1st-century AD royal coinage and epigraphy documenting the reign and sudden demise of King Agrippa I
Bronze coins of Herod Agrippa I minted in Jerusalem featuring a royal canopy (parasol) on the obverse and three ears of barley on the reverse, with royal inscriptions acknowledging him as 'King Agrippa'.
Rigorous 4-part empirical analysis separating ancient text from bias and consensus
Inscribed: 'BASILEOS AGRIPA' (Of King Agrippa) with regnal Year 6 (L S = 41/42 AD). Other provincial issues minted for gentile cities feature his portrait with title 'Friend of Caesar' (Philocaeasar).
Corroborates Acts 12:1–23, which names him 'Herod the king' who arrested Peter, executed James the brother of John with the sword, and died suddenly in 44 AD at the Caesarea games after being hailed as a god.
Josephus (*Antiquities* 19.343–350) recounts Agrippa's death in remarkable parallel with Acts 12: he wore a robe made wholly of silver at the theater in Caesarea, the crowd cried out that he was a god, he was struck with sudden violent intestinal agony, and died five days later.
Carefully balanced self-presentation: strictly aniconic in Jewish Jerusalem, fully Hellenized imperial patron in Caesarea.