Rabel II Soter was the last ruler of the kingdom of the Nabataea, ruling from AD 70 to 106.

After the death of his father, Malichus II

Malichus II

Malichus II ruled Nabatea from 40 to 70.During his reign, Nabataean power decreased. The Romans had diverted the routes of spice and perfume cargo shipments to Egypt. Rome was very powerful, so Malichus cooperated. In 66, a Jewish revolt occurred in Iudaea...

, ar-Rabil still a child, ascended to the throne. His mother, Shaqilath

Shaqilath

Shaqilath is the daughter of Aretas IV of the Nabataeans. She ruled jointly with her husband-brother Malichus II . After his death she was regent for her son Rabel II. Copper coins where she is depicted with her husband and coins of her with her son have been recovered.-References:*...

, assumed control of the government in the early years. His sister Gamilath became queen of the Nabateans. Ar-Rabil gave himself the title "Soter

Soter

Soter derives from the Greek epithet , meaning a saviour, a deliverer; initial capitalised ; fully capitalised ; feminine Soteira...

" ("Savior of the People"). After his death in 106, the Roman emperor

Roman Emperor

The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...

 Trajan

Trajan

Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...

 faced practically no resistance and conquered the Nabataean kingdom

Nabataean kingdom

The Nabataean kingdom, also named Nabatea , was a political state of the Nabataeans which existed during Classical antiquity and was annexed by the Roman Empire in AD 106.-Geography:...

 on 22 March 106. It became the Roman province of Arabia Petraea

Arabia Petraea

Arabia Petraea, also called Provincia Arabia or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Empire beginning in the 2nd century; it consisted of the former Nabataean kingdom in modern Jordan, southern modern Syria, the Sinai Peninsula and northwestern Saudi Arabia. Its capital was Petra...

, with Bosra

Bosra

Bosra , also known as Bostra, Busrana, Bozrah, Bozra, Busra Eski Şam, Busra ash-Sham, and Nova Trajana Bostra, is an ancient city administratively belonging to the Daraa Governorate in southern Syria...

 becoming its provincial capital.

Ar-Rabil's formal successor was Malichus III.