 Marwan died in April 685 and Abd al-Malik's accession as caliph was peacefully managed by the Yamani nobles.He was proclaimed caliph in Jerusalem, according to a report by the 9th-century historian Khalifa ibn Khayyat, which the modern historian Amikam Elad considers to be seemingly "reliable".At the time of his accession, critical posts were held by members of Abd al-Malik's family.