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

Nabataeans The Nabataeans or Nabateans (; Nabataean Aramaic: , , vocalized as ; Arabic language, Arabic: , , singular , ; compare grc, Ναβαταῖος, translit=Nabataîos; la, Nabataeus) were an ancient Arab people who inhabited northern Arabian Pe ...

resident at

Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to t ...

It can refer to: *

Aretas I Aretas I (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārīṯat''; el, Αρέτας ''Arétās'') is the first known King of the Nabataeans. His name appeared on the oldest Nabataean inscription dating from 168 BC which was found at Halutza. He is also mentio ...

was a king in the time of Antiochus IV Epiphanes *

Aretas II Aretas II (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārīṯat''; el, Αρέτας ''Arétās'') was the King of the 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 Alexa ...

ruled Nabatea from 120 or 110 to 96 BC *

Aretas III Aretas III (; Nabataean Aramaic: ''Ḥārīṯat''; Ancient Greek: ) was king of the 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 his kin ...

ruled Nabatea from 87 to 62 BC *

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

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 ( ar, الحارث بن كعب ''al-Ḥārith bin-Ka'ab'') was the leader of the Christian community of Najran in the early 6th century, was executed during the persecution of Christians by the Jewish king Dhu Nuwas in 523. He ...

(died 523)

See also