Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023
This course is an elementary course designed for students with no or little knowledge of the Arabic language, letters and sounds. This course is also appropriate for students with some exposure to Arabic colloquial but with no or little training in Modern Standard Arabic. The course teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing Arabic and builds vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that allow students to discuss topics related to self, family and surroundings. The course also exposes students to Arabic cultures and provides opportunity to explore and discuss the various cultures and communities. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course also covers basic syntax and grammar
Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course is the second semester of the elementary level of Modern Standard Arabic. The course further teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing Arabic and builds vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that allow students to discuss topics related to self, family, and surroundings. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of contexts. The course also provides an opportunity for exploration and discussion of Arab cultures. The course covers basic syntax and grammar and introduces students to the Arabic morphological system.
Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Summer 2020 8 Week Session, Summer 2019 8 Week Session
An eight-week intensive course intended to teach skills in oral comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing Arabic. Using up-to-date language teaching and proficiency-oriented methodologies, the course also covers the basics of Arabic morphology, syntax, and grammar. While the course's vocabulary is designed to serve the needs of daily conversation in any part of the Arabic speaking world, its simultaneous attention to the rules of morphology, syntax, and grammar serves the needs of the prospective scholar.
Intensive Elementary Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2003 10 Week Session
The course is designed to guide students through Arabic grammar with a systematic treatment of the subject and the use of classical Arabic texts.
Arabic for Reading Knowledge: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2003 10 Week Session, Summer 1997 10 Week Session
Practice in speaking an Arabic dialect.
Spoken Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2009, Spring 2003
Practice in speaking an Arabic dialect.
Spoken Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The course teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in Modern Standard Arabic and builds vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and grammar that allows students to further discuss topics related to self and family, community, and environment, offer opinions and speak about a number of topics in detail. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of contexts. The course engages students with authentic materials and features of Arab cultures and deepens students’ knowledge of Arabic syntax and its rich morphological system.

Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course is the second semester of the intermediate level of Modern Standard Arabic. The course
further teaches skills in speaking, reading, listening and writing in Arabic and builds vocabulary,
expressions and grammar that allow students to discuss topics in detail and develop and support
opinions. Using task-based and proficiency-oriented approaches to foreign language instruction, the
course includes regular discussion in Arabic and prepares students to communicate in a variety of
contexts and for various purposes. The course engages students with authentic materials and features
of Arab cultures and deepens students’ knowledge of Arabic syntax and its rich morphological system.
Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2021 8 Week Session, Summer 2020 8 Week Session, Summer 2019 8 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of intermediate level Arabic. It will deepen skills in speaking, comprehending, reading, and writing Modern Standard Arabic.
Intermediate Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course will include grammatical and stylistic analysis of Arabic texts from both the classical and the modern periods. Class will be conducted entirely in Arabic.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Intensive reading and analysis of texts of different genres. Guest lectures, films, documentaries, oral presentations, research papers. Formal and informal styles of writing and correspondence. Extensive vocabulary building.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Intensive reading and analysis of texts of different genres. Guest lectures, films, documentaries, oral presentations, research papers. Formal and informal styles of writing and correspondence. Extensive vocabulary building.
Advanced Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2022
This course aims to strengthen the student’s skills in aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing in Arabic Media. Students will engage with authentic materials like newspapers, magazines, and internet news sites, which will provide them with a deeper understanding of the linguistic properties of Arabic media output, as well as insight into sociolinguistics, critical discourse analysis, and translation issues. The course will include enrichment activities. Moreover, there will be a group of tasks assigned that will open the door for students to practice what they learned in a meaningful context. Students will also learn about vocality and the way news anchors and media professionals speak Arabic.
Media Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2021
This course is designed for students who wish to concentrate on contemporary prose. Reading and analysis of modern Arabic fiction, including short stories, drama, the novel, and expository prose.
Modern Arabic Prose: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2020, Fall 2019
This course is designed for students who wish to concentrate on Arabic of the classical periods of Arab and Islamic civilization. Reading and analysis of literary texts of various genres, including essays, biography, and travel literature.
Classical Arabic Prose: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Readings and analysis of 20th-century Arabic poetry.
Modern Arabic Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2017, Fall 2008
Readings and analysis of poetry from the pre-Islamic through the classical periods.
Classical Arabic Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Readings from the classical historians and geographers and from contemporary scholarship. Development of historiography.
Arabic Historical and Geographical Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Readings in the basic texts of Islam (Qur'an, Huran, Hadith, Sira, commentary) and in theological, mystical, and philosophical texts.
Islamic Religious and Philosophical Texts in Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013
This course is designed primarily for majors and prospective majors in Arabic studies. The Classical Periods: A literary-historical survey of Arabic literature from pre-Islamic times to the middle of the thirteenth century, with emphasis on the more important achievements of major Arab authors.
Survey of Arabic Literature (in Arabic): Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
This course is designed primarily for majors and prospective majors in Arabic studies. The Post-Abbasid and Modern Periods: A literary-historical survey of Arabic literature from the middle of the thirteenth century to the present.
Survey of Arabic Literature (in Arabic): Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
This course introduces students to a standard colloquial Arabic and the cultures of the region in which it spoken. The colloquial will change based on availability. The focus of the course is on speaking and listening, but also includes readings from printed materials. The course draws on various media including advertisements, theater, and film composed in colloquial style. This course will also expose students to literature composed in colloquial. Moreover, students will study the social stratification in the society along with an analysis of the speech of each social level. Students use their knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic as a platform for learning to communicate in colloquial.
Colloquial Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
This course introduces students to Egyptian Colloquial Arabic and the cultures of the region in which it is spoken. The focus of the course is on speaking and listening, but also includes readings from printed materials. The course draws on various media including advertisements, theater, and film composed in colloquial style. This course will also expose students to literature composed in colloquial. Moreover, students will study the social stratification in the Egyptian society along with a analysis of the speech of each social level. Students use their knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic as a platform for learning to communicate in Egyptian colloquial.
Colloquial Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2003
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2000 10 Week Session
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 1998
Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020
Akkadian was the language of literature, diplomacy, law, commerce, religion, and technical knowledge in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). This course offers students the fundamentals in the language and cuneiform script in which the Hammurabi Laws, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian Creation, along with many other texts, were written. The study of Akkadian will enable students to read the classics of Akkadian literature and understand the emergence and development of the earliest writing system, cities and states, social and economic structures, and religious beliefs. This course is approved for UC Berkeley majors in Linguistics, as well as filling a requirement for the Near Eastern Civilization major.
