Aretas II (;
Nabataean Aramaic
Nabataean Aramaic is the extinct Aramaic variety used in inscriptions by the Nabataeans of the Transjordan_(region), East Bank of the Jordan River, the Negev, and the Sinai Peninsula. Compared with other varieties of Aramaic, it is notable for ...
:
''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 Jannaeus
Alexander Jannaeus ( , English: "Alexander Jannaios", usually Latinised to "Alexander Jannaeus"; ''Yannaʾy''; born Jonathan ) was the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, who ruled over an expanding kingdom of Judaea from 103 to 76 BCE. ...
, whose expansionist policies were a direct threat to the
Nabatean Kingdom. During the siege of
Gaza by Jannaeus in 99, the besieged Gazans requested help from "Aretas, King of the Arabs", but he did not come to their aid and the city was destroyed. Aretas is credited with beginning Nabatean minting. Like his predecessor, the king's name as transcribed in
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
is ',
or ', stemming from
Harith which means "the collector, provider; Plowman; Cultivator".
See also
*
List of rulers of Nabatea
References
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aretas 02
2nd-century BC Nabataean monarchs
1st-century BC Nabataean monarchs
2nd-century BC Arab people
1st-century BC Arab people