“Nobatia was likely founded by the
Nobatae, who had been invited into the region from the Egyptian desert
by the Roman Emperor Diocletian to help defeat the Blemmyes in AD 297.
Early Nobatia is quite likely the same civilization that is known to
archeologists as the Ballana culture. Eventually the Nobatae were
successful, and an inscription by Silko, "Basiliskos" of the Nobatae,
claims to have driven the Blemmyes into the eastern deserts. Around
this time the Nobatian capital was established at Pakhoras, modern
Faras; soon after, Nobatia converted to Oriental Orthodox
Christianity.” (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobatia)