The Arameans were originally nomadic people who inhabited the Syrian Desert and surrounding areas. As the power of the Assyrian Empire grew in the ancient Near East, the Arameans gradually transitioned from being nomadic to establishing settled communities. They became influential in northern Syria and eventually emerged as a dominant force in the region. This shift in their status and lifestyle occurred during the first millennium B.C. as the Assyrian Empire expanded its control over various territories in the Near East, including parts of Syria.