es ▁e par che ias ▁Arab ias , ▁or ▁ τ η ς ▁ Β ο σ τ ρ η ν ω ν , ▁t es ▁B ost ren on ; ▁Ar ama ic ▁l h pr k ▁b ṣ r ʾ ). ▁Such ▁indic ations , ▁however , ▁are ▁rare ▁for ▁ins cri ptions , ▁where ▁usually ▁only ▁a ▁year ▁number ▁appears . ▁The ▁occas ional ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁" B ost ra " ▁for ▁d ating ▁should ▁not , ▁however , ▁be ▁taken ▁to ▁indicate ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁province ; ▁Pet ra ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁more ▁prominent ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁years . ▁The ▁d ating ▁formula ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁B ost ran ▁era ▁have ▁no ▁special ▁connection ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁beyond ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁as ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁Roman ▁military ▁base , ▁it ▁was ▁symbol ic ▁of ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁of ▁N ab ata ea ▁as ▁a ▁province . ▁The ▁Chron icon ▁Pas ch ale ▁makes ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁d ating ▁system ▁was ▁common ▁to ▁the ▁whole ▁province . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁only ▁three ▁ins cri ptions ▁that ▁use ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁B ost ra ▁to ▁clarify ▁the ▁year ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁dated ▁to ▁AD 2 6 5 / 6 , ▁ 3 9 7 / 8 ▁and ▁ 5 3 8 / 9 . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁two ▁ins cri ptions ▁from ▁AD 5 7 6 / 7 ▁and ▁ 5 8 1 / 2 ▁in ▁the