[2] The town, situated at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level, became prominent in Byzantine times, ranking third among the cities of Palaestina Tertia.

[4] Arindela became known as Arandal under Arab rule, which began after it was conquered during the early stage of the Muslim conquest of Syria in c. 634.

[2] It was held by al-Baladhuri to have surrendered without resistance to one of the chief commanders of the conquest, Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan.

[2] The 9th-century geographer al-Yaqubi mentions that it was the center of the Jibal subdistrict and its population at that time consisted of Ghassanid and Balqayn tribesmen.

[8] The Byzantine and Islamic remains of old Gharandal, the name by which it is presently known, have largely been overtaken by the modern town of the same name.