▁the ▁first ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁( c . ▁ 3 3 0 0 – 1 2 0 0 ▁BC ) ▁and ▁Iron ▁Age ▁( c . ▁ 1 2 0 0 – 5 0 0 ▁BC ). ▁ ▁Histor ically ▁human ▁populations ▁have ▁t ended ▁to ▁sett le ▁around ▁bodies ▁of ▁water , ▁which ▁is ▁reflected ▁in ▁modern ▁population ▁density ▁patterns . ▁Ir rig ation ▁systems ▁were ▁extremely ▁important ▁for ▁the ▁agricult ural ▁Middle ▁East : ▁for ▁Egypt ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁lower ▁N ile ▁River , ▁and ▁for ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Tig ris ▁and ▁Eu phr ates ▁rivers . ▁Lev antine ▁agricult ure ▁dep ended ▁on ▁precip itation ▁rather ▁than ▁on ▁the ▁river - based ▁ir rig ation ▁of ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Mes op ot am ia , ▁resulting ▁in ▁preference ▁for ▁different ▁cro ps . ▁Since ▁travel ▁was ▁faster ▁and ▁easier ▁by ▁sea , ▁civil izations ▁along ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁such ▁as ▁Pho en icia ▁and ▁later ▁Greece , ▁participated ▁in ▁inten se ▁trade . ▁Similarly , ▁An cient ▁Y emen , ▁much ▁more ▁condu ci ve ▁to ▁agricult ure ▁than ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁Pen ins ula , ▁sea ▁trad ed ▁heavily ▁with ▁the ▁Horn ▁of ▁Africa , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁it ▁ling ually ▁Sem it ized . ▁The ▁Ad nan ite ▁Arab s , ▁inhab iting ▁the ▁d rier ▁desert ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁were ▁all ▁nom adic ▁past oral ists ▁before ▁some ▁began ▁sett ling ▁in