Who were in the Middle East when Mary, Joseph and Jesus were around?

1) Who were in the Middle East when Mary, Joseph and Jesus were around?

A bunch of other people.


2) The Hebrews and Samaritans were in what is nowadays Israel

As were the Greeks and the Romans (lots of both).


3) but who was in the neighbouring Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq etc...?

Lebanese, Syrians, Greeks, Parthians (Persians), Romans, Nabateans (including part of Jordan), various Arab tribes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Romans_in_Arabia#/media/File:Roman_Empire_Trajan_117AD.png

Middle Eastern people.                                                               .

Peter mention the church of Babylon

Those nations were also part of the kingdom of Israel.

Mostly Gentiles. That word means strangers/foreigners --- non-Hebrews.

Other tribes..it was Palestine before the Jews shoved them out..