The Eastern Mediterranean lands of Canaan and Judaea were centers of Jewish settlement. The settlement probably began sometime in the second millennium BCE. In the tenth century BCE, the Jewish King Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians, under king Nebuchadnezzar II conquered Jerusalem and exiled the Jews. In 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylonia- he permitted the Jews to return to the Homeland and rebuilt the Temple of Jerusalem (the second temple). From the 6th century BCE Canaan came under the Roman Empire. In 70 CE Roman forces under the future emperor, Titus destroyed the temple once again. The Jews dispersed and established communities throughout the Roman Empire.
Early Christian and Byzantine Worlds: Early Christianity first documented about 70-100 CE in the New Testament books took root and spread during the time of the Roman Empire. In 313 CE Constantine issued the Edict of Milan granting freedom to worship whatever god they wished. Constantine I (ruled 306-37 CE) defeated his rivals and became the sole emperor of the Roman Empire in 324 CE. In 330 he moved the empire’s capital from Rome to Byzantium (renamed Constantinople). It was the seat of the Roman Empire until 395 CE, when the empire split in two, becoming the Western (Roman) Empire and the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire. The Byzantine era is traditionally divided into Early (5th century CE – 726 CE), Middle (843-1204 CE) and Late periods (1261-16th century). Rome was a major center of Early Christianity. Byzantine culture took root in Constantinople and flourished throughout the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire and extended into northern areas such as Russia and Ukraine.
The religion called Islam originated in 610 CE under Prophet Mohammad (c. 570-632 CE). Muslims date the beginning of their history to the flight of the Prophet Mohammad in 622 CE from Mecca to Medina (hijra or exodus). Following the prophet’s death in 632 CE four of his closest associates in turn assumed the title of caliph (“successor”). Between 644 and 656, the Koran assumed its final form. Through the seventh and early eighth century Islamic armies conquered the Sassanian Persian Empire, Egypt, and the Byzantine provinces of Syria, Palestine and they reached India, conquered all of North Africa and Spain. After the early caliphs, rapid geographical expansion and internal rivalries led to the formation of powerful independent dynasties some of which lasted for centuries.