Autumn

NEHC 20004 Ancient Near Eastern Thought and Literature I: Mesopotamian Literature

(SOSC 20004)
This course gives an overview of the richness of Mesopotamian Literature (modern Iraq) written in the 3rd-1st millennium BC. We will read myths and epics written on clay tablets in the Sumerian and Akkadian language in English translation and discuss content and style, but also the religious, cultural and historic implications. Particular focus will be on the development of stories over time, the historical context of the literature, and mythological figures. The texts treated cover not only the famous Epic of Gilgamesh, but also various legends of Sumerian and Akkadian kings, stories about Creation and World Order, and destruction. The topics covered range from the quest for immortality, epic heroes and monsters, sexuality and love.
Susanne Paulus
2025-2026 Autumn

AKKD 10501 Introduction to Babylonian I

Introduction to the grammar of Akkadian, specifically to the Old Babylonian dialect. The class covers the first half of the Old Babylonian grammar, an introduction to the cuneiform script, and easy translation exercises.
Susanne Paulus
2025-2026 Autumn

AANL 30301 Hittite-Akkadian Translations

The royal chancellery of the Hittite state employed the Hittite language for internal purposes, but Akkadian remained an important language of education and international diplomacy. In this class we will read texts that are attested in both Akkadian and Hittite. These will include historical texts and treaties that were composed in Boğazköy Akkadian as well as examples of Mesopotamian literature that were translated into Hittite. This class is intended for students who have experience with both Hittite and Akkadian, although students who are familiar with only one of these languages are also welcome to enroll.
Timothy D. Leonard
2025-2026 Autumn

NEHC 20018 Ancient Empires: The Arabs and Arabia on the edge of empire

(HIST 25604)
This course will explore the development of the Arabian Peninsula and Arab identity from the earliest times to shortly after the rise of Islam. Using mainly archaeological evidence, but considering also epigraphic, textual, and linguistic evidence, it will examine a range of case studies chosen to provide an overview of regional developments from the Bronze Age to the Late Antique period. A key text will be Hoyland's (2001) Arabia and the Arabs; from the Bronze Age to the coming of Islam, which will be brought up to date through examination of recent archaeological and epigraphic evidence. The course will also examine the way in which the empires and powers surrounding Arabia (eg Mesopotamia, the Indus, Rome/Byzantium, the Persian empires) affected the development of this relatively marginal (in economic terms) region, leading to the rise of Islamic/Arab empire in the 7th century.
Derek Kennet
2025-2026 Autumn

EGPT 20101 Middle Egyptian Texts II

Second quarter reading course of ME texts
Prerequisites

EGPT 10101-10102-10103 or consent of instructor

Brian Muhs
2025-2026 Autumn

NEHC 20200/30200 Ancient Egyptian History

This course surveys the political, social, and economic history of ancient Egypt from pre-dynastic times (ca. 3400 B.C.) until the advent of Islam in the seventh century of our era.
Brian Muhs
2025-2026 Autumn

PERS 20105/30105 Wit and Wisdom in Persian Quatrains: Omar Khayyam, Mahsati, 'Attar, and Others

In this course, students will learn to read, understand, and recite Persian quatrains (roba’iyat): short, two-line poems that often end with a witty “punchline,” funny or profound. We will explore quatrains attributed to several figures including Omar Khayyam, the 12th-century philosopher; ‘Attar, the 13th-century Sufi poet; and Mahsati, one of the best-known female poets in the canon and a member of Sultan Sanjar’s mid-12th-century court. Special attention will be paid to the various oral and textual means of these poems’ transmission, including anthologies and compilations. To contextualize these verses, we will analyze selections from Persian rhetorical writings, histories, and hagiographies that shed light on the quatrain’s meter, origin, and function within various courtly, intellectual, and religious settings. In addition to Persian-language primary sources, the course includes secondary source readings in Persian and English, but the language of class discussion will be English. One year of prior Persian-language study (or equivalent) is required and two years are recommended.
Prerequisites

One year of Persian language study (two recommended)

Austin O'Malley
2025-2026 Autumn

NEHC 20601 Islamic Thought and Literature I

(HIST 25610, MDVL 20601, RLST 20401, SOSC 22000)
In the first quarter of Islamic Thought and Literature, students will explore the intellectual and cultural history of the Islamic world in its various political and social contexts. Chronologically, the course begins with emergence of Islam in the 7th century CE and continues through the Mongol conquests until the rise of the “gunpowder empires” circa 1500. Students will leave the course with a historical and geographical framework for understanding the history of the Middle East and a familiarity with the major forms of premodern Islamic cultural production (e.g., history-writing, scriptural exegesis, poetry, philosophy, jurisprudence, etc.). Students will also develop the skills and contextual knowledge necessary for analyzing these sources in English translation; they will thus come to appreciate premodern Islamic cultural products on their own terms while engaging in the collective work of historical interpretation. No prior background in the subject is required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.
Austin O'Malley
2025-2026 Autumn

PERS 20101 Intermediate Persian I

This sequence deepens and expands the students' knowledge of modern Persian. The goal is to enable the students to gain proficiency in all skills of language acquisition at a higher level. In this sequence, the students learn more complex grammatical structures and gain wider vocabulary through reading paragraph-length texts on a variety of topics related to Persian language, literature, and culture. Students will also be familiarized with Persian news and media terminology. Class meets four hours a week with the instructor and one hour with a native informant who conducts grammatical drills and Persian conversation.
Prerequisites

PERS 10103 or consent of instructor

Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi
2025-2026 Autumn

PERS 10101 Elementary Persian I

This course is designed for complete beginners and teaches students to pronounce, read and write standard Persian, as well as some Iranian colloquial dialect. It includes an introduction to the alphabet, pronunciation patterns, greetings, basic structures, and other fundamentals. Students who have exposure to other Middle Eastern or South Asian languages, but have not formally studied Persian before, should enroll in this course. By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate in Persian at a Novice-Mid level according to the ACTFL National Standards. They should be able to read and compose basic texts in formal Persian relating to themselves and their everyday lives, and handle basic ‘survival’ scenarios that have been covered in class.
Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi
2025-2026 Autumn
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