Elementary Akkadian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2021
Akkadian was the language of literature, diplomacy, law, commerce, religion, and technical knowledge in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). This course offers students the fundamentals in the language and cuneiform script in which the Hammurabi Laws, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Babylonian Creation, along with many other texts, were written. The study of Akkadian will enable students to read the classics of Akkadian literature and understand the emergence and development of the earliest writing system, cities and states, social and economic structures, and religious beliefs. This course is approved for UC Berkeley majors in Linguistics and for the Near Eastern Civilization major.
Elementary Akkadian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
In each semester of this course, the student who has completed the first year of the study of Akkadian will read a variety of texts in the cuneiform script either of the Old Babylonian or the Neo-Assyrian periods. In any semester, the texts to be read may be drawn from a variety of text genres: legal, mythological, historical, prayer, etc., but each semester will focus on only one genre.
Selected Readings in Akkadian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
In each semester of this course, the student who has completed the first year of the study of Akkadian will read a variety of texts in the cuneiform script either of the Old Babylonian or the Neo-Assyrian periods. In any semester, the texts to be read may be drawn from a variety of text genres: legal, mythological, historical, prayer, etc., but each semester will focus on only one genre.
Selected Readings in Akkadian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2017
Introduction to Sumerian grammar and writing.
Elementary Sumerian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2018, Spring 2016
Introduction to Sumerian grammar and writing.
Elementary Sumerian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020
Reading of texts selected for clarity of script, simplicity of vocabulary, and historical and cultural significance.
Selected Readings in Sumerian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2017
Reading of texts selected for clarity of script, simplicity of vocabulary, and historical and cultural significance.
Selected Readings in Sumerian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2008, Fall 2001
Introduction to Cuneiform Hittite language and grammar with reading of selected historical and religious texts.
Elementary Hittite: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2009, Spring 2002, Spring 2000
Introduction to Cuneiform Hittite language and grammar with reading of selected historical and religious texts.
Elementary Hittite: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2017
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2017
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the .
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course introduces the fundamentals of the language and hieroglyphic script of Middle Egyptian used to write stories, poems, biographies and letters, magical spells, and eye-witness accounts of historical events from thousands of years ago. The study of this ancient language enables students to read the classics of Egyptian literature and understand the emergence and development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, and the laws, customs, social structures, and religious beliefs of the ancient people of the Nile Valley. Lectures present the grammar and writing; much of the in-class time is devoted to the translating and close reading of texts, with a discussion of their cultural and historical context and meaning.
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course introduces the fundamentals of the language and hieroglyphic script of Middle Egyptian used to write stories and poems, biographies and letters, magical spells, and eye-witness accounts of historical events from thousands of years ago. The study of this ancient language enables students to read the classics of Egyptian literature and understand the emergence and development of one of the world’s oldest writing systems, and the laws, customs, social structures, and religious beliefs of the ancient people of the Nile Valley. Lectures present the grammar and writing; much of the in-class time is devoted to the translating and close reading of texts, with a discussion of their cultural and historical context and meaning.
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Fall 2014
Readings in Middle Egyptian hieroglyphic and hieratic texts.
Intermediate Egyptian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2019, Spring 2017, Spring 2015
Readings in Middle Egyptian hieroglyphic and hieratic texts.
Intermediate Egyptian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2002, Fall 2000, Spring 1997
Introduction to Sahidic dialect.
Elementary Coptic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2003, Spring 2001
Readings in Sahidic, other dialects.
Elementary Coptic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the .
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course is the first semester of the elementary level of Modern Hebrew and is meant for
students who have no or little experience with the Hebrew language. Students will learn to read and
write the Hebrew alphabet (both print and cursive) as well as gain proficiency in speaking and
listening. Students will develop a foundational vocabulary, allowing them to communicate in
basic sentences. Together with the second semester of Elementary Hebrew, students will be
prepared to engage with the Hebrew language in routine contexts.
Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course is the second semester of the elementary level of Modern Hebrew. The course
continues where Elementary Hebrew 1A left off and further cultivates students’ speaking,
reading, listening, and writing proficiencies in Modern Hebrew. It expands on vocabulary and expressions, allowing students to hold colloquial conversations and interactions. The course complements the first semester of elementary Hebrew and together the two semesters provide students with the foundational grammar and syntax of Modern Hebrew, preparing them toengage with Hebrew in routine contexts.
Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2007 10 Week Session, Summer 2007 8 Week Session, Summer 2006 10 Week Session
An intensive course in modern Israeli Hebrew. The course covers the basic syntactic and morphological patterns of modern Hebrew through the teaching and practice of communicative and interactive language skills in the four areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course is equivalent to two semesters of Hebrew in the regular academic year.
Intensive Elementary Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Hebrew 20A, Intermediate Hebrew.
Reading and Composition for Hebrew Speaking Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Hebrew 20A, Intermediate Hebrew.
Reading and Composition for Hebrew-Speaking Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022

This course is the first semester of the intermediate level of Modern Hebrew. The course continues where Elementary Hebrew 1B left off and further cultivates the student's speaking, reading, listening, and writing proficiencies in Modern Hebrew. It expands on vocabulary and expressions, allowing students to hold colloquial conversations as well as establishing a foundation to discuss more sophisticated topics.

Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course is the second semester of the intermediate level of Modern Hebrew. The course
continues where Intermediate Hebrew 20A left off and further cultivates students’ speaking,reading, listening, and writing proficiencies in Modern Hebrew. It expands on vocabulary and expressions, allowing students to hold colloquial conversations as well as discussion on more sophisticated topics. The course complements the first semester of intermediate Hebrew and together the two semesters provide students with a profound foundation of Hebrew grammar and syntax as well as an expansive vocabulary, preparing them to engage with Hebrew in most contexts.
Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1996 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of intermediate Hebrew. It will deepen skills in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing modern Israeli Hebrew.
Intermediate Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2020, Fall 2019
Advanced Hebrew, especially designed for those going on to the study of modern Hebrew literature. Vocabulary building, grammar review, and literary analysis of a sampling of modern texts.
Advanced Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018
Advanced Hebrew, especially designed for those going on to the study of modern Hebrew literature. Vocabulary building, grammar review, and literary analysis of a sampling of modern texts.
Advanced Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2008, Fall 2002, Fall 1998
Texts from the rabbinic period (Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, and Midrash) and an introduction to the languages of rabbinic texts.
Postbiblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2011, Spring 2009
Texts from the rabbinic period (Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, and Midrash) and an introduction to the languages of rabbinic texts.
Postbiblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2004
Study of midrashic, exegetical, halakhic (legal), poetic, apocalyptic, messianic, or historical texts.
Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Study of midrashic, exegetical, halakhic (legal), poetic, apocalyptic, messianic, or historical texts.
Later Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
A close reading of selected works of modern Hebrew fiction, poetry, and drama in their cultural and historical contexts. Topics vary from year to year and include literature and politics, eros and gender, memory and nationalism, Middle-Eastern and European aspects of Israeli literature and culture.
Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
A close reading of selected works of modern Hebrew fiction, poetry, and drama in their cultural and historical contexts. Topics vary from year to year and include literature and politics, eros and gender, memory and nationalism, Middle-Eastern and European aspects of Israeli literature and culture.
Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 1999
An analysis of Hebrew grammar, syntax, semantics, morphology, history of the language, fixed expressions, discourse analysis, contrastive features of Hebrew and English in the context of contemporary linguistic theories.
The Structure of Modern Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2011, Spring 2008
An analysis of Hebrew grammar, syntax, semantics, morphology, history of the language, fixed expressions, discourse analysis, contrastive features of Hebrew and English in the context of contemporary linguistic theories.
The Structure of Modern Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2021
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew Bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2022
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew Bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2009 10 Week Session, Summer 2009 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2008 Second 6 Week Session
An introduction to the language of the Hebrew bible.
Elementary Biblical Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2015, Fall 2011
The tools and procedure of biblical exegesis applied to simple narrative texts.
Biblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2016, Spring 2012
The tools and procedure of biblical exegesis applied to simple narrative texts.
Biblical Hebrew Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A systematic study of the Prophets beginning with Isaiah.
Intermediate Biblical Texts: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2002
In this course, we will read and analyze closely talmudic texts in the original languages--Hebrew and Aramaic--together with selected medieval commentaries. The primary focus of the course will be on the acquisition of facility in reading the Talmud, comprehension of philological and historical-cultural issues and methods of study, as well as understanding the formative relation of the Talmud to the structures and practices of traditional Jewish cultures.
The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2001
In this course, we will read and analyze closely talmudic texts in the original languages--Hebrew and Aramaic--together with selected medieval commentaries. The primary focus of the course will be on the acquisition of facility in reading the Talmud, comprehension of philological and historical-cultural issues and methods of study, as well as understanding the formative relation of the Talmud to the structures and practices of traditional Jewish cultures.
The Art and Culture of the Talmud: Advanced Textual Analysis: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2016, Spring 2011
Topics explore special themes and problems in Hebrew language and literature. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings are available through the department.
Special Topics in Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2003
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2002, Fall 2001
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2003, Spring 1999
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the .
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2023
Expository writing based on analysis of selected texts or literature in translation or writings interpreting the material culture of the ancient or modern Middle East. Specific topics vary with the instructor. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.
Reading and Composition in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session
Expository writing based on analysis of selected texts or literatures in translation or writings interpreting the material culture of the ancient Near or modern Middle East. Specific topics vary with instructor. R1A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R1B satisfies the second half.
Reading and Composition in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course introduces students to the Ancient Middle Eastern world through its languages, texts, art, and material culture. Emphasis is placed on Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia as well as their neighbors in Iran, Turkey, Arabia, and Africa. Students are introduced to techniques scholars use to study this evidence, including philology, archaeology, visual analysis, and digital humanities. Topics include urbanism, kingship, science, religion, and death. Students interact with original materials in campus and Bay Area museums. No prior coursework is required.
Middle Eastern Worlds: Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
This course provides a multidisciplinary introduction to the Middle East, an area that has long dominated the news but remains relatively unknown to most Americans. In a broad sense, the Middle East refers to “Arab” countries in general as well as Israel, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and the region of Kurdistan. The course aims to help students expand their knowledge and understanding of the social, economic, and cultural complexities that underlie current events and politics in the Middle East. We will examine the interplay of cultures, societies, and economies of various regional communities that remain central to the dynamics of Middle Eastern identities.
Middle Eastern Worlds: The Modern Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The art and architecture of the Islamic lands from the seventh to the seventeenth centuries.
Introduction to Islamic Art: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024
A general introduction to ancient Egypt, providing overview coverage of ancient Egyptian culture and society (history, art, religion, literature, language, social structure), Egyptian archaeology (pyramids, tombs, mummies, temples, cities, monuments, daily life), and the history and development of the modern discipline of Egyptology. Assumes no prior knowledge of subject. Almost all lectures are illustrated extensively by ​power point presentation. Discussion sections ​include meetings in the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, which has the best collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts west of Chicago.
Introduction to Ancient Egypt: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester.
Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Man’s fate on earth, friendship, love, suffering, and evil—every civilization considers these themes. This course surveys legends and myths of ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), a cradle of civilization, home to the world’s first cities and empires, and the first writing system. Students will read ancient literary masterpieces such as the Gilgamesh Epic, Creation and Flood Myths, and other Mesopotamian literary texts in translation.
Ancient Babylonian Legends and Myths: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course will introduce the student not only to ancient and modern Central Asia, but also to the role played by the region in the shaping of the history of neighboring regions and regimes. The course will outline the history, languages, ethnicities, religions, and archaeology of the region and will acquaint the student with the historical foundations of some of the political, social and economic challenges for contemporary post-Soviet Central Asian republics.
Introduction to Central Asia: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Readings from the Hebrew Bible in English translation.
Hebrew Bible in Translation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A freshmen and sophomore seminar course will be taught by NES faculty in Fall 2016.
Freshmen & Sophomore Seminars: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Topics vary.
Directed Group Study for Lower Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Topics vary.
Supervised Independent Study: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2021
Women have been ignored or marginalized in much of past scholarship on ancient Egypt despite their highly visible presence in and importance to ancient Egyptian society. This course examines the roles of women and gender in ancient Egyptian society and belief systems. It reviews sources of evidence and interpretive frameworks for understanding the public and private roles of women and the definition of gender in ancient Egypt. It also places the women of ancient Egypt and ancient Egyptian gender constructions into comparative contexts with other ancient eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern societies.
Women and Gender in Ancient Egypt: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Ancient Egypt has fascinated visitors since antiquity to our modern imagination. From mummies, pyramids, and enchanting mythologies, these fanciful ideas have made their ways into books, movies, cartoons, and music. This course will explore the way ancient Egypt has been “consumed” in the West from the Napoleonic campaign to modern pop culture. We will study the impact that ancient Egypt and its wonderful monuments and civilization has had on art, literature, music, and even a number of religious and spiritual movements in the West as well as in Middle Eastern and African cultures.
Egyptomania: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025
A survey of the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, based primarily upon the written sources.
Religion of Ancient Egypt: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022
A survey of Babylonian religious beliefs and practices based on indigenous texts and monuments.
Babylonian Religion: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A representative survey of original 3rd-1st millennium Cuneiform texts in translation. The Sumerian religious and scholastic tradition; myths of creation, hymns, epics and early historical material.
