Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies Course Descriptions

Fall, spring. Introduction to the history, geography, and religions of the Middle East from ancient to modern times, focusing on how this history helped shape the Middle East of today. Satisfies GER V.C.2. Required of all Middle East studies majors.

This course is a multidisciplinary introduction to the civilizations of South Asia, including an overview of the history and historiography of the region from its prehistory to the present.

(Same as Jewish Studies 120.) This course is an introduction to the institutions and folklore of the ethnic communities in modern Israeli society and culture. In English; no knowledge of Hebrew required.

(Same as Jewish Studies 125.) Readings (in English) of major works from Biblical narrative to modern Hebrew, Yiddish, and Jewish fiction. Class discussions deal with topics such as Jewish identity, exile, humor, and satire. Satisfies GER IV.A.

(Same as Asian Studies 130.) This course traces the place of women, men, and children in Islamic societies and examines gender perspectives in the writing of Islamic history via the site of the harem.

This course examines the culture of Ancient Egypt and the process by which European societies "discovered" and uncovered that culture. Topics include the history, religion, and artistic traditions of Ancient Egypt, as well as the hieroglyphic writing system.

This course sets the story of the cultures and religions of ancient Iraq, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, within the cultural and historical matricies in which they developed.

(Same as Religion 150.) Comparative study of sacred texts in two or more religious traditions; textual authority, canons, primary and secondary texts, types of texts, and the function of sacred texts in religious communities. Satisfies GER IV.A. and V.C.2.

Exclusively for first-year students. Seminar provides introduction to various historical, religious, cultural, and linguistic aspects of the Middle East. Topics vary.

Exploration of themes such as identity, community, religion, and politics in the Middle East from ancient to modern times. Readings include historical and literary texts by various Middle Eastern authors. Required of all Middle East studies majors.

Middle Eastern literature in translation. An introduction to the literary traditions of the Middle East in English translation, exploring common theories, comparative approaches, and more. A discussion based course that fulfills the writing requirements.

This course takes an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to the national cinemas of Turkey, Egypt, India, Israel and Iran. It investigates how the various national film industries represent and encode questions of national identity, politics, and society.

This course introduces students to the main elements of Arab Culture and to the various aspects of social life in the modern Arab World. In English; no knowledge of Arabic required.

An introduction to the main trends and works of Arabic literature in the twentieth century. No knowledge of Arabic required.

(Same as Religion 272/Jewish Studies 220.) Fall. Readings in translation of Eastern European and Israeli authors, focusing on short fiction by Nachman of Bratslav, Abramovitsh, Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, Agnon, Appelfeld, Amichai, and Yehoshua. In English.

(Same as Religion 260/Jewish Studies 250.) Fall. A careful examination of theory and methodology related to this branch of archaeology with special emphasis on famous discoveries, important sites, and the archaeological/historical background of Biblical events. Satisfies GER V.C.1.

(Same as Religion 251WR/Jewish Studies 251WR.) Spring. Everyday life in ancient Israel (1200-586 BCE), including the economy, religion and cult, city planning, the Israelite kitchen, burials, status of women, and more.

(Same as Jewish Studies 252WR.) Spring. A survey of the history of Jerusalem from its earliest times to the Crusader period through examination of archaeological remains and other ancient sources.

(Same as Religion 261R/Jewish Studies 259R.) Summer. Excavations in the Middle East, especially with the Summer Abroad Program affiliated with the Lahav Research Project at Tell Halif.

This course introduces students to anthropological perspectives on the peoples and cultures of the Middle East (including North Africa). The purpose is to familiarize students with the cultural richness and diversity of this region.

Two major epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, have had a long and sustained history in the development of civilizational values in South Asia. This course critically examines the role these epics have played in shaping South Asian civilizations, with a primary focus on literature and religion

Explores various issues concerning Arab women through analysis of literary, documentary, critical, and film texts representing a wide range of social strata, genres, and points of view.

(Same as Religion 361.) This course is an historical survey of Sufism.

(Same as Religion 315WR.) The Quran in translation, from historical and literary perspectives, looking at its use in Islam, its language, stylistics, modes of narrative, and its relationship to Jewish, Christian, and Arabian traditions.

(Same as Religion 316.) This course is a survey of the major issues in the history, religion, culture, and civilization of the Islamic world, from its beginnings to the present.

(Same as Religion 317.) This class analyzes Islam in modern history and focuses on religious responses to major events. Issues may include secularism and post- Enlightenment modernism, reform movements, and Islamic liberalism.

