atol ia ▁ ▁There after , ▁civil ization ▁quickly ▁spread ▁through ▁the ▁F ert ile ▁C res cent ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁Lev ant , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁to ▁ancient ▁An atol ia . ▁An cient ▁Lev antine ▁kingdom s ▁and ▁city ▁states ▁included ▁E bla ▁City , ▁U gar it ▁City , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ar am - D am asc us , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Israel , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Jud ah , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Am mon , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Mo ab , ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ed om , ▁and ▁the ▁N ab ate an ▁kingdom . ▁The ▁Pho en ician ▁civil ization , ▁en comp ass ing ▁several ▁city ▁states , ▁was ▁a ▁mar itime ▁trad ing ▁culture ▁that ▁established ▁colonial ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Bas in , ▁most ▁not ably ▁Car th age , ▁in ▁ 8 1 4 ▁BC . ▁ ▁Ass y rian ▁emp ires ▁ ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁several ▁powerful ▁emp ires ▁that ▁came ▁to ▁rule ▁almost ▁the ▁entire ▁Middle ▁East — part icular ly ▁the ▁Ass y rian ▁Emp ires ▁of ▁ 1 3 6 5 – 1 0 7 6 ▁BC ▁and ▁the ▁Ne o - Ass y rian ▁Empire ▁of ▁ 9 1 1 – 6 0 5 ▁BC . ▁The ▁Ass y rian ▁Empire , ▁at ▁its ▁peak , ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁the ▁world ▁had ▁seen . ▁It ▁ruled ▁all ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Ira q , ▁Sy ria ,