Ancient Mesopotamian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course focuses on ancient astronomy from Babylonia to the Greco-Roman world. Readings from primary texts, including Babylonian astronomical and astrological documents (MUL.APIN, Enuma Anu Enlil, etc.) and Greek treatises such as Geminos= Introduction to the Phenomena and Ptolemy's Almagest are used. Problems of the calendar and of planetary motion are of special interest. Two different approaches to celestial phenomena are covered, one from cuneiform texts, predominantly arithmetical and linear and the other from hellenistic Greek antiquity, characteristically geometrical and introducing a quantitative dimension only after contact with and borrowing from Babylonian astronomy.
Ancient Astronomy: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024
This course introduces students to the history of Mesopotamia, ancient Iraq, home to the world's first cities, writing and monetary exchange. Reading micro-histories of better- and lesser-known historical figures and original Akkadian and Sumerian sources (in translation), students will experience, from the distance of many millennia, the rise and fall of empires, class structures that divided and united society, the treatment of minority populations, the contributions of women --- scholars, queens, and priestesses, and the contributions of the Mesopotamian intellectual tradition to human experience. A visit to the Hearst Museum of Anthropology provides an opportunity for students to interact with original materials from antiquity.
Mesopotamian History: Stories of Ancient People and Places: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023
The material and written culture of ancient Egypt constitutes one of the best preserved and most robust archaeological corpora to survive from antiquity as well as one of the most popular avenues for public engagement within the Humanities. Digital initiatives have become crucial for the conservation, documentation, and dissemination of ancient Egyptian material and texts to the broadest possible audience. This course will introduce students to the main projects of Egyptology in the field of archaeology, philology, and material studies, which apply techniques of Digital Humanities, from 3D modeling of objects and architectural spaces to digital epigraphy and the creation of searchable databases.
Digital Humanities and Egyptology: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021
Disease is a constant of the human condition. Like health, it is both a social construct and a physical reality. Epidemics are diseases that affect very large numbers of people; pandemics are epidemics with a passport—they spread over multiple countries and often continents. In this course we will survey, compare, and contrast ancient and modern conceptions of disease and health, and medicine and doctors, and examine and evaluate what evidence exists—historical, textual, archaeological--for identifying epidemics and pandemics in ancient times.
Disease, Health and Pandemics in Ancient Egypt, the Ancient Middle East, and the Classical World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A concise survey of Ancient Egyptian history from Late Predynastic times to the conquest of Alexander the Great.
Survey of Ancient Egyptian History: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The most famous of Babylonian heroes is Gilgamesh, King of Uruk. The Gilgamesh Epic, recorded on twelve tablets in cuneiform, follows him in his quest for fame and eternal life. In this course, we will read the Gilgamesh Epic as well as several earlier texts around the same character. Moreover, we will read additional ancient texts that elucidate one or another aspect of the Epic. We will follow the traditions around Gilgamesh and see how his fame was used for literary, religious, and political purposes. Finally, we will look at some of the modern Gilgamesh interpretations.
Gilgamesh: King, Hero, and God: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Today, much of the information we gather on any topic comes from Internet sources. Goal of this class is to increase students' skills in critically evaluating the scholarly value of information on the Ancient Near East that is to be found in web pages, e-journals, and online books. We will consider the goal and context of sources of information (touristic, commercial, scholarly, religious, etc.) and how this influences and filters the information provided. Although the class will focus on Internet resources, we will not neglect to use the same critical eye when using print media. The class will feature a number of collaborative projects in which this critical attitude may be practiced.
Beyond Wikipedia: The Ancient Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest, most spectacular and most powerful of the world’s complex civilizations. Beginning as a series of Neolithic villages, it slowly transformed into a state and then a great kingdom with an all-powerful king. This course explores the first crucial journey of ancient Egypt, from the Neolithic through the Predynastic, Protodynastic, Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom eras. It overviews major aspects of the archaeology, art, history, and culture of Early Egypt as well as important methodological and theoretical issues.
Early Egypt: From Village to Pyramid: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Second Millennium BCE Egypt boasted powerful centralized kingdoms and an international empire alternating with weaker decentralized periods of provincial power and foreign subjugation. This course overviews selected aspects of archaeology, art, history and culture of First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period and New Kingdom Egypt, as well as related methodological and theoretical issues of interpretation. Middle and New Kingdom Egypt especially were soaring heights of cultural achievements and political power.
Ancient Egypt: Power, Glory and Empire in the Second Millennium: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025
This course provides students an opportunity to investigate the similarities and differences between premodern and modern group identity narratives. Premodern narratives of peoplehood will be analyzed alongside modern racial narratives utilizing a comparative approach to reading primary sources, coupled with a critical engagement with secondary sources on the issues of race, racism, and religion. The course will focus on narratives related to Western Civilization, white people, black people, Antisemitism, and Orientalism. It will also cover some of the parallels and differences between Western ideologies of racism and Antisemitism and those found in certain parts of the premodern Islamic world and the Middle East.
The Origins of Racism in the West: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023
This course is about how humans have written language from ancient to modern times. Students will be introduced to the origins, evolutions, and adaptations of writing and explore various types of writing systems, including hieroglyphic, logographic, alphabetic, and syllabic, from around the world. The course will examine topics such as the invention of writing in ancient Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica, the development of hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt, the evolution of the alphabet, the spread of Semitic scripts like Aramaic and Arabic, the invention of modern scripts such as Cherokee and Adlam, and even Emoji. Students will be encouraged to learn about additional scripts not covered in class as part of their assignments.
Writing Systems of the World: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This course examines the development of archaeology in the Middle East from 1800 to
contemporary times. The first half of the course explores the roles that explorers, pilgrims, and
archaeologists played in the field’s development against the backdrop of European imperialism
and Middle Eastern nationalism. The second half of the course evaluates urgent issues about
looting, the antiquities market, repatriation, tourism, and climate change. Students will examine primary source materials such as ethnographies, memoirs, films, social media, and still images, and interrogate case studies that ponder the future of the past in the Middle East.

Explorers, Archaeologists, and Tourists in the Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2006
The art and architecture of early Mesopotamia will be explored in terms of the social, political, and cultural context of ancient Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria during the period of urbanization and early kingdoms. The course provides an integrated picture of the arts of Mesopotamia and neighboring regions from 3500-1000 BCE with an emphasis on the development of visual narrative, the use of art in the expression of authority and legitimacy, and artistic interconnections between cultures. Collections on campus or in the area will be incorporated whenever possible.
The Art of Ancient Mesopotamia: 3500-1000 BCE: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
The royal art and architecture of later Mesopotamia will be explored in terms of the social, political, and cultural context of the great empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. The course provides an integrated picture of the arts of Mesopotamia and neighboring regions from 1000-330 BCE with an emphasis on the development of visual narrative, the use of art in the expression of authority and legitimacy, and artistic interconnections between cultures. Collections on campus or in the area will be incorporated whenever possible.
