Aretas I
Revision as of 07:52, 18 October 2011 by Gabriele Boccaccini (talk | contribs)
- ANCIENT SOURCES: see Aretas I (sources)
- SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see Category:Aretas I (subject)
Aretas I (2nd cent. BCE) was a Nabatean King.
See Nabatean Kings
Overview
Aretas I is the first known king of the Nabateans. His name is mentioned in the earliest Nabatean inscription discovered to date, a 168 BCE carving found in Halutza.
According to 2 Maccabees (5:8), in 170 BCE Aretas I held prisoner Jason, when the former High Priest fled from Jerusalem after his unsuccessful attempt to regain power against Menelaus. Jason, who had been "a fugitive into the land of Ammon" (2 Mac 4:26) since he had lost his power in 172 BCE, was now forced to leave the country for Egypt and Greece, where he died.
Aretas I was succeeded by Rabel I around 140 BCE.