Nabatea, Aretas IV and Shaqilat
Silver Drachm 13mm (3.5 grams) Year 37 = 28 AD.
Reference: Meshorer 99-111. ---
Nabataean inscription HRTT MLK NBTW RHM MH (Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, lover of his people), laureate head of Aretas right.
SQYLT MLKT NBTW NST II/3, jugate busts right of Aretas and Shaquilat.

The north-Arabian kingdom of the Nabataeans, with their capital at Petra, continued in existence until the early years of the 2nd Century A.D., when emperor Trajan created the Roman province of Arabia. --- Originally named Aeneas, he seized the throne on the death of Obodas III and thereafter styled himself Aretas Philopatris. His daughter married Herod Antipas, whose territory he later invaded without Roman permission, 37 A.D. However, he managed to obtain the favor of Caligula who granted him control of Damascus.

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Aretas IV Philopatris was the King of the Nabataeans from roughly 9 BC to AD 40.

His full title, as given in the inscriptions, was "Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, Friend of his People." Being the most powerful neighbour of Judea, he frequently took part in the state affairs of that country, and was influential in shaping the destiny of its rulers. While on not particularly good terms with Rome - as intimated by his surname, "Friend of his People", which is in direct opposition to the prevalent φιλορώμαις ("Friend of the Romans") and φιλόκαισαρ ("Friend of the Emperor") - and though it was only after great hesitation that Augustus recognized him as king, nevertheless he took part in the expedition of Varus against the Jews in the year 4 BC, and placed a considerable army at the disposal of the Roman general.

His daughter Phasaelis married Herod Antipas (4 BC – AD 39), otherwise known as Herod the Tetrarch. When Herod divorced Phasaelis to take his brother's wife Herodias, mother of Salome, in 36, Phasaelis fled to her father. Relations between Herod and Aretas IV were already strained over border disputes, and with his family honour shamed, Aretas IV invaded Herod's holdings, defeating his army^[1] and capturing territories along the West Bank of the Jordan River, including the areas around Qumran^{[citation needed]}.

The classical author Josephus connects this battle, which occurred during the winter of AD 36/37, with the beheading of John the Baptist, which occurred about the same time.

Herod Antipas then appealed to Emperor Tiberius, who dispatched the governor of Syria to attack Aretas. But because of the emperor's death in AD 37 this action was never carried out.[1]

The Christian Apostle, Paul, mentions that he had to sneak out of Damascus in a basket through a window in the wall to escape King Aretas. (2 Corinthians 11:32, 33, cf Acts 9:23, 24).