The Art of Ancient Mesopotamia: 1000-330 BCE: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2015, Fall 2013
The course will treat in depth topics in Islamic architecture and topics in Islamic art. Subjects addressed may include painting, calligraphy, and book production.
Topics in Islamic Art: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of the archaeology of Iran and its neighbors from the Paleolithic Era to the Sasanian period. Students will analyze architecture, artifacts, and written sources, discuss debates, and learn archaeological methods.
Iranian Archaeology: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of Mesopotamian archaeology from the Paleolithic Era to 300 BCE investigating the origins of agriculture, urbanism, states, and empires in ancient Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Students will analyze architecture, artifacts, and written sources, discuss current debates, and learn archaeological research methods.
Archaeology of Mesopotamia: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of Levantine archaeology from the Paleolithic Era to 300 BCE investigating the origins of agriculture, technologies, villages, and states in ancient Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Prehistoric, Canaanite, and Israelite societies are emphasized. Students will analyze architecture, artifacts, and written sources, discuss debates, and learn archaeological methods.
Archaeology of the Levant: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
This course explores the art, archaeology, and history of Middle Eastern Christian communities from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. Particular emphasis is placed on the everyday life of Christian populations in their various contexts, especially on Assyrian and Syriac-speaking communities. This course investigates material evidence using historical and archaeological methods in order to reconstruct the complex history of Middle East Christianity.
Art and Archaeology of Middle Eastern Christianity: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
The course will outline art and archaeology of the Silk Roads from the 5th century BCE to the 10th century CE. A number of specific sites located along the Silk Roads will be selected and explored in depth, as examples which reveal the manifold cultural currents along the trade routes. Special attention will be paid to the eclecticism in Silk Road cultures brought about by the movement of peoples and merchandise which facilitated the spread and fusion along these trading routes of various ideas, cultural forms, art styles, and religious concepts. The social and political underpinnings of this eclecticism will be examined.
Silk Road Art and Archaeology: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course provides a broad introduction to the cultures of ancient Syria from the Neolithic period to 500 BCE. The diversity of cultures and their development over time will be assessed in light of the built environment and artistic production. Emphasis is placed on interpreting the material culture of the region within its social and political contexts.
Art and Archaeology of Ancient Syria: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course explores the art and archaeology of ancient Turkey from the Neolithic period to the time of Alexander's conquest of the Near East (330 BCE). The survey will include geographic and historical considerations and will focus in particular on the ancient sites and monuments. Topics of discussion may include the Anatolian mother goddess, resource procurement, trade contacts, the Trojan war, and the rise of Phrygia and Lydia. A general theme throughout the course is the issue of defining indigenous, regional cultures and the ways in which they interacted with the broader ancient world.
Art and Archaeology of Ancient Turkey: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course focuses on the arts of the Iranian cultural environment from the mid-first Millennium BCE through the first Millennium CE. Geographically, it covers a region stretching east from modern Iran to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and north towards the Central Asian steppes, the ancestral home of important ancient Iranian pastoral nomadic tribes. The course will, among others, explore the art and archaeology of the Achaemenids, Parthians, Sasanians, and Sogdians to come to a better understanding of the social, political, and cultural underpinnings of the pre-Islamic Iranian world.
Arts of Iran and Central Asia: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2010, Fall 2005
This course analyzes the art, architecture, and archaeology of prehistoric Greece, concentrating on the Minoan and Mycenaean palatial arts of the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BCE). The evocative yet still enigmatic remains of palaces and funerary complexes, frescoes and vase paintings, and precious worked pieces will be closely examined in terms of their forms and cultural contexts. The place of prehistoric Greece in the international world of the eastern Mediterranean will also be explored.
Minoan and Mycenaean Art: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The patriarchal age through the Hellenistic period.
History of Ancient Israel: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The teachings of ancient Israel's priests, prophets and sages on various universal problems.
Aspects of Biblical Religion: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of the poetics and genres of poetry in the Hebrew Bible, focusing on close reading of selected texts. Theoretical issues will include the dynamics of parallelism, metaphor, intertextuality, agency, and gender. Historical issues will include the ancient Near Eastern literary genres and the political and ritual dynamics of the biblical poems. Throughout the course, we will also be reading selected modern poems that respond to biblical poetry. Primary texts will be largely drawn from the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and the prophets. All texts will be read in translation.
Biblical Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This class will examine the emergence and development of classical Judaism, its piety, institutions, thought, and literature.
Judaism in Late Antiquity: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2022
A course on trends in Jewish religious, cultural, and social life. The course will study innovative and conservative aspects of thought, ritual, and belief in relation to contemporary life and traditional Jewish values in at least one country other than the United States.
Topics in History and Cultures of Israel: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024
Our understanding of the Hebrew Bible has been transformed in recent years due to insights from literary criticism, anthropology, archaeology, and historiography. This course explores the impact of these innovations and provides a multilayered introduction to the writings of the Hebrew Bible, focused on the mingling of memory, religion, and the literary imagination.
Literature and History in the Hebrew Bible: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A critical examination of the form and content of history-like narratives of the Hebrew Bible in the light of concepts of history and historiographic practices in the ancient Near East and in contemporary historical studies. Selective focus on one or more books in Genesis through Kings, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah.
History and Historiography in the Hebrew Bible: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
An analysis of modern Jewish movements and ideas. Topics include Spinoza, Hasidism, the Enlightenment, Jewish religious movements in America, Zionism, Buber, Rosensweig, Kaplan, Heschel.
Modern and Contemporary Jewish Thought: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
An investigation of concepts of the hero/heroine in the literature of ancient Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Israel. The importance of heroic epic in defining and exploring morality, the self, and the cosmos will be a guiding concern. Texts include the epics of Gilgamesh and Aqhat, the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament. All texts are read in translation.
The Hero in the Bible and the Ancient Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Trends and genres in modern Jewish literatures--translated from Hebrew and Yiddish, with selected texts translated from other Jewish languages like Ladino and Judeo-Arabic. Focus will be on developments in Jewish literary traditions since the enlightenment in the context of tensions between occidental and oriental formations of Jewish culture.
Modern Jewish Literatures: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Selected topics from Islamic intellectual history.
Topics in Islamic Thought and Institutions: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of leading Muslim thinkers and movements of the past two centuries.
Modern and Contemporary Islamic Thought: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The beliefs, traditions, and practices of the Shi'ite school of Islam.
Shi'ite Islam: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A general survey of the religious history of Iran in the Islamic period, covering the rise and development of religious institutions, the elaboration of the religious sciences, Sufism, and sectarian movements.
Islam in Iran: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A general presentation of Sufism that, while not aiming at exhaustiveness, will seek to acquaint students with the place and function of Sufism in Islam; the main outlines of its history; doctrinal and ritual features; the relationship between Sufism and literature, especially poetry; the principal Sufi orders; leading figures in the elaboration of Sufism as a distinct mode of Islamic practice; and the great diversity of Sufism as reflected in its geographic spread throughout the Muslim world.
