Aretas (Arabic: Haritha), the Greek form of a name borne by kings of the Nabataeans resident at Petra in Arabia. Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Petra, the Nabataean capital The Nabataeans were a trading people of ancient Arabia, whose oasis settlements in the time of Josephus gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Syria and Arabia, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. ... The Treasury at Petra Petra (from petrus, rock in Greek; Arabic: البتراء, al-Bitrā) is an archaeological site in Jordan, lying in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Wadi Araba, the great valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. ...

Aretas was a king in the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (2 Macc. 5:8). Coin of Antiochus IV. Reverse shows Apollo seated on an omphalos. ...

Another Aretas was the father-in-law of Herod Antipas (Josephus, Ant. xviii.5.I,3). In 2 Cor. 11:32 he is described as ruler of Damascus at the time of Paul's conversion. Herod Antipas had married a daughter of Aretas, but afterwards discarded her in favour of Herodias. This led to a war with Aretas in which Antipas was defeated. Herod Antipas (short for Antipatros) was an ancient leader (tetrarch, meaning ruler of a quarter) of Galilee and Perea. ... Josephus (c. ... Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria. ... An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... Herodias was a Jewish princess famous for her beauty and love affairs, daughter of Aristobulus III of Judea. ...

A third Aretas supported Aristobulus agains Hyrcanus, but was obliged to retreat by Pompey (64 BC), and in 62 BC paid a bribe of 300 talents to Marcus Aemilius Scaurus. Aristobulus (reigned 104-103 BC) was a king of the Hebrew Hasmonean Dynasty, and the eldest of the five sons of King John Hyrcanus. ... John Hyrcanus (Yohanan Girhan) (reigned 134 BC - 104 BC, died 104 BC) was a Hasmonean (Maccabeean) leader of the 2nd century BC. Apparently the name Hyrcanus was taken by him as a reignal name upon his accession to power. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC - 60s BC - 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC Years: 69 BC 68 BC 67 BC 66 BC 65 BC 64 BC 63 BC 62 BC 61... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC - 60s BC - 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC Years: 67 BC 66 BC 65 BC 64 BC 63 BC 62 BC 61 BC 60 BC 59... Talent refers to a special aptitude, faculty or gift of a person. ... Marcus Aemilius Scaurus (born circa 163 BC – died 88 BC) was a Roman politician. ...

An Aretas is mentioned in some translations of 1 Macc. 15:22, but the true reading is probably Ariarathes (king of Cappadocia). Ariarathes was the name of five kings of Cappadocia in Anatolia, between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE. For further information, see Cappadocia. ... Cappadocia in 188 BC In ancient geography, Cappadocia (spelled Kapadokya in Turkish) (Greek: Καππαδοκία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). ...

See also

• Nabataeans

Petra, the Nabataean capital The Nabataeans were a trading people of ancient Arabia, whose oasis settlements in the time of Josephus gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Syria and Arabia, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, a publication in the public domain.