According to 2 Corinthians 11:32–33, the ethnarch of King Aretas wanted to arrest Paul in Damascus. This assumes that Paul was active in serving as a missionary in the towns of Arabia, otherwise, why would this Nabatean king want his arrest?1 Since Saul is wanted also by the political rulers of Damascus, it would be possible for the Jews to work with this leader in order to keep watch over the city gates.2
24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him,