Sufism: The Mysticism of Islam: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
This course explores the status of women in Islam by examining how the most authentic Islamic sources, the Qur’an, and Hadith, have addressed the role of women in society. We will critically discuss the different interpretations of these texts and their instructions towards women. In addition, the course will examine other academic writings to investigate questions, such as whether the resistance to modernity in Muslim societies is due to Islam or patriarchal laws. Did Islam dictate the patriarchal order in Muslim societies? What are the difficulties that Muslim women face in their societies? Also, the course will include biographies of many great Muslim women whose names are enshrined in the ancient and modern history of Islam.
Women in Islam: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2023
This course aims at introducing students to some of the most important features of the Islamic religious tradition. The main subjects of discussion include life of Muhammad, the Quran, Tradition, Law, Sufism, Theology, Philosophy, and Politics. The course will cover both medieval and modern Islam and will touch upon all major sects. In reference to the modern period, particular emphasis will fall on the relationship of medieval and modern interpretations and on the emergence of “political” and “liberal” Islam with reference to the history of the modern Middle East. Students will also be exposed to important theories and methods in the academic study of the discipline.
Islam: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of Islamic civilization in the Middle East during the medieval period. Topics include the emergence of Islam in Arabia and the role of the Prophet Muhammad; the rapid rise of an Islamic empire and its effects on the societies it governed; the creation of an Islamic civilization and the religious, political, and intellectual debates it engendered; contact with Europe and Asia through trade, Crusades, and nomadic conquest; the contributions of non-Muslims, women, slaves.
The Rise of Islamic Civilization: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
The course provides a chronological and thematic approach using biographies and texts to trace the emergence of the modern Middle East from the late 17th to the early 20th century culminating in the dissolution of the Ottoman dynasty and the advent of the nation-state structure. The course contextualizes the region’s social history, culture, religious, and social stratification, colonization, and Orientalism as a pathway toward understanding the forces that shaped the modern Middle East.
Emergence of the Modern Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The course will trace the birth of the modern map of the Middle East, explore the development of new nation-states, the emergence of various social-religious movements, anti-colonial struggles, and forging national identities as well as the erasure of others. We will explore the emerging national projects and contestations in Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the un-making of Palestine. The course will explore the emerging and continued instrumentalization of ethnic, religious, and cultural differences by domestic and external forces, and the continued mobilization of colonial discourses in the post-colonial era.
The Modern Middle East from WWI to the Present: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
No knowledge of Arabic is required. Survey of Arabic literature from its origins in pre-Islamic poetry through its historical development during the Umayyad, and Abbasid periods.
Arabic Literature in Translation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2023
No knowledge of Arabic is required. Survey of Arabic literature in its development from the post-Abbasid period to the present.
Arabic Literature in Translation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024
This course focuses on poetry, short stories, novels, and the history of Middle Eastern women writers. The course will feature writings from women of diverse social and religious backgrounds and their distinct role in shaping the cultural history of Arabic poetry and literature. Texts may range from the pre-Islamic to the Medieval period as well as contemporary writings in both print and digital. Students will examine various literary methods developed over time by women writers seeking to defend and assert their rights for independence, education, and self-fulfillment. Examining their narratives from both historical and fictional sources will allow us to reflect on contemporary concerns regarding freedom, human rights, and equality.
Middle Eastern Women Writers: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course is organized around two broad but inter-related issues: the quest for identity and the representation of the "other" in modern Arabic literature. Central to both concerns is the treatment of colonialism, nationalism, and gender in modern Arabic literature and Arab culture in general.
Cultural Encounters in Modern Arabic Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025
This course focuses on the cultural history of Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus) from the Muslim conquest of 711 until the expulsion of Moriscos in 1609. Topics covered include the history, literature, architecture, arts, and music of Al-Andalus. The major aim is for students to develop an understanding of and a sensibility to the history, politics, and cultures of Al-Andalus as well as its social and cultural relevance to contemporary audiences.
Synagogues, Cathedrals, and Mosques: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
The dynamics of identity in contemporary Israeli and Palestinian fiction. Since in both literary traditions the quest for identity invariably involves an encounter with the cultural "other," the examination of this phenomenon within a single context can be revealing. We will approach the subject through lectures, discussion, and the viewing of video and film dramatizations of Arabic and Hebrew works that deal with identity, and make use of the class location to significantly enhance learning by visiting Arabic and Hebrew theaters and literary establishments and by meeting and interacting with Israeli and Palestinian writers, critics, and scholars.
Narratives of Identity in Israeli and Palestinian Fiction: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022
This course investigates the writing, transmission, and reception of The Thousand and One Nights. After studying the tales and examining their structure, students will investigate how stories were transmitted, translated, and received in Europe. This process offers a window into 19th-century attitudes about gender and race, especially Western views of the "oriental" other. How the tales were creatively manipulated by Western writers will be studied as will the influence of these stories on modern Arabic literature. Examples of how the stories are represented in Western films will be considered. All works will be read in English translation.
The Thousand and One Nights in World Literary Imagination: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
The Middle East, Iran, and North Africa are home to a great number of languages and dialects, including many varieties of Arabic, as well as Persian, Kurdish, Hebrew, Aramaic, Berber, and more. This course provides an introduction to the current status of these languages, their social settings, and relevant parts of their histories. Students will acquire a basic foundation in sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology as we explore how these languages change, struggle, and thrive. Knowledge of a language from the region (e.g. Arabic or Persian) will be helpful; no background in linguistics is required.
Sociolinguistics of the Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
This course introduces students to the main themes and tropes in contemporary Arab cultural production. Within an analytical framework, the course surveys a variety of examples from the written and cinematic culture. These include films, fiction, autobiographies, documentaries, music as well as critical articles and essays. The texts engage a wide range of topics including desire, gender, Islam, colonialism, revolution, nationalism, borders, and refugees in the modern Arabic-speaking world. Ultimately, the course seeks to provide a critical method that will enable students to study and appreciate contemporary Arab culture. Knowledge of Arabic is not required.
Reel Arabs: Film and Fiction in the Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
The course focuses on the impacts of migration and displacement of people from postcolonial Middle East region and the U.S. legal, political, social, and religious discourse on cross-cultural and ethical issues which arise in immigration practice while placing the phenomena within a global and transnational context. Three separate groups in the US will be examined; Middle Eastern immigrants, El Salvadoran diaspora, and rightwing white communities. The course seeks to draw connections between Middle Eastern migration and diaspora in the colonial and postcolonial periods leading to the modern period of restrictive immigration policies, building of walls, targeting Arab and Muslim immigrants as well as all immigrants from the Global South.
