Prior to the creation of the Islamic Empire, which was centered in the area now refered to as the Middle East, the various tribes of the Arab population lived in a few small towns along the North African Mediterranean coast or as nomadic tribes wandering in an unsettled pastoral life‑style. Religious life was extremely fragmented, as the various tribal units worshipped a pantheon of some 300 gods, while being surrounded by the major religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Zorastrianism.