1
Literal Translation / Primary Inscription
Epigraphic RecordInscribed in Greek: 'HERODOU TETRARCHOU' (Of Herod the Tetrarch) with regnal years (e.g., L LD = Year 34, c. 30 AD) and 'TIBERIAS' within a wreath.
Herod Antipas Tiberias Bronze Coinage
1st-century AD bronze coinage minted at Tiberias bearing the title 'Herod the Tetrarch'
Direct Archaeological Attestation 95%
c. 20–39 AD
Discovery Excavation: Excavated at Tiberias and Sepphoris, Galilee
Current Museum / Accession: Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Bronze coins minted by Herod Antipas celebrating his new capital city Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, bearing an upright reed or palm branch on the obverse and a laurel wreath enclosing 'Tiberias' on the reverse.
Archival Museum & Excavation Photography
Israel Antiquities Authority
Corroboration Distribution for Connected Passages (46 records)
87% Confidence
46 sources
41.3%
34.78%
15.22%
Direct Archaeology 19 (41.3%)
Ancient Historians 16 (34.78%)
Dead Sea Scrolls & Manuscripts 7 (15.22%)
Scholarly Consensus 0 (0%)
Debated & Traditional 4 (8.7%)
Claim-by-Claim Epistemic Verification Breakdown
Rigorous 4-part empirical analysis separating ancient text from bias and consensus
2
Biblical Corroboration & Cross-References
Scriptural HarmonyCorroborates Luke 3:1 ('Herod being tetrarch of Galilee'), Mark 6:14–29 (Antipas executing John the Baptist), Luke 13:32 ('Go tell that fox'), and Luke 23:7–12 (trial of Jesus before Antipas).
Corroborated Passages:
3
Scholarly Debate, Historiography & Modern Consensus
Critical NuanceNotice that unlike pagan coins, Antipas avoided human portraits or animal images on coins minted for his Jewish subjects, using a reed—which Jesus may have alluded to in Matthew 11:7 ('What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?').
4
Ancient Author Bias, Royal Propaganda & Perspective
Ideological ContextProvincial client-ruler coinage flattery honoring Emperor Tiberius by naming his new Galilean capital Tiberias.
Corroborated Scripture Passages
Attested Figures & Kings
Excavations & Ancient Geography
Scholarly Editions & Critical Publications
- Meshorer, Y. (2001). A Treasury of Jewish Coins.
- Jensen, M.H. (2006). Herod Antipas in Galilee. Mohr Siebeck.