Seleucid Empire Coins: 321-64BC

GREEK EMPIRE COIN PAGES (333-31 BC)
Macedonian Coins 333-302 BC	Ptolemaic Coins 323-31 BC	Seleucid Coins 321-64 BC	Maccabean Coins 166-37 BC

Introduction:

1. Alexander the Great conquers the world in a stunning and unique series of victories:
1. In 334 BC Alexander the Great defeats Darius III in the Battle of Granicus
2. In 333 BC Alexander the Great defeats Darius III in Battle of Issus
2. In 323 BC Alexander the Great dies at age 32 on June 10: The Great broken horn of Daniel. After Alexander the Great died, his kingdom split into four kingdoms just as Daniel had prophesied:

1. "After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth." (Daniel 2:39)
2. "After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it." (Daniel 7:6)
   
2. Four horns of Dan 8:8; 11:3-4

1. "Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven." (Daniel 8:8)
2. "“And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. “But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them." (Daniel 11:3–4)
3. Four "horns" empires after Alexander the Great:

1. Ptolemy Empire (323-31 BC)
1. Area of modern Egypt
2. Ptolemy Empire Ends when Rome conquers Egypt in 31 BC
3. Antony/Cleopatra commit suicide 30 extincting the Ptolemy empire.
2. Seleucid Empire (321-64 BC)

1. Area of Modern Israel, Syria, Turkey
2. Cassander (319-168 BC)

1. Area of Modern Greece.
2. Cassander founds Thessalonica 315 BC
3. Rome conquered Greece in battle of Pydna in 168 AD)
3. Lysimachus (323-133 BC)

1. Area of modern Asia Minor.
2. King Attalus III bequeathed Asia Minor to Rome in 133 BC

I. List of Seleucid Empire kings and rulers: 321-64 BC

1. Seleucus I Nicator 321-281 BC
1. flees to Egypt 316 BC
2. returns to Babylon 312 BC
3. becomes king of Babylon 305 BC
4. becomes king of Syria, Asia 301 BC after winning battle of Ipsus
5. Founds Antioch 300 BC
2. Antiochus I Soter 281-261 BC
3. Antiochus II Theos 261-246 BC

1. Commissions the Septuagint version that translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek.
3. Seleucus II Callinicus 246-226 BC
4. Seleucus III Soter 226-223 BC
5. Antiochus III The Great 223-187 BC
6. Seleucus IV Philopator 187–175 BC
7. Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175-163 BC
8. Antiochus IV desecrates Temple 167 BC
9. Antiochus V Eupator 163-162 BC
10. Demetrius I Soter 162-150 BC
11. Alexander I Balas (usurper) 150-145 BC
12. Demetrius II Nicator Soter 145-140 BC
13. Antiochus VII Sidetes 139-129 BC
14. Demetrius II Nicator Soter 129-125 BC
15. Antiochus VIII Grypus 125-96 BC
16. Rapid, unstable succession of rulers 96-83

1. Seleucus VI Epiphanes Nicator
2. Antiochus X Eusebes
3. Antiochus XI
4. Antiochus XI,
5. Demetrius III Eucerus
6. Philip
17. Tigranes of Armenia Conquers Syria 83-69 BC
18. Roman general Pompey the Great Annexes Syria extincting the Seleucid empire in 64 BC

II. Denominations of Seleucid coinage and money:

TYPE (Brian Kritt's term Used in Seleucid Coins, SCI & SCII)	Average Specifications	Edward T. Newell's term (Obsolete system)
AA	25-33 mm., 20.0-27.99 gm.	Octuple
A	22-28 mm., 11.0-16.99 gm.	Triple, quadruple
B	17-22 mm., 5.49-8.49 gm.	Double
C	15-21 mm., 3.0-5.49 gm.	Unit
D	12-14 mm., 1.49-2.99 gm.	Half
E	8-11 mm., 0.6-1.00 gm.	Quarter
Seleucid Coins (SCI & II), Arthur Houghton, Catharine Lorber, Part 1, p4, 2002 AD

