Aretas is the Greek form of a name borne by kings of the

Nabataeans The Nabataeans or Nabateans (; Nabataean Aramaic: , , vocalized as ) were an ancient Arabs, Arab people who inhabited northern Arabian Peninsula, Arabia and the southern Levant. Their settlements—most prominently the assumed capital city o ...

resident at

Petra Petra (; "Rock"), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu (Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: or , *''Raqēmō''), is an ancient city and archaeological site in southern Jordan. Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit systems, P ...

It can refer to: *

Aretas I Aretas I (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārītaṯ''; ''Arétās'') is the first known King of the Arab Nabataeans. His name appeared on the oldest Nabataean inscription dating from 168 BC which was found at Halutza. He is also mentioned in the d ...

was a king in the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 175–164 BCE) *

Aretas II Aretas II (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārītaṯ''; ''Arétās'') was the King of the Arab Nabateans. Succeeding Rabbel I, his reign began in 103 BCE and he ruled until 96 BCE. Aretas II was a contemporary of the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannae ...

ruled Nabatea from 120 or 110 to 96 BC *

Aretas III Aretas III (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārītaṯ''; Ancient Greek: ) was king of the Arab Nabataean kingdom from 87 to 62 BCE. Aretas ascended to the throne upon the death of his brother, Obodas I, in 87 BCE. During his reign, he extended h ...

ruled Nabatea from 87 to 62 BC *

Aretas IV Philopatris Aretas IV Philopatris (Nabataean Aramaic: 𐢊𐢛𐢞𐢞 𐢛𐢊𐢒 𐢗𐢓𐢆, ''Ḥārītaṯ Rāḥem-ʿammeh'' "Aretas, friend of his people") was the King of the Nabataeans, King of the Arab Nabataeans from roughly 9 BC to 40 AD. His ...

was the father-in-law of Herod Antipas; he is described as ruler of Damascus at the time of Paul's conversion *

Aretas (martyr) Arethas or Aretas (), also known as Ḥārith ibn Kaʿb, was the leader of the Miaphysite Christian community of Najran in the early 6th century; he was executed during the persecution of Christians by the king of Yemen, Dhu Nuwas, in 523. News o ...

(died 523)

See also