cavities beneath the stone into the cistern. A stranger not properly acquainted with the region and with the habits of the natives will ride round such a rain well without noticing it. Fragments of dry plants and sand are apt to drift up against one side of the stone, so that it looks as if it has always been lying there.
Strabo, Geography, XVI, 4: 21, records that Arabia Eudaimon was first inhabited by the Nabataeans and Sabaeans, who often made raids into Syria before the latter region belonged to the Romans. Elsewhere (ibid., XVI, 4: 24) he asserts that the Nabataean realms extended many days’ march to the south of Leuke and bordered on the land of Aretas, who acknowledged the rule of his kinsman, the Nabataean king Obodas, or at least was allied with Obodas. Through this land of Aretas the Romans under Aelius Gallus marched for thirty days before they reached Sabaean territory.
All the Nabataeans did not dwell in Arabia Eudaimon, for their capital Petra was situated in Arabia Petraea, but the greater part of their territory was included in Arabia Eudaimon. As Strabo does not describe any contemporary events, it is possible that he obtained the reference to the Sabaean raids on Syria from old records dating from the time when the Sabaeans held sway over the whole caravan route and all the halting places established upon it.
Pliny, Nat. hist., V, 65, writes that beyond the Pelusiac arm of the Nile lies Arabia, extending to the Red Sea as well as to that rich land known as Beata (the Happy), from which various fragrances are conveyed. This country is barren, except at the spot where it touches the Syrian frontiers; it is renowned only for Mount Casius. It is named after the Catabanian, Esbonitan, and Scenitan Arabs. To these tribes are joined the Canchlean Arabs on the east and on the south the Cedreans, both of whom are neighbors of the Nabataeans.—
As usual with Pliny this passage is not clear. He means Arabia Petraea, which extended from Pelusium southward as far as the Red Sea and as far as Arabia Felix, or, as he calls it, Beata. The Catabani were never encamped in Arabia Petraea. The Esbonitae are perhaps the inhabitants of the environs of the town of Ḥesbân, which was situated in Arabia Petraea east of the northern extremity of the Dead Sea. The Scenitae include all the nomad Arabs dwelling in tents. Mount Casius rises east of Pelusium on the actual coast of the Mediterranean. The Cedrei are perhaps the ancient Ḳedar, who owned the Ḥawrân with its environs. On the south they border on the Nabataeans. According to Pliny we should locate the Canchlei to the southeast of the Kedar and northeast of the Nabataeans; accordingly, in Arabia Deserta.
Pliny, op. cit., VI, 157, deals with the tribes and towns of inland Arabia and writes that the ancients connected the Thimaneans with the Nabataeans. In his time there were the Taveni (var., Tabeni, Thabaeni), the Suelleni, the Araceni (var., Sarraceni, Anageni), the Arreni (var., Hareni), the town where all traders assemble, the Hemnatae, the Avalitae, the towns of Domata (var., Domatha, Domada) and Haegra, the Thamudaei, the town of Baclanaza (var., Badanatha), the Chariattaei (var., Cariatth, Cariati), the Toali (var., Achoali, Acalin), the town of Phodaca (var., Phoda, Fothca, Totaca), and the Minaei.—
