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ARAB 20211/30211 Poetry and Empire: Readings in Abbasid Arabic Poetry

(CMLT 20211, CMLT 30211, ISLM 36211)
Arabic poetry has been a major force in Middle Eastern societies since the seventh century when it became the elite culture of the Arabo-Islamic empire until today. This course focuses on poetry from the “Golden Age of Islam” during the Abbasid period and especially on three famous poets: Abū Nuwās (d. 814), al-Mutanabbī (d. 965), and al-Maʿarrī (d. 1057).
While the emphasis will be on close reading of their poems (in Arabic), we will also discuss broader questions: How does this poetry reflect the vast and quickly evolving world of the Islamic empire? How does it relate to its societies, political structures, and religious institutions?
Ideally, students with 3 years of Arabic (or equivalent) would take this class. If you have less and have a good reason to take it, please contact the instructor.
Prerequisites

3 years of Arabic (or equivalent), contact instructor with questions

Pamela Klasova
2025-2026 Autumn

NEHC 20201/30201 Islamicate Civilization I: 600 - 950

(HIST 15611, HIST 35621, ISLM 30201, MDVL 20201, RLST 20201)
This course is an introduction to the history and the study of early Islamicate societies, from the rise of Islam in late antiquity to the early Abbasid period (ca. 600-950 CE), considering various religious and social groups. We will look at the same historical arc from multiple perspectives: political events, such as the Muslim conquests and the rise of ruling dynasties, but also other factors that impacted people’s lives in the early centuries of Islamic rule—the environment they inhabited and transformed, documents they created, social institutions, and economic activities. What broad developments characterized the early Islamic period? Who brought those changes about? And how are they studied today?
Pamela Klasova
2025-2026 Autumn

HEBR 20104 Intermediate Classical Hebrew I

(JWSC 22300)
Review basic Hebrew grammar, emphasis on morphology and basic syntax - Review/acquire historical morphology - Acquire facility in reading Biblical Hebrew prose
Prerequisites

HEBR 10103 or equivalent

Dennis G. Pardee
2025-2026 Autumn

HEBR 20501 Intermediate Modern Hebrew

(JWSC 25300)
The course, which builds upon Introductory Modern Hebrew, focuses on the acquisition of proficiency and communicative skills in Modern Hebrew.
The purpose of this class is to expand and strengthen beginners' Hebrew skills so that they become more self-assured, communicative, and versatile when they listen to, read, speak, and write Hebrew. It emphasizes both communicative and cultural themes and focuses on developing a rich and active vocabulary in several language domains.
Prerequisites

HEBR 10503 or equivalent

Ariela Almog
2025-2026 Autumn

HEBR 10501 Introductory Modern Hebrew I

(JWSC 25000)
The beginner’s course is the first of three sequential courses offered to students at the university. The course aims to introduce students to reading, writing and speaking Modern Hebrew. Toward that end, all four-language skills are emphasized: comprehension of written and oral materials; reading of non-diacritical text; writing of directed sentences, paragraphs, and compositions; speaking. You will learn the Hebrew root pattern system, and by the end of the year you will have mastered the five (active) basic verb conjugations in both the past and present tenses (as well as simple future). This grammatical knowledge is complemented by an 800+ word vocabulary, which is presented with an eye toward the major syntactic structures, including the proper use of prepositions. At the end of the year, you will conduct short conversations in Hebrew; read materials designed to this level and write short compositions.
Ariela Almog
2025-2026 Autumn

NEHC 20692/30692 Armenian History through Art and Culture

(ARCH 20692, ARTH 20692, HIST 25711)
Who are the Armenians and where do they come from? What is the cultural contribution of Armenians to their neighbors and overall world heritage? This crash-course will try to answer these and many other similar questions while surveying Armenian history and elements of culture (mythology, religion, manuscript illumination, art, architecture, etc.). It also will discuss transformations of Armenian identity and symbols of 'Armenianness' through time, based on such elements of national identity as language, religion, art, or shared history. Due to the greatest artistic quality and the transcultural nature of its monuments and artifacts, Armenia has much to offer in the field of art history, especially when we think about global transculturation and appropriation among cultures as a result of peoples’ movements and contacts. The course is recommended for students with interest in Armenian studies or related fields, in area or civilizations studies, art and cultural studies, etc.
Hripsime Haroutunian
Autumn

ARME 20101 Intermediate Modern Armenian I

The course is aiming to enable students to reach a reasonable level of proficiency in the Armenian language. The curriculum is heavily based on real life situations. Each class session includes a healthy balance of real-life like conversations (shopping, placing an order in a restaurant, asking directions, talking with natives, getting around in the city, banking, etc.), readings (dialogues, jokes, stories, news, etc.) and writings (essays on selected topics, filling forms, etc.). The students can also communicate in Armenian well beyond basic needs about daily life and obtain some level of fluency in their professional interests. This sequence covers a wider-range vocabulary and more complex grammatical structures in modern formal and colloquial Armenian. Reading assignments also include a selection of simple original Armenian literature.
A considerable amount of historical-political and social-cultural issues about Armenia are skillfully built into the course for students who have intention to conduct research in Armenian Studies or related fields, or to pursue work in Armenia.
Prerequisites

ARME 10103 or equivalent

Hripsime Haroutunian