Middle East: Post-Colonialism, Migration, and Diaspora: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
From Roman to American imperial interests, the Middle East sits at the crossroads of empires and the focal point for power struggles and Orientalist imaginaries. This course explores the intersections of culture, race, and imperialism, and Western engagement in the Middle East over the last 150 years. The recent invasion of Iraq has led to a renewal in the idea of “empire” building in the Middle East. The ideas of empire, colonial legacies, Orientalist tropes, war and competition for oil, and current globalization and neoliberal policies impacting the region will be explored.
Middle East, Empire, and Orientalism: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2022
Principally devoted to Zoroastrianism and Manicheanism but with some attention to Indo-Iranian origins, and relevance of Iranian religion for the history of Hellenistic Gnosticism, Judaism, and Islam.
Religions of Ancient Iran: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
An introduction to the visual and material cultures of the Persianate world. Persian art has one of the richest artistic heritages in world history and includes a wide range of artistic development in architecture, sculpture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, and metalwork. This course will explore the arts in terms of their larger social, political, and cultural context in history. In addition to the Iranian plateau, the course may also cover other regions that are part of the Iranian cultural domain, which stretches from India, Afghanistan, Central Asia to Egypt, and the Mediterranean.
Topics in Persian Art and Culture: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024
These courses offer a comprehensive introduction to the main currents in Persian literature from the 10th century to the contemporary period. They introduce students to various genres, period styles, and crucial formal and thematic elements necessary to the understanding of Persian literature. While 162A deals with classical Persian literature, 162B deals with Persian literature since the advent of modernity in Persian-speaking lands, namely the 19th century. Both courses emphasize the impact of social factors, political events, and intellectual currents on Persian literary production. The course is taught in English. Knowledge of Persian is desirable but not required.
History of Persian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023
An engaged study of Persian literature in translation, drawing on texts from the 8th to the 21st century. Readings will illustrate philosophies of either individual thinkers and themes, or the development within particular genres such as poetry, mysticism, novels, etc. We will further strive to understand the socio-political-religious milieu(s) of the text(s) and their author(s).
Persian Literature in Translation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course introduces students to major themes in modern Iranian literature and cinema. Short story readings and discussions provide an analytical framework for the screening of films covering diverse topics of significance in Iran today. All films have English subtitles; lectures and readings are in English. No prior knowledge of Iranian history or literature is required.
Film and Fiction of Iran: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021
The course introduces students to Islamic history and challenges of Islamic historiography from the rise of Islam (ca.600 CE) to the coming of the Seljuks (1050CE). Students will gain an understanding of the religious, social, and political institutions of Islam in their historical contexts. Throughout the course, they will be exposed to various primary and secondary sources that help them develop a sense of how the historical narrative was produced.
Islamic History and Historiography (600-1050): Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A study of Turkish literature in translation, drawing on texts from the 8th to the 20th century. Readings will be chosen to illustrate the development within specific genres: lyric poetry, drama, folktale, etc.
Turkish Literature in Translation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A survey of the main themes in the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic history of Central Asia and adjacent regions, principally from the rise of Islam down to the present. The first half of the course will deal with the Iranian element in Central Asia, and particularly with the Tajiks. The second half will be devoted to the Turks, including their history and expansion, not only in Central Asia but also in Anatolia and South East Europe.
Topics in the History of Central Asia and the Turks: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course examines the social and religious lives of women and men through the lens of the law. A major concern is the relationship between law and culture, namely, the ways in which the law reflected ideals and tensions ranging from ideological competition between states to the problems of ordinary townspeople and peasants. In analyzing actual court cases, we will ask how individuals participated in the life of the court, and how they used the court to articulate their own self-interest and sense of moral worth. Readings will be in English. Students wishing to work with sources in the original Ottoman Turkish should also enroll in Turkish 104 (1 unit).
Law and Society in the Early Modern Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023
This course will discuss Afghanistan from ancient times to the present, including the emergence of Afghanistan as a modern nation-state and its geo-strategic importance. The Soviet invasion and aftermath will be emphasized, along with issues of state and society, ethnic diversity and tribal structure, challenges of modernization, and nationalism and political identity. The role of religion and mystical orders and the role of art, music, and literature will also be discussed.
History and Culture of Afghanistan: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024
The course introduces students to Quran and to methods of its interpretation, as adopted in the exegetical (tafsir) literature. In addition to being exposed to secondary academic literature on the Quran and its exegesis, students will be offered a high dose of primary exegetical texts in translation. Passages from a number of periods and denominations will be selected, so that students may develop an appreciation of the interpretive range of a constantly-evolving tradition.
The Quran and Its Interpretation: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Not yet offered
In the early seventh century, Muhammad initiated a movement that evolved into a global religion and civilization, profoundly influencing numerous cultures worldwide. This course endeavors to offer students a holistic understanding of the Prophet Muhammad’s life, drawing from the perspectives of both Muslim and Western scholars. Throughout the course, students will explore various discourses surrounding Muhammad’s life and character. For instance, they will delve into the biographies penned by Muslim scholars across different eras, spanning from ancient to modern times. Additionally, the course will examine the diverse perspectives of non-Muslim scholars, examining how they have perceived and depicted Muhammad from various vantage points.
Prophetic Biography: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022
This course explores the history and culture of religious groups in the Middle East beginning in the Roman and Sasanian Eras and extending up to the current day. Evidence from Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Yezidi, and Muslim communities will be investigated. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of the Assyrians from their ancient origins in Mesopotamia, their Christianization, and to their modern global diaspora. Primary texts will be read in translation and material culture will be examined in class. Themes such as persecution, nationalism, and genocide, among other topics, will be studied.
The Assyrians and Other Religious Groups in the Middle East: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2018, Spring 2016
This course will explore magic as an experimental science within the learned traditions of civilizations that we consider as fundamental for a modern Western identity: from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome to the medieval and early modern Middle East, Byzantium, and Europe. The primary sources used for this exploration will be texts on demons, magic, divination, and the sophisticated philosophical background to such beliefs. In addition, archeological remains pertinent to these practices such as talismans, amulets, and other magical objects will be discussed.
Magic, Religion, and Science: The Ancient and Medieval Worlds: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Ancient Middle Eastern Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Egyptian Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Jewish Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2023
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Near Eastern studies. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Islamic Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Near Eastern studies. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Near Eastern studies. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Topics explore themes and problems in the various fields of Near Eastern studies. They often reflect the research interests of the instructor and supplement regular curricular offerings. Specific descriptions of current offerings in this series are available through the department.