1. We have followed "Seleucid Coins" (SCI & II, 2002 AD), Arthur Houghton and Catharine Lorber in referring to various denominations of Seleucid coins.
1. For example if a coin falls within both the diameter and weight ranges for a single denomination we will refer to the coin type as: "Type E".
2. Notice this new system developed by Brian Kritt moves away from the chalkous as the base unit and adopts the generic alphabetic letters in its place.
2. "The accompanying metrological tables were prepared by Brian Kritt, who generously volunteered to analyze Seleucid bronze weights for the major mints by series, series being generally defined by the coin types. These tables represent a uniquely valuable resource for the metrology of Seleucid bronze coinage. Kritt's series-by-series approach avoids the principal pitfall of earlier metrological studies, a reliance on sample populations." However the tradeoff for increased specificity is smaller samples, in many cases beneath the threshold for statistical significance. Kritt's tables generally support Newell's intuition that Seleucid bronze coinage was based on a series of doublings. The special virtue of these tables is that they illustrate both the considerable fluctuation of weights from series to series and also larger metrological drifts over time. They provide a longitudinal overview that allows us to relate coins of such different weights that they would, in isolation, be identified as separate denominations. This effect is particularly apparent in the case of largish bronzes in the range of 11-17 gm., which Newell usually called quadruples, but sometimes tentatively identified as triples; in the context of the charts these coins emerge as a single denomination. Though Newell's terminology is convenient and deeply engrained, its metrological implications remain problematic. Newell's unit inevitably evokes the fundamental unit of reckoning, i.e. the chalkous. But as we have seen, recent studies of Greek bronze coinage raise the possibility that the early Seleucid chalkous was a smaller coin than Newell's unit; while second century marks of value establish at least one change in the weight of the chalkous (at Ecbatana). Another problem with Newell's proposed denominational system, noted above, is that the octuple does not appear to stand in 2:1 metrological ratio with the quadruple. At Kritt's suggestion we have adopted a neutral terminology, employing letters of the alphabet to designate bronze denominations whose face values remain undetermined. For the early Hellenistic period (from Seleucus I through Antiochus III) the denominations most commonly produced include B, C, and D, with A and E somewhat unusual, and AA an exceptional large bronze rarely produced except at Ecbatana. The alphabetical terminology is intended to accommodate a wide range of possible interpretations, including employment of the Attic system through much or all of the Seleucid empire, changes in that system over time, regional currency systems, and substantial autonomy of local mints." (Seleucid Coins (SCI & II), Arthur Houghton, Catharine Lorber, Part 1, p3, 2002 AD)

III. Coins of the Seleucid Empire kings: 321-64 BC

1. Seleucus I Nicator 321-281 BC
1. flees to Egypt 316 BC
2. returns to Babylon 312 BC
3. becomes king of Babylon 305 BC
4. becomes king of Syria, Asia 301 BC after winning battle of Ipsus
5. Founds Antioch 300 BC
2. Antiochus I Soter 281-261 BC
3. Antiochus II Theos 261-246 BC

1. Commissions the Septuagint version that translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek.
2. The city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC.
3. Ptolemy I builds the famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt that housed the most important Biblical manuscripts in the world.
4. Antiochus II commissions the Septuagint Manuscript of the Old Testament to be translated from Hebrew into Greek in order to place it in the Library of Alexandria.
5. The library of Alexandria was destroyed by Muslims under Caliph Omar in 642 AD along with thousands of priceless Bible manuscripts.

