In April 323, Alexander the Great entered Babylon. The Chaldaeans, i.e., the famous astrologers working in the Esagila temple complex, came with warnings that he would die if he entered the city without due precautions.
Arrian of Nicomedia describes this his Anabasis, sections 7.16.5-17.5. They are given here in the translation by Aubrey de Sélincourt.
Alexander and the Chaldaeans
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[7.16.5] On his march to Babylon, Alexander, after crossing the Tigris, was met by some Wise Men of the Chaldaeans, who drew him aside and begged him to go no further, because their god Bêlnote[The Greek name Belos is a translation of Akkadian Bêl, "lord", the title of the Babylonian supreme god Marduk, who was venerated in the Esagila.] had foretold that if he entered the city at that time, it would prove fatal to him.
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[7.16.6] Alexander replied by quoting to them the line of [the playwright] Euripides: "Prophets are best who make the truest guess."
"My lord," said the Chaldaeans, "look not to the west;note[When he faced the west, Alexander would be looking to the setting sun (Appian of Alexandria, Civil wars, 2.153), the symbol of decline. Therefore, he was asked to enter the town through the Royal Gate in the west, where he had to face east. That, however, something happened near the eastern gate of Babylon, is confirmed by the cuneiform text that also mentions the death of Alexander (more...). Perhaps the setting sun was even more ominous to Alexander than the Babylonian astrologers knew. In 1977-1978, the royal tombs of Macedonia were excavated at Vergina, and the excavators discovered that there were many golden objects carrying a heraldic symbol, which they interpreted as a sixteen-pointed star and has often been called a star ever since. In fact, it is a sun; there are several ancient coins which show a (nearly) similar heraldic symbol, and in those cases, it is without any doubt a sun (e.g., the coins of Uranopolis). It should also be stressed that, according to legend, the founder of the Alexander's dynasty had been favored by the sun (Herodotus, Histories 8.137; more). The omen was therefore very bad indeed, because it referred to the Macedonian royal house. It should also be remembered that Alexander was the son of the Egyptian sun god Ra.] do not march westward with your army; but turn about and go eastward."
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[7.16.7] But this was not easy for Alexander to do, as the country to the east was impracticable for troops. The truth was that fate was leading him to the spot where it was already written that he should die. [...]
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