Antigonus Mattathias

Hasmonean king of Judaea

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June 18, 2026

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Antigonus Mattathias was the last ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty, which governed Judaea. The Hasmonean dynasty originated from the Maccabee family, who led a revolt against the Seleucid dynasty in the 2nd century BCE. Antigonus Mattathias, son of Aristobulus II, was established as king and high priest by the Parthians in 40 BCE. However, his reign was short-lived, as he was later deposed and executed by the Romans under Mark Antony. His downfall marked the end of Hasmonean rule in Judaea, paving the way for the rise of Herod the Great.123

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coin
Coinage in Judaea
Antigonus Mattathias (40–37 bc), the last of the Maccabees, introduced the seven-branched candlestick as a type. Under the Herodian dynasty, from 37 bc, Greek alone was found on Judaean coins. Herod Philip (4 bc–ad 34) gravely infringed Jewish convention by showing the effigy of the…
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Antigonus Mattathias (40–37 bc), the last of the Maccabees, introduced the seven-branched candlestick as a type. Under the Herodian dynasty, from 37 bc, Greek alone was found on Judaean coins. Herod Philip (4 bc–ad 34) gravely infringed Jewish convention by showing the effigy of the…
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Palestine
The Hasmonean priest-princes
Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus and therefore a legitimate Hasmonean, won the favor of the Parthians and was established by them as king and high priest of Jerusalem. Phasael was reported to have died by suicide, while his brother Herod escaped to Rome.
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Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus and therefore a legitimate Hasmonean, won the favor of the Parthians and was established by them as king and high priest of Jerusalem. Phasael was reported to have died by suicide, while his brother Herod escaped to Rome.
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