The same destruction of libraries and historical museums is still happening today. Detailed outline on Septuagint LXX

4. Seleucus II Callinicus 246-226 BC
5. Seleucus III Soter 226-223 BC
6. Antiochus III The Great 223-187 BC
   
   
7. Seleucus IV Philopator 187–175 BC
8. Antiochus IV Epiphanes 175-163 BC
1. In 167 BC Antiochus IV desecrates Jewish Temple as a place of pagan worship.
2. Strangely, this suddenly offended the Jews whose fathers had allowed all the pagan idol gods to co-exist in the temple of Solomon from 960 BC down to its destruction in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar. Had the Jews living in 587 BC, been as equally offended during the 373 years where THEY desecrated the Temple of Solomon themselves with pagan gods, as Maccabean Jews were in 167 BC, the temple of Solomon would have still been standing in 167 BC!
3. However we take note that the Jews finally gave up idol worship after the return from the 70 year Babylonian captivity (605-536 BC).
4. Hasmonean/Maccabean rebellion and independence: 166-37:
5. 166 BC The Revolt of Mattathias who dies the same year (166 BC): 1 Maccabees 1,2; 2 Maccabees 6; Jos Ant. 7:265-272
6. 166-160 BC Judas Maccabeus leads the independence movement (1 Maccabees 3-4; Jos Ant. 7:287-292)
7. 164 BC Jewish Temple liberated by Judas Maccabeus.
8. Origin of Hanukkah: In 164 BC the first Hanukkah celebrated the liberation and rededication of the Jewish Temple. In Hebrew, the word "Hanukkah" means "dedication." Hanukkah was celebrated in New Testament times: Jn 10:22. It is very strange that Hanukkah is celebrated today by all Jews since they are memorializing the dedication of a temple that existed in 167 BC, that was replaced by Herod the Great in 18 BC and destroyed by the Romans under Titus in 70 AD. It doesn't make much sense to celebrate the dedication and liberation of a temple, which was first obsoleted by Herod the Great in 18 BC when he built the new temple which was in turn utterly destroyed without trace by the Romans in 70 AD.
   
   
   
   
9. Death of Antiochus IV: 1 Maccabees 6: "King Antiochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold. Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks. So he came and tried to take the city and plunder it, but he could not because his plan had become known to the citizens and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great disappointment left there to return to Babylon. Then someone came to him in Persia and reported that the armies that had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils that they had taken from the armies they had cut down; that they had torn down the abomination that he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur, his town. When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from disappointment, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. He lay there for many days, because deep disappointment continually gripped him, and he realized that he was dying. So he called all his Friends and said to them, “Sleep has departed from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry. I said to myself, ‘To what distress I have come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power.’ But now I remember the wrong I did in Jerusalem. I seized all its vessels of silver and gold, and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. I know that it is because of this that these misfortunes have come upon me; here I am, perishing of bitter disappointment in a strange land.” Then he called for Philip, one of his Friends, and made him ruler over all his kingdom. He gave him the crown and his robe and the signet, so that he might guide his son Antiochus and bring him up to be king. Thus King Antiochus died there in the one hundred forty-ninth year. When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus the king’s son to reign. Lysias had brought him up from boyhood; he named him Eupator." (1 Maccabees 6:1–17)
9. Antiochus V Eupator 163-162 BC

