Zenobia (b. 240 - ?) was a 3rd century Syrian queen of the Palmyrene Empire. After her father's death, she headed their nomadic Arab tribe, before becoming the second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus.

She became queen of the Palmyrene empire following Odaenathus' death in 267. By 269, Zenobia had expanded the empire, conquering Egypt and expelling the Roman prefect, Tenagino Probus, who was beheaded after he led an attempt to recapture the territory. She ruled over Egypt until 274, when she was defeated and taken as a hostage to Rome by Aurelian.

Reportedly she was locked in golden chains after being captured and brought to Rome in this way. She wore golden handcuffs in Aurelian's military triumph parade. Aurelian was so impressed by Zenobia that he freed her, granting her an elegant villa in Tibur (modern Tivoli, Italy) where she became a prominent philosopher, socialite and Roman matron.

Zenobia was born and raised in Palmyra, Syria. Her Roman name is Iulia (or Julia) Aurelia Zenobia while her name in Arabic is al-Zabba' bint Amr ibn Tharab ibn Hasan ibn 'Adhina ibn al-Samida' (Arabic: الزباء بنت عمرو بن الظرب بن حسان ابن أذينة بن السميدع‎, "al-Zabba daughter of Amr son of Tharab son of Hasan son of 'Adhina son of al-Samida"), most commonly referred to simply as al-Zabba'. In Greek, she is known as Xenobia (Greek: ἡ Ζηνοβία) or Septimia Zenobia, having added Septimia after marrying Septimius Odaenathus.

Zenobia would put on official documents, Bat-Zabbai (daughter of Al-Zabba). Zenobia and her mother were called Al-Zabba, meaning "the one with long lovely hair".

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