Biblical Kingdom Ruler
Obodas I
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Ruler at a Glance
Kingdom
Nabataea
Ruler Type
King of Nabataea
Reign
Approximately 96–85 BC
Regnal Name
Obodas
Alternate Names
Obodas I; Obodat I
Capital
Petra
Origin
Nabataea
Identification Certainty
Attested; details and dates debated
Overview
Obodas I led Nabataea during conflicts with Alexander Jannaeus and the Seleucid king Antiochus XII.
Biography
Obodas I ruled during a period of warfare between Nabataea and neighboring kingdoms. Josephus reports a Nabataean victory over Alexander Jannaeus, and later sources describe conflict with Antiochus XII Dionysus. These campaigns helped preserve Nabataean independence and strengthened the kingdom’s position east of the Jordan. The identification and sequence of individual campaigns require care because the literary sources are incomplete.
Historical Significance
Important for Nabataean resistance to Hasmonean and Seleucid expansion.
Major Events
Nabataean victory against Alexander Jannaeus; conflict with Antiochus XII.
Biblical Significance
These events form part of the background to the late Hasmonean state.
Primary Sources
Josephus, Antiquities 13; Nabataean chronology studies