1. 1 Maccabees 6:18–63: "Meanwhile the garrison in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary. They were trying in every way to harm them and strengthen the Gentiles. Judas therefore resolved to destroy them, and assembled all the people to besiege them. They gathered together and besieged the citadel in the one hundred fiftieth year; and he built siege towers and other engines of war. But some of the garrison escaped from the siege and some of the ungodly Israelites joined them. They went to the king and said, “How long will you fail to do justice and to avenge our kindred? We were happy to serve your father, to live by what he said, and to follow his commands. For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel and became hostile to us; moreover, they have put to death as many of us as they have caught, and they have seized our inheritances. It is not against us alone that they have stretched out their hands; they have also attacked all the lands on their borders. And see, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it; they have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur; unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and you will not be able to stop them.” The king was enraged when he heard this. He assembled all his Friends, the commanders of his forces and those in authority. Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas. The number of his forces was one hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants accustomed to war. They came through Idumea and encamped against Beth-zur, and for many days they fought and built engines of war; but the Jews sallied out and burned these with fire, and fought courageously. Then Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the camp of the king. Early in the morning the king set out and took his army by a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah, and his troops made ready for battle and sounded their trumpets. They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, to arouse them for battle. They distributed the animals among the phalanxes; with each elephant they stationed a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and with brass helmets on their heads; and five hundred picked horsemen were assigned to each beast. These took their position beforehand wherever the animal was; wherever it went, they went with it, and they never left it. On the elephants were wooden towers, strong and covered; they were fastened on each animal by special harness, and on each were four armed men who fought from there, and also its Indian driver. The rest of the cavalry were stationed on either side, on the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy while being themselves protected by the phalanxes. When the sun shone on the shields of gold and brass, the hills were ablaze with them and gleamed like flaming torches. Now a part of the king’s army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain, and they advanced steadily and in good order. All who heard the noise made by their multitude, by the marching of the multitude and the clanking of their arms, trembled, for the army was very large and strong. But Judas and his army advanced to the battle, and six hundred of the king’s army fell. Now Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the animals was equipped with royal armor. It was taller than all the others, and he supposed that the king was on it. So he gave his life to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name. He courageously ran into the midst of the phalanx to reach it; he killed men right and left, and they parted before him on both sides. He got under the elephant, stabbed it from beneath, and killed it; but it fell to the ground upon him and he died. When the Jews saw the royal might and the fierce attack of the forces, they turned away in flight. The soldiers of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem against them, and the king encamped in Judea and at Mount Zion. He made peace with the people of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the town because they had no provisions there to withstand a siege, since it was a sabbatical year for the land. So the king took Beth-zur and stationed a guard there to hold it. Then he encamped before the sanctuary for many days. He set up siege towers, engines of war to throw fire and stones, machines to shoot arrows, and catapults. The Jews also made engines of war to match theirs, and fought for many days. But they had no food in storage, because it was the seventh year; those who had found safety in Judea from the Gentiles had consumed the last of the stores. Only a few men were left in the sanctuary; the rest scattered to their own homes, for the famine proved too much for them. Then Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus while still living had appointed to bring up his son Antiochus to be king, had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had gone with the king, and that he was trying to seize control of the government. So he quickly gave orders to withdraw, and said to the king, to the commanders of the forces, and to the troops, “Daily we grow weaker, our food supply is scant, the place against which we are fighting is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press urgently on us. Now then let us come to terms with these people, and make peace with them and with all their nation. Let us agree to let them live by their laws as they did before; for it was on account of their laws that we abolished that they became angry and did all these things.” The speech pleased the king and the commanders, and he sent to the Jews an offer of peace, and they accepted it. So the king and the commanders gave them their oath. On these conditions the Jews evacuated the stronghold. But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw what a strong fortress the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders to tear down the wall all around. Then he set off in haste and returned to Antioch. He found Philip in control of the city, but he fought against him, and took the city by force." (1 Maccabees 6:18–63)
9. Demetrius I Soter 162-150 BC
   
   
   
10. Alexander I Balas (usurper) 150-145 BC
    
    
11. Demetrius II Nicator Soter 145-140 BC
12. Antiochus VI Dionysus was the son of Nicator Soter but never ruled.
13. Antiochus VII Sidetes 139-129 BC

