▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest s ▁beyond ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁in ▁ 6 3 4 ▁AD ). ▁To ▁this ▁day , ▁however , ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁has , ▁in ▁particular , ▁some ▁s izable , ▁eth n ically ▁distinct ▁Christian ▁minor ity ▁groups , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Jews , ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁Israel , ▁and ▁follow ers ▁of ▁Iran ian ▁relig ions , ▁such ▁as ▁Y az d ân ism ▁and ▁Z oro ast rian ism . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁smaller ▁eth nor el ig ious ▁minor ities ▁include ▁the ▁Sh ab ak ▁people , ▁the ▁Mand ae ans ▁and ▁the ▁Sam ar it ans . ▁It ▁is ▁somewhat ▁controvers ial ▁whether ▁the ▁Dru ze ▁religion ▁is ▁a ▁distinct ▁religion ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁right ▁or ▁merely ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Is mail ist ▁branch ▁of ▁Sh ia ▁Islam . ▁ ▁Pre histor ic ▁Near ▁East ▁ ▁The ▁Arab ian ▁T ect onic ▁Pl ate ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁Pl ate ▁during ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Ph an ero zo ic ▁E on ▁( P ale oz o ic – C en oz o ic ), ▁until ▁the ▁O lig oc ene ▁E po ch ▁of ▁the ▁C en oz o ic ▁Era . ▁Red ▁Sea ▁rif ting ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁E oc ene , ▁but ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁Africa ▁and ▁Arab ia ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁O lig oc ene , ▁and ▁since ▁then ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁Pl ate ▁has ▁been ▁slowly ▁moving ▁toward ▁the ▁E uras ian ▁Pl