NABATAEA, Kingdom of
Rabbel II with Gamilath, AD 71-106
AE16. 2.47g, 15.9mm
MINTED: NABATAEA, Petra mint, AD 71-106
REF: Meshorer 163
OBVERSE: Jugate laureate busts of Rabbel II and Gamilath.
REVERSE: RB'L/GMLT in Nabataean script in two lines between the horns of two crossed cornucopias.
 
Notes:
Original earthen desert patina. 
 
Historical Notes:
The Nabataeans were a tribe of Arab nomads and traders who settled in an area between the Arabian and Sinai Peninsulas, bordering Judaea and Egypt.  From their well-protected capital of Raqmu (better known to us as the historic city of Petra in Jordan), the Nabataeans became a regional power in the late 4th century BC, dominating the trade in frankincense and other spices, and controlling a confluence of carvan routes that travelled through their lands.  
 
Rabbel II was the last ruler of the Nabataean Kingdom. He was the son of Malichus II, and was still a child when his father died. He ascended the throne with his mother Shuqailat II serving as regent, eventually marrying his sister, Gamilat, and ruling from AD 70 to 106. At that time, the Roman Empire was already a dominant power in the region, and when Rabbel died, the armies of Emperor Trajan annexed the kingdom, incoporating it into the province of Arabia Petraea.