1. 1 Maccabees 15:1–36: "Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation; its contents were as follows: “King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and ethnarch and to the nation of the Jews, greetings. Whereas certain scoundrels have gained control of the kingdom of our ancestors, and I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped warships, and intend to make a landing in the country so that I may proceed against those who have destroyed our country and those who have devastated many cities in my kingdom, now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions that the kings before me have granted you, and a release from all the other payments from which they have released you. I permit you to mint your own coinage as money for your country, and I grant freedom to Jerusalem and the sanctuary. All the weapons that you have prepared and the strongholds that you have built and now hold shall remain yours. Every debt you owe to the royal treasury and any such future debts shall be canceled for you from henceforth and for all time. When we gain control of our kingdom, we will bestow great honor on you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will become manifest in all the earth.” In the one hundred seventy-fourth year Antiochus set out and invaded the land of his ancestors. All the troops rallied to him, so that there were only a few with Trypho. Antiochus pursued him, and Trypho came in his flight to Dor, which is by the sea; for he knew that troubles had converged on him, and his troops had deserted him. So Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him were one hundred twenty thousand warriors and eight thousand cavalry. He surrounded the town, and the ships joined battle from the sea; he pressed the town hard from land and sea, and permitted no one to leave or enter it. Then Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome, with letters to the kings and countries, in which the following was written: “Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings. The envoys of the Jews have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our ancient friendship and alliance. They had been sent by the high priest Simon and by the Jewish people and have brought a gold shield weighing one thousand minas. We therefore have decided to write to the kings and countries that they should not seek their harm or make war against them and their cities and their country, or make alliance with those who war against them. And it has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them. Therefore if any scoundrels have fled to you from their country, hand them over to the high priest Simon, so that he may punish them according to their law.” The consul wrote the same thing to King Demetrius and to Attalus and Ariarathes and Arsaces, and to all the countries, and to Sampsames, and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samos, and to Pamphylia, and to Lycia, and to Halicarnassus, and to Rhodes, and to Phaselis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Aradus and Gortyna and Cnidus and Cyprus and Cyrene. They also sent a copy of these things to the high priest Simon. King Antiochus besieged Dor for the second time, continually throwing his forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Trypho up and kept him from going out or in. And Simon sent to Antiochus two thousand picked troops, to fight for him, and silver and gold and a large amount of military equipment. But he refused to receive them, and broke all the agreements he formerly had made with Simon, and became estranged from him. He sent to him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold control of Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom. You have devastated their territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken possession of many places in my kingdom. Now then, hand over the cities that you have seized and the tribute money of the places that you have conquered outside the borders of Judea; or else pay me five hundred talents of silver for the destruction that you have caused and five hundred talents more for the tribute money of the cities. Otherwise we will come and make war on you.” So Athenobius, the king’s Friend, came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. When he reported to him the king’s message, Simon said to him in reply: “We have neither taken foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our ancestors, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies. Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our ancestors. As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they were causing great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give you one hundred talents.” Athenobius did not answer him a word, but returned in wrath to the king and reported to him these words, and also the splendor of Simon and all that he had seen. And the king was very angry." (1 Maccabees 15:1–36)
14. Demetrius II Nicator Soter 129-125 BC
15. Antiochus VIII Grypus 125-96 BC
16. Rapid, unstable succession of rulers 96-83

1. Seleucus VI Epiphanes Nicator
2. Antiochus X Eusebes
3. Antiochus XI
4. Antiochus XI,
5. Demetrius III Eucerus
6. Philip
16. Tigranes of Armenia Conquers Syria 83-69 BC
17. Roman general Pompey the Great Annexes Syria extincting the Seleucid empire in 64 BC

Conclusion:

1. The Greek kingdom existed from 333 - 31 BC

2. Alexander the Great lived only ten years and ruled the world as a sole monarch from 333-323 BC

3. The early Greek/Macedonian period is 333 - 302 BC as far as classifying coins is concerned.

4. After Alexander the Great died, his kingdom was split into four Kingdoms: (Four "horns" empires after Alexander the Great)

1. Ptolemy Empire (323-31 BC)
2. Seleucid Empire (321-64 BC)

4. Cassander (319-168 BC) We do not discuss this kingdom at all because it is far removed from land of Judah.

5. Lysimachus (323-133 BC) We do not discuss this kingdom at all because it is far removed from land of Judah.
6. For a short time during the Greek Empire period, the Jews gained true independence under the Maccabees (Hasmonean Era): 166-37 BC
4. Rome conquered all by 31 BC and the fourth and final kingdom of Daniel's prophecy (Dan 2) came into existence.
5. On Pentecost 33 AD, God set up his divine Kingdom which we know today as the Church of Christ which will never come to an end:

3. "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." (Ephesians 5:5)
4. "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13–14)
6. Why not attend a local church that follows the pure Bible Blueprint in your own home town! Click here to find one

GREEK EMPIRE COIN PAGES (333-31 BC)
Macedonian Coins 333-302 BC	Ptolemaic Coins 323-31 BC	Seleucid Coins 321-64 BC	Maccabean Coins 166-37 BC

By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.

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