▁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 9   BC . ▁From ▁the ▁early ▁ 7 th ▁century ▁BC ▁and ▁on wards , ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁Med es ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁A cha emen id ▁Empire ▁and ▁other ▁subsequent ▁Iran ian ▁states ▁and ▁emp ires ▁domin ated ▁the ▁region . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁expand ing ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁absor bed ▁the ▁whole ▁Eastern ▁Mediter rane an , ▁which ▁included ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Near ▁East . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁today ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire , ▁r uling ▁from ▁the ▁B alk ans ▁to ▁the ▁Eu phr ates , ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁defined ▁by ▁and ▁dog m atic ▁about ▁Christian ity , ▁gradually ▁creating ▁religious ▁rif ts ▁between ▁the ▁do ctr ines ▁dict ated ▁by ▁the ▁establishment ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁bel ie vers ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁From ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century   AD , ▁the ▁entire ▁Middle ▁East ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁and ▁the ▁S as an ian ▁Empire . ▁From ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁a ▁new ▁power ▁was ▁rising ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁that ▁of ▁Islam . ▁The ▁domin ance ▁of ▁the ▁Arab s ▁came ▁to ▁a ▁sudden ▁end ▁in ▁the