86 BCE, the Seleucid ruler, Antiochus XII Dionysus, invaded Nabatea. During the Battle of Cana, Antiochus was slain and his demoralized army perished in the desert. Obodas achieved great renown for defeating both the Hasmoneans and the Greeks. He died shortly after the victory, possibly from wounds sustained during battle.

The many inscriptions discovered praising "Obodas the god" or "Zeus Obodas" have been interpreted as evidence of his veneration