There are multiple problems in determining what happened when Aretas's ethnarch reportedly attempted to capture the Apostle Paul. These include that an army that far into Roman territory would not have been tolerated and even though Syrian legions were occupied with Parthia, Egyptian legions would have been available. Further, evidence from Moses of Chorene and numismatics imply that Antipas attacked Aretas rather than the other way around as reported by Josephus which is required to even suggest Nabataean troops that far into Roman territory. And given that while dealing with Parthia, Vitellius found the time to deal with other regional problems, it makes it highly unlikely that Aretas did anything to anger Rome. So might the ehtnarch have been appointed by Vitellius, and thus implying that the Apostle Paul was on a Roman watch list as early as 37 or 38 CE.
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