THE NEW SCHAFF-HER20G
ground is that if, as some hold, the Nabatseans represent one of the migrations from Arabia (q.v.), the earlier mention in the Old Testament and the Assyrian monuments would be of the " advance guard " of the migration. The advance of the Edomites into Judea (cf. Mai. i. 1-5) in the early part of the sixth century is explained by the pressure upon them from the rear by the Nabatsean hosts, especially as three centuries later the Nabatseans were in possession of the Edomitic region.
II. History from 312 B.C.: What is practically consecutive history begins with the account by Diodorus Siculus (ut sup.) of the expedition sent against the Nabatseans in 312 B.C. by Antigonus under Athenaeus after the former had driven Ptolemy Lagus from Ccele-Syria. This force of 4,000 foot and 600 horse arrived at Petra, then 1. Till the and for centuries the chief city and Roman stronghold, while the males were away, Period. captured and looted it. But on the return march due precautions were not taken and in a night attack the Nabatseans almost annihilated the force. A punitive expedition sent out under Demetrius invested Petra, but had to return content with pledges for good behavior on the part of the inhabitants. The account makes of them a pastoral people engaged also in commerce, and living under tribal or patriarchal government. From this time on information comes in general only through mention of the rulers of the people. The next notice in order of time is in I Mace. v. 8, at which time the ruler was a prince (Gk. tyrannos; not a king) known to history as Aretas I., with whom Jason the high priest took refuge. A little later than this (164-160 b.c; cf. I Mace. v. 25, ix. 35) Nabatseans and leaders of the Maccabean party were friends. A notice by Agatharchides (a Greek historian who flourished c. 140 B.C.) reports that the Nabatseans held the Gulf of Akaba and the port of Elath (cf. C. M tiller, Geographia Grceci minor es, i. 178, Paris, 1855). The declension of the Ptolemaic and Seleucidan kingdoms c. 100 b.c. was this people's opportunity, which they improved under a King Aretas II. (possibly 110-96 b.c; this king is called Erotimus by Justin the historian, Liber historiarum Philippicarum, XXXIX., v. 5-6) by greatly extending the area which they controlled. Through this they came into conflict with the ambitious schemes for conquest of Alexander Jannseus, whom under a King Obedas they severely defeated (Josephus, Ant., XIII., xiii. 5), and a little later defeated and killed Antiochus XII. of Syria (Josephus, War, I., iv. 7). Josephus (Ant., XIII., xv. 2; War, I., iv. 8) reports that the Nabatseans took possession of Ccele-Syria under Aretas III. (85-60 B.C.; probably the Aretas known as Philhellenos, and on his coins as " Harbath king of the Nabatseans "), and again defeated Alexander Jannseus, this time near Adida, and for a time at least controlled Damascus. They also later supported Hyrcanus in his conflict with Aristobulus (see Hasmoxeans, § 4; cf. Josephus, Ant., XIV., i. 4-ii. 3). This brought them into touch with the Romans, and Scaurus made an expedition against Petra, ravaged the country, but found the capital difficult of access, and was glad to compound for a
sum of 300 talents (Josephus, Ant., XIV., v. 1; War, I., viii. 1).
In 55 b.c. Gabinius conducted a successful campaign against them (Josephus, Ant., XIV., vi. 4; War, I., viii. 7). Between 50 and 28 b.c. a King Malchus (Malichos I.) is known, who in 47 b.c. furnished mounted soldiery for the Romans, and this indicates the practical absorption of 2. Under Nabatea into the Roman Empire. the During the Parthian invasion of Pales- Romans, tine (c. 40 b.c.) Malchus clearly favored the Parthians, declined to support Herod, and later was fined by the Romans for his course in the affair. In 32 B.C. Malchus furnished soldiery to Antony, but later, defaulting in payment of tribute, was defeated. Two important inscriptions relate to this king (CIS, i. 2, nos. 158, 174). Under Obodas II. (28-29 b.c.) the Nabatseans furnished soldiery to the Romans in the latter's campaign in South Arabia, 25-24 b.c. He also left his mark on the coinage. Aretas IV. (9b.c.-40 a.d.) was confirmed in his kingdom by Augustus, though the latter had intended to add the Nabataean realm to Herod's dominions (Josephus, Ant., XVI., x. 9). It was doubtless this king who assumed the title rahem-ammah, " friend of (his) people," probably as an indication of his patriotic intentions and feeling. He furnished auxiliary troops to Varus for use against the Jews (Josephus, Ant., XVII., x. 9; War, II., v. 1), and came into conflict with Herod Antipas, who had married his daughter and then put her away that he might marry Herodias (see Herod and his Family, II., § 2). He escaped a Roman punitive expedition, the result of this quarrel, only by reason of the death of Tiberius. It was this Aretas whose governor was in control of Damascus when Paul was there (II Cor. xi. 32; cf. Acts ix. 23-25; Josephus, Ant., XX., iv. 1; also see Aretas, where the related questions are discussed) ; the fact shows a great though short-lived expansion of Nabataean power, and is negatively corroborated by the non-existence of Damascene coins of the period from Roman mints. A very considerable mass of original material is known from this reign in the shape of numerous coins and twenty inscriptions. It is somewhat doubtful whether the Abias of Josephus (Ant., XX., iv. 1) was a Nabataean king; if he was, there was probably a change in dynasty. Malchus II. (48-71) furnished troops for the Romans in the Jewish War, is known through a number of inscriptions, and in his time Damascus was lost to the Nabatseans. Rabel (71-106) left a considerable number of coins and inscriptions covering a large area extending from between Damascus and Palmyra to a distance south of Petra. Apparently in the early years of his reign he was a minor under the regency of his mother Sekilath, sister of Malchus. He was the last independent ruler of his people, for in 106 a.d. Arabia Petraea was made a Roman province by Cornelius Palma, governor of Syria, the province including the two most noted cities of the Nabatseans, Bostra in the north and Petra in the south. Of the Nabatsean people as a nation nothing more is heard, and they are merged in " the Arabians." The Nabatseans are of especial interest histor-