▁city ▁states , ▁with ▁the ▁ge o - ling u istic ▁distribution ▁today ▁being ▁divided ▁between ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf , ▁the ▁Naj d ▁and ▁the ▁He j az ▁in ▁the ▁Pen ins ula , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Bed ou in ▁areas ▁beyond ▁the ▁Pen ins ula . ▁ ▁Since ▁ancient ▁times ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁has ▁had ▁several ▁ling ua ▁fran ca : ▁A kk ad ian ▁( ▁ 1 4 th – 8 th ▁century ▁BC ), ▁Ar ama ic ▁( ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁BC   – ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁AD ), ▁Greek ▁( ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁BC   – ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁AD ), ▁and ▁Arab ic ▁( ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁AD   – ▁present ). ▁Famil iar ity ▁with ▁English ▁is ▁not ▁un common ▁among ▁the ▁middle ▁and ▁upper ▁classes . ▁Arab ic ▁is ▁not ▁commonly ▁spoken ▁in ▁Turkey , ▁Iran , ▁and ▁Israel , ▁and ▁some ▁vari eties ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁lack ▁mut ual ▁intellig ibility , ▁thus ▁qual ifying ▁as ▁distinct ▁languages ▁by ▁this ▁lingu istic ▁criter ion . ▁ ▁The ▁Middle ▁East ▁was ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁the ▁Abraham ic , ▁G nost ic , ▁and ▁most ▁Iran ian ▁relig ions . ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁ancient ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁followed ▁various ▁eth nic ▁relig ions , ▁but ▁most ▁of ▁those ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁gradually ▁replaced ▁at ▁first ▁by ▁Christian ity ▁( even ▁before ▁the ▁ 3 1 3 ▁AD ▁Ed ict ▁of ▁Milan ) ▁and ▁finally ▁by ▁Islam ▁( after