Special Topics in Fields of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Iranian/Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Near Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Ancient Middle Eastern Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Egyptian Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Jewish Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Islamic Studies: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Arabic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Cuneiform: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Egyptian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Hebrew: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Iranian/Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Semitics: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This series is designed to acquaint upper-division students with advanced research strategies in specific areas of Middle Eastern Studies. The course may reflect current research and interests of the instructors and will introduce students to specialized problems in the field. Two units for presentation; four units for paper and presentation.
Undergrad Seminar: Problems and Research in Middle Eastern Studies: Turkish: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
This course teaches archaeological field methods through hands-on instruction. Students work with the project staff and receive exposure to techniques like excavation, survey, illustration, photography, and artifact processing. Students also learn local archaeology and history through weekly lectures and field trips.
Middle Eastern Archaeological Field School: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses: Phoenician, Cypriote, Syrian Archaeology.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Introduction to Persian language, covering basics of the language skills in all aspects of reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking with emphasis on culture and communicative methods.
Elementary Modern Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Introduction to Persian language, covering basics of the language skills in all aspects of reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking with emphasis on culture and communicative methods.
Elementary Modern Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2017, Summer 2016 10 Week Session, Summer 2015 8 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of elementary Persian. It will train students in the four language skills: speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing. Emphasis will be placed on the functional usage of the language.
Intensive Elementary Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Persian grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Persian 20A, Intermediate Persian.
Reading and Composition for Persian Speaking Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018
Designed for heritage students who possess oral skills (speaking/comprehension, though limited) but need to improve their writing and reading abilities, and expand their knowledge of Persian grammar and syntax. Completion of 11A-11B will prepare the student to take Persian 20A, Intermediate Persian.
Reading and Composition for Persian-Speaking Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Summer 2007 10 Week Session, Summer 2007 8 Week Session
A year or more of advanced level Persian with emphasis on advanced grammar and vocabulary build up. Newspaper clippings, film reviews and cultural awareness through introduction of literature will be covered.
Intensive Intermediate Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The sequence begins in the fall. This course emphasizes reading of simple literary texts, expository writing and composition, formal conversation, grammar, and syntax. It involves intensive vocabulary building in preparation for advanced reading and comprehension of standard literary texts.
Intermediate Modern Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
The sequence begins in the fall. This course emphasizes reading of simple literary texts, expository writing and composition, formal conversation, grammar, and syntax. It involves intensive vocabulary building in preparation for advanced reading and comprehension of standard literary texts.
Intermediate Modern Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course is designed to promote advanced literacy skills in students with different levels of spoken Persian but little or no reading and writing skills in the language. This course will prepare students to take advanced literature courses in the Persian language.
Persian Reading and Composition: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Emphasis on intensive vocabulary building, comprehensive grammar review, reading and analysis of short literary texts of various genres from classical and modern periods, and reading newspaper clips and other original sources in Persian media.
Advanced Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Emphasis on intensive vocabulary building, comprehensive grammar review, reading and analysis of short literary texts of various genres from classical and modern periods, and reading newspaper clips and other original sources in Persian media.

Advanced Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2013, Fall 2012
Readings in both prose and poetry, drawn chiefly from classical and modern Persian literature, designed to increase reading skills and vocabulary and to provide a transition to the study of more challenging literary texts.
Readings in Persian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012
Readings in both prose and poetry, drawn chiefly from classical and modern Persian literature, designed to increase reading skills and vocabulary and to provide a transition to the study of more challenging literary texts.
Readings in Persian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Spring 2019, Fall 2016
Systematic study of representative selections from all periods of classical Persian literature, with attention to the historical and intellectual context.
Readings in Classical Persian Prose: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2008, Spring 2006
Systematic study of representative selections from all periods of classical Persian literature, with attention to the historical and intellectual context.
Readings in Classical Persian Prose: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Systematic study of poems belonging to all genres of classical Persian poetry, with consideration of questions of prosody, rhetoric, and style.
Classical Persian Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2020, Spring 2018
Systematic study of poems belonging to all genres of classical Persian poetry, with consideration of questions of prosody, rhetoric, and style.
Classical Persian Poetry: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Summer 1996 10 Week Session
This course will deal with significant works of Persian prose and poetry from the beginning of the 19th century down to the present. Complete works or extracts from them will be read in the original as a preliminary to their analysis in terms of literary and stylistic development, as well as the changing role of literature in society. The works of the 19th century and the period of the Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911).
Contemporary Persian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2022, Spring 2017, Spring 2013
This course will deal with significant works of Persian prose and poetry from the beginning of the 19th century down to the present. Complete works or extracts from them will be read in the original as a preliminary to their analysis in terms of literary and stylistic development, as well as the changing role of literature in society. The literature of the rest of the 20th century.
Contemporary Persian Literature: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2015, Spring 2010
This course deals with modern/contemporary critical theory, literary history, aesthetics and philosophy, and various theories of literary and cultural criticism in Persian. It concentrates on selected modern analytical, discursive, and expository texts in Persian. The course explores, from an inter- and multi-disciplinary perspective, how different movements, genres, and rhetorical aspects of modern/contemporary literature and culture have been perceived, historically contextualized, and critically positioned within the larger intellectual and scholarly domain in Persian. All texts will be read in the original Persian.
Modern Analytical Prose in Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
A year or more of advanced level Persian with emphasis on advanced grammar and vocabulary build up. Newspaper clippings, film reviews and cultural awareness through introduction of literature will be covered.
Intensive Intermediate Persian: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Directed study centered upon preparation of an honors thesis.
Senior Honors: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Instruction in areas not covered by regularly scheduled courses.
Directed Group Study for Upper Division Students: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2003, Fall 2002
Enrollment is restricted by regulations shown in the .
Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2013
Biblical and Ancient Aramaic, including study of the Aramaic parts of Daniel and Ezra and the inscriptions and papyri from Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire. Sequence begins Fall.
Aramaic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2014
Biblical and Ancient Aramaic, including study of the Aramaic parts of Daniel and Ezra and the inscriptions and papyri from Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Persian Empire. Sequence begins Fall.
Aramaic: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
This introductory course will cover both the study of the classical Syriac language and a more general introduction to Syriac literature in all its diversity, with particular emphasis on East Syriac. Syriac is both an ancient tongue that can help us access older Christian histories as well as a living language within the liturgy of current Christian communities, such as the Assyrians. For some communities, Syriac is close to the living vernacular language. Undergraduate students will read Christian narratives developed in the Middle East from as far back as 1600 years ago.
Syriac: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Sequence begins Fall.
Elementary Modern Turkish: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023
Sequence begins Fall.
Elementary Modern Turkish: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Summer 1997 10 Week Session, Summer 1995 10 Week Session
This course is equivalent to a full year of elementary Turkish. It will train students in the four language skills speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing. It will be taught with an interactional approach, aiming at communicative competence.
Elementary Turkish: Read More [+]

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2020
Sequence begins Fall.
Intermediate Modern Turkish: Read More [+]