusalem during Antigonus's three-year war against Herod and the Romans; very few survive because his coinage was short-lived and probably melted down.
What it is
A large bronze coin showing on one side the seven-branched menorah on a tripod base with the Greek legend 'of King Antigonus', and on the other the showbread table with the paleo-Hebrew legend 'Mattityah the High Priest'.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the earliest surviving depiction of the Temple menorah, made by a priest-king who saw the real one, about a century before the Arch of Titus relief. The choice to picture the Temple's furnishings was a claim that Antigonus, not Herod the Idumean, was the true guardian of the sanctuary. The coin shows the menorah with a tripod base and the table as described in Exodus 25, giving readers a glimpse of the Second Temple's holy vessels.
The Hebrew word: me-no-RAH
מְנוֹרָה
מְנוֹרָה is pronounced me-no-RAH and means lampstand, the seven-branched menorah (Strong's H4501).
People this discovery connects to
- Mattathias Antigonus — מַתִּתְיָה (mah-tit-YAH) — gift of YHVH
Places
- Jerusalem — יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (ye-roo-shah-LAH-yim) — foundation of peace (traditional)
Events
Parthian invasion and Antigonus's seizure of Jerusalem, 40 BCE · Herod's capture of Jerusalem, 37 BCE
Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus in Scripture
Exodus 25:30 The table of showbread on the coin's other side.
Exodus 25:31-32 The command to make the golden lampstand with six branches; the coin is the oldest picture of that menorah. (First mention of Menorah (candlestick).)
Zechariah 4:2 Zechariah's vision of a golden menorah in the days of the Second Temple's founding.
Questions people ask
What is Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus?
A large bronze coin showing on one side the seven-branched menorah on a tripod base with the Greek legend 'of King Antigonus', and on the other the showbread table with the paleo-Hebrew legend 'Mattityah the High Priest'.
When was Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus discovered?
It was found in 1900 by Rare examples known since the early 20th century; specimens found in Jerusalem excavations; looted examples have been seized abroad and returned to Israel (2025), at Jerusalem.
Where is Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem; British Museum, London; private collections.
Which Bible verses does Menorah Coin of Mattathias Antigonus relate to?
Exodus 25:30, Exodus 25:31-32, Zechariah 4:2.
Related discoveries
- מְדִינָהYehud Stamp ImpressionsJar-handle stamps of the Persian province of Judah, successors of the LMLK seals
- 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
- קֶבֶרHorbat Ha-Gardi ('Tomb of the Maccabees')The monumental structure near Modi'in long claimed as the Maccabees' family tomb, re-excavated in 2015
- מִקְוֶהHasmonean Winter Palaces at JerichoRoyal estate with swimming pools and ritual baths where the Hasmonean kings wintered
- אַמַּת הַמַּיִםThe Hasmonean Water ChannelA rock-cut aqueduct under the Western Wall Tunnels that Herod's Temple Mount cut in two
- נֶפֶשׁJason's TombA Hasmonean family tomb in Rehavia with a Doric porch, ship graffiti and a lament for Jason
Sources
- Meshorer, A Treasury of Jewish Coins (2001)
- Wikipedia: Antigonus II Mattathias
- COJS: Menorah Coin, 40-37 BCE
- Israel Museum: Coin of Mattathias Antigonus
- Times of Israel: coin with earliest menorah image returned to Israel
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