▁Leb anon , ▁Israel , ▁Palest ine , ▁K uw ait , ▁Jordan , ▁Egypt , ▁Cy pr us , ▁and ▁Bah rain — with ▁large ▁sw ath es ▁of ▁Iran , ▁Turkey , ▁Armen ia , ▁Georgia , ▁Sud an , ▁and ▁Arab ia . ▁" The ▁Ass y rian ▁emp ires , ▁particularly ▁the ▁third , ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁and ▁last ing ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁Near ▁East . ▁Before ▁Ass y rian ▁h eg em ony ▁ended , ▁the ▁Ass y ri ans ▁brought ▁the ▁highest ▁civil ization ▁to ▁the ▁then ▁known ▁world . ▁From ▁the ▁C asp ian ▁to ▁Cy pr us , ▁from ▁An atol ia ▁to ▁Egypt , ▁Ass y rian ▁imperial ▁expansion ▁would ▁bring ▁into ▁the ▁Ass y rian ▁sphere ▁nom adic ▁and ▁bar bar ic ▁communities , ▁and ▁would ▁best ow ▁the ▁gift ▁of ▁civil ization ▁upon ▁them ." ▁ ▁Ne o - B ab yl onian ▁and ▁Pers ian ▁emp ires ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁early ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁BC ▁on wards , ▁several ▁Pers ian ▁states ▁domin ated ▁the ▁region , ▁beginning ▁with ▁the ▁Med es ▁and ▁non - Pers ian ▁Ne o - B ab yl onian ▁Empire , ▁then ▁their ▁successor ▁the ▁A cha emen id ▁Empire ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁Pers ian ▁Empire , ▁conquer ed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁BC ▁by ▁the ▁very ▁short - l ived ▁Mac ed onian ▁Empire ▁of ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great , ▁and ▁then ▁successor ▁kingdom s ▁such ▁as ▁P to le