After Alexander the Great's death in 323 BC, his empire split among his generals. During the conflict between Alexander's generals, Antigonus I conquered the Levant and this brought him to the borders of Edom, just north of Petra.[1] Antigonus became aware of the wealth of the Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab tribe that lived in the nearby desert region.[1] The source for these events is the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, who used commentary from one of the Greek generals involved in the confrontations.[1]