Jannaeus returned to fierce Jewish opposition in Jerusalem after his defeat, and had to cede the acquired territories to the Nabataeans so that he could dissuade them from supporting his opponents in Judea.

[3] The Nabataeans had maintained a friendly relationship with the neighboring Jewish Maccabees to the west, whose successors founded the Hasmonean dynasty.

[3] Jannaeus then continued his father John Hyrcanus's conquests in Transjordan,[3] where he captured Gadara, Amathus, Moab and Gilead.

[2] The Nabataeans felt threatened by these acquisitions as they had obstructed their access to the Port of Gaza, which was the last stop for goods that came from Nabataea before being shipped to European markets.

[4] Jannaeus returned to fierce Jewish opposition in Jerusalem after his defeat, and had to cede the acquired territories to the Nabataeans so that he could dissuade them from supporting his opponents in Judea.