Coin of Orodes II reverse

Silver drachm of Orodes II.

When Parthian King Orodes II was victorious in a battle against the Romans in 53 BCE, Mattathias sought his aid in occupying Jerusalem. The alliance, however, was short lived because Herod and the Roman legions recaptured the city and executed Mattathias.

Bressett, Kenneth. Money of the Bible. Atlanta- Whitman Publishing, 2005.