Aretas II
- ANCIENT SOURCES: see Aretas II (sources)
- SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see Category:Aretas II (subject)
Aretas II was a Nabatean King, 103 to 96 BCE.
See Nabatean Kings
Overview
Aretas II was a contemporary of Alexander Jannaeus. Under his reign the Nabateans first came into conflict with the Hasmoneans.
According to Josephus, when Alexander Jannaeus besieged Gaza in 99 BCE, the inhabitants of the city requested help from "Areatas, king of the Arabs", but he failed to come to the rescue, and the city was destroyed.
Aretas II is probably to be identified with the Arab King named Herotimus who according to Justinus' Latin epitome of Pompeius Trogus led campaigns into Syria and Egypt to take control of the lucrative trade routes of Palestine.
Aretas II was succeeded by his son Obadas I.