Phasael or Pasiel (born in 5/4 BCE), in Greek sources Phasaelis, was a princess of

Nabatea The Nabataean Kingdom ( Nabataean Aramaic: 𐢕𐢃𐢋𐢈 ''Nabāṭū''), also named Nabatea () was a political state of the Nabataeans during classical antiquity. The Nabataean Kingdom controlled many of the trade routes of the region, amassi ...

, daughter of King

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 ...

and the 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 ...

, ruler of

Galilee Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ). ''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...

and

Perea Perea or Peraea (Greek: Περαία, " the country beyond") was the term used mainly during the early Roman period for part of ancient Transjordan. It lay broadly east of Judea and Samaria, which were situated on the western side of the Jorda ...

Name

Life

Phasaelis was born to the king of the Nabataeans,

. The sequence in which the king's offspring is listed on an inscription found at the Obodas Chapel of Wadi Nmeir in

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 ...

indicates that Phasaelis was the couple's fourth child, but the eldest of their daughters. Her siblings included Maliku (

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 ...

), Obodat, Rabbel, Su'udat and Hagiru. Coins have been found with the profile of her father Aretas IV on the obverse, and Phasaelis' name on the reverse, which could indicate her birth to be 3-5 BC. Silver drachm of Aretas IV with his wife Huldu

Silver drachm of Aretas IV with his wife Huldu

Marriage

Going by the tentative dating of the coins inscribed with her name, her marriage to

took place in 7 or 6 AD, when Phasaelis would have been around 11–12 years old. There is a high likelihood that the marriage was arranged by

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, who often married the vassals of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

together in order to keep the peace between their kingdoms. This had been the case of Herod Antipas' paternal aunt,

Salome I Salome I () was the sister of Herod the Great and the mother of Berenice by her husband Costobarus, governor of Idumea. She was a nominal queen regnant of the toparchy of Iamnia, Azotus, Phasaelis from 4 BCE. Life Salome first marr ...

. The marriage of Phasaelis and Antipas thus ensured there would be no attacks of the eastern border

tetrarchy The Tetrarchy was the system instituted by Roman emperor Diocletian in 293 AD to govern the ancient Roman Empire by dividing it between two emperors, the ''augusti'', and their junior colleagues and designated successors, the ''caesares''. I ...

by the Nabataeans. Phasaelis and Herod Antipas were married for over 20 years, but there were no recorded children of this marriage. During this time, Herod Antipas did not take any other wives. Some researchers have theorized that Phasaelis and Herod Antipas had a daughter named Herodias Salome, as an attempt to reconcile some dating inconsistencies and explain why

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

, Herod Antipas' stepdaughter, is sometimes referred to as his daughter. In 23 AD, Herod Antipas was visiting his half-brother

Herod II Herod II (c. 27 BC – 33/34 AD) was the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II, the daughter of Simon Boethus the High Priest, and the first husband of Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus IV and his wife Berenice. For a brief period he was his fa ...

, who was then living in Rome as a

private citizen A private citizen is a citizen who does not have an official or professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards ...

. During his stay, he became enamored with his brother’s wife

Herodias Herodias (; , ''Hērōidiás''; c. 15 BC – after AD 39) was a princess of the Herodian dynasty of Judea, Judaea during the time of the Roman Empire. Christian writings connect her with the Beheading of John the Baptist, execution of John the Ba ...

. Herodias subsequently divorced Herod II under the

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

. The exact marriage date of Herod Antipas and Herodias is unknown, but in 26 AD Phasaelis found out about the relationship and discovered Herod Antipas' intention to divorce her. The texts use the terms divorce and repudiation interchangeably, but according to the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

ic law, a husband could repudiate his wife freely, but a wife could only ask for a divorce, and it was up to the husband to allow it. However, the extent to which the Herodian dynasty actually practiced

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

is unclear, and it is known that they were heavily influenced by Roman law and culture; thus, Herod Antipas might have been planning to divorce Phasaelis according to just the Roman law. Desiring to return to her homeland, Phasaelis used the pretext of visiting the palace of

Machaerus Machaerus (Μαχαιροῦς, from sword ; ) was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, rebuilt by Herod and now in ruins, located in the village of Mukawir in modern-day Jordan, southeast of the mouth of the Jordan River on th ...

situated by the

Dead Sea The Dead Sea (; or ; ), also known by #Names, other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valle ...

. Phasaelis then fled across the border to her father, whom she told of her husband's intention to divorce her and marry Herodias. This caused relations between Aretas and Herod Antipas to sour. Aretas IV subsequently invaded

and

, and his armies defeated his former son-in-law in battle in 36 AD. After this date, there is no mention of Phasaelis, and the rest of her life remains unknown.

In media

Elbridge Streeter Brooks Elbridge Streeter Brooks (April 14, 1846 – January 7, 1902) was an American author, editor, and critic. He is chiefly remembered as an author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction for children, much of it on historical or patriotic subje ...

wrote a historical romance ''A Son of Issachar: A Romance of the Days of Messias'' (1890) where Herod's repudiated wife appears as a character named "Princess Amina". Phasaelis appears a supporting character in ''

The Book of Longings ''The Book of Longings'' is a 2020 Christian novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd, written as a feminist reimagining of the New Testament, published by Viking. It follows a fictionalized Galilean scribe named Ana who becomes the wife of Jesu ...

'' by

Sue Monk Kidd Sue Monk Kidd (born August 12, 1948) is an American writer from Sylvester, Georgia. She is best known for her historical novels, which frequently deal with themes of race, feminism, and religion and include '' The Secret Life of Bees'' and '' Th ...

(2020). In the movie "

The Big Fisherman ''The Big Fisherman'' is a 1959 American historical drama film directed by Frank Borzage about the life of Simon Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus. Starring Howard Keel, Susan Kohner and John Saxon, the production is adapted from the 194 ...

" (1959), which is based on a 1949 book by the same name by Lloyd C. Douglas, the female protagonist is the daughter of "Princess Arnon" (played by

Marian Seldes Marian Hall Seldes (August 23, 1928 – October 6, 2014) was an American actress. A five-time Tony Award nominee, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' A Delicate Balance'' in 1967, and received subsequent nominations ...

) and Herod Antipas. The daughter vows revenge on her father for his behavior towards her mother. Phaselis appears briefly as a non-speaking character in the TV film ''Mary Magdalene'' (2000),{{Cite AV media , url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0244647/ , title=Mary Magdalene (TV Movie 2000) ⭐ 6.4 {{! Drama, History , language=en-US , access-date=2024-09-19 , via=m.imdb.com played by an uncredited actress.

References

0s BC births 1st-century women 1st-century people 1st-century deaths 1st-century Arab people Herodian dynasty Jewish royalty Ancient princesses Nabataea Herod Antipas Daughters of kings

Name

Life

Marriage

In media

See also

References