(Same as Religion 318WR.) This introduction to Islamic law draws on primary texts in translation from both the medieval and modern periods. Examines controversial issues including jihad, blasphemy, drugs (coffee, tobacco, hashish, opium), the status of women, and the status of religious minorities, both Muslim and non-Muslim.

(Same as Jewish Studies 320.) This course investigates Jewish culture and society in the Middle East, with special emphasis on the modern period. The approach is interdisciplinary (history, ethnography, religious study, and linguistics).

(Same as Jewish Studies 325.) Summer. This course explores the nature of Israeli society, culture, and land, on location. Summer only; in Israel. In English. No knowledge of Hebrew required.

(Same as Jewish Studies 326/Linguistics 326.) A course dealing with the history and structure of Judaic languages such as Hebrew, Yiddish, Judeo-Arabic, and Ladino.

(Same as Linguistics 325.) This course examines the emergence of modern languages in South Asia, the development of multilingualism, and the use of different languages in different social and cultural settings in this multilayered, multilingual, mobile environment.

This course will explore the literatures of identity and belonging in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It will cover Modern Hebrew literature authored by Jewish-Israeli writers and literature produced by Arab Palestinians in Israel, the Occupied Territories and the Palestinian Diaspora.

This course explores the cultures of Anatolia through the art, architecture, and material remains uncovered over the past century of archaeological exploration. Topics include archaeological field method, early contacts with and influences on Greek civilization, the Anatolian mother goddess, and burial practices.

This course examines the role and practice of magic in the ancient Mediterranean world from the earliest civilizations through the Roman period. Topics include practitioners, magical techniques, possession, necromancy, human sacrifice, spells, rituals, curses, and miracles.

This course is an introduction to Ancient Near Eastern writing systems, including cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and the alphabet, their decipherment, and their influence on later writing systems.

This course surveys major categories of artifacts from the pre-modern Middle East and explores the ways in which these are used in historical interpretations of the societies that produced them. Architecture, ceramics, textiles, coins, and the arts of the book will be examined to reveal their economic, social, cultural, and ideological context and content.

This seminar explores the mechanisms and ramifications of overseas trade and travel in the Middle East and South Asia from antiquity to the seventeenth-century C.E.

Using Edward W. Said's Orientalism as a point of departure, this courses examines the politics and aesthetics of representation in South Asian and Middle Eastern literatures.

Survey of the history, cultures, and religions of Afghanistan and Central Asia including Tibet from antiquity to modern times. Topics will include the Silk Road, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic cultures of the religion, and medieval, colonial, and modern history and politics

May be repeated when content varies.

(Same as Jewish Studies 375.) Seminar on special issues in Jewish writing. May be repeated for credit when topics varies.

(Same as Jewish Studies 397.) Summer. Individual research on a chosen topic in Israeli or Holy Land studies.

(Same as Religion 414.) This course is an introduction to Shiite Islam, including a historical survey with particular attention to the Twelver and Ismaili traditions, showing how Shiism has shaped Islamic history in general.

(Same as Religion 415WR.) This course focuses on intellectual history between 800 and 1000, primarily in the city of Baghdad, then the intellectual capital of the Islamic world. Through close reading, comparison of texts, and expository writing, students explore translation, genre, patronage, and their relation to the organization, transmission, and advancement of knowledge.

(Same as Jewish Studies 420R.) This course introduces students to Judeo-Arabic, the language of the Jews in Arab lands, through the study of Judeo-Arabic texts from various periods and places.

(Same as Asian Studies 430S.) This course uses feminist theoretical reading strategies to ask what we can learn about notions of gender and sexuality in Islamic cultures, thereby surveying changes in these concepts historically.

This seminar examines these two themes in the books of Exodus, Joshua, and Judges and then compares the biblical accounts with the archaeological record and extra-biblical materials from surrounding cultures.

This course examines the neighbors of ancient Israel and their influence on Israel's history, culture and economy, using biblical, extrabiblical, and archaeological sources.

(Same as Jewish Studies 475R.) Among the topics studied are the patriarchs and the patriarchal period, the exodus and the settlement of Canaan, and the Israelite monarchy.

Examines various methodological approaches and issues arising from the study of the Middle East. Students complete a variety of individual and group research projects, as well as weekly response papers to the readings. Required of all Middle Eastern studies majors; fulfills the senior seminar requirement.

On demand. Applied learning in supervised work experience, utilizing skills related to Middle Eastern studies. Students are required to write a major research paper or the equivalent.

Prerequisite: approval of Middle Eastern studies program adviser. Open to candidates for honors in their senior year. May be repeated for a maximum of eight hours of credit.

Prerequisite: approval of MESAS curriculum committee. Studies of various topics in Middle Eastern studies.