Silver drachm of Aretas IV with his wife Huldu

Chuldu, Huldu, or Khuld (

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 ...

: ''Ḥūldū''; fl. 1st-century CE), was a

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

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 ...

, spouse and co-ruler of

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

in 9 BC–AD 16. Her 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 '. She ruled jointly with her husband from 9 BCE until 16 CE.

Copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

and

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

coins A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

where she is depicted with her husband have been recovered. Little is known about the exact date and reason of the transition from Chuldu to

Shaqilath Shaqilath (Nabataean Aramaic: , ''ŠQYLT''; also spelled ''Shaqilat'', ''Shaqeela'', ''Shaqeelah'', ''Šagīlat'') was a queen of the Nabataeans. Her name as transcribed in Arabic is '. She was the second wife and co-ruler of Aretas IV of the ...

, who appears on coins after an unexplained gap in 18 CE. Maurice Satre suggested previous gaps in the minting of coins could have been due to a period of capitulation to

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. She has been presumed to be the mother of

Malichus II Malichus II (Nabataean Aramaic: ''Malīḵū'' or ''Malīḵūʾ'') was ruler of Nabatea from 40 to 70 AD. He was the son of Aretes IV and Huldu. Biography Malichus' reign is sometimes perceived as a period of declining Nabataean power, but ...

, Obodas and Rabbel, and of three daughters,

Phasa'el Phasael or Pasiel (born in 5/4 BCE), in Greek sources Phasaelis, was a princess of Nabataean Kingdom, Nabatea, daughter of King Aretas IV Philopatris and the first wife of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea. Name Life Phasaelis was bo ...

(first wife of

Herod Antipas Herod Antipas (, ''Hērṓidēs Antípas''; ) was a 1st-century ruler of Galilee and Perea. He bore the title of tetrarch ("ruler of a quarter") and is referred to as both "Herod the Tetrarch" and "King Herod" in the New Testament. He was a s ...

), Shu'dat and Hagera. The latter also had a son, also called Aretas, grandson of Aretas IV.

References

1st-century Nabataean monarchs 1st-century queens regnant {{MEast-hist-stub

See also

References