Arethas of Najran
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Oxford spelling Template:Infobox saint Arethas or Aretas (Template:Langx) was the leader of the Miaphysite Christian community of Najran in the early 6th century; he was executed during the persecution of Christians by king Yemen Yusuf As'ar Dhu Nuwas of Himyar in 523.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This tragic story spread quickly to the surrounding areas until it reached the ears of Emperor Justin I of the Byzantine Empire. He then sent Christian troops from Abyssinia to stop King Dhu Nuwas.
He is known from the Acta S. Arethae (also called Martyrium sancti Arethae or Martyrium Arethae)<ref>Paolo Marrassini, "Frustula nagranitica" Aethiopica 14 (2011): 7-32</ref> which exists in two recensions: the earlier and more authentic, which was found by Michel Le Quien (Oriens Christianus, ii. 428) and was subsequently dated as no later than the 7th century; the later, revised by Simeon Metaphrastes, dates from the 10th century. The Ge'ez and Arabic versions of the text were translated into French in 2006<ref>Alessandro Bausi and Alessandro Gori 2006, Tradizioni orientali del ‘Martirio di Areta’. La Prima recensione araba e la Versione etiopica. Edizione critica e traduzione … Presentazione di Paolo Marrassini = Quaderni di Semitistica 27, Firenze: Dipartimento di Linguistica, Università degli Studi</ref> and the Greek version in 2007.<ref>Marina Detoraki and J.Beaucamp, 2007, Le martyre de saint Aréthas et de ses compagnons (BHG 166), édition critique, étude et annotation Marina Detoraki, traduction par Joëlle Beaucamp, appendice sur les versions orientales par André Binggeli = Collège de France – CNRS, Centre de recherche, d’histoire et de civilisation de Byzance, Travaux et Mémoires – Monographies 27, Le massacre de Najrân. Religion et politique en Arabie du Sud au VIe siècle I, Paris: Association des amis du Centre d’histoire et de civilisation de Byzance.</ref>
He is believed to be the progenitor of the Banu al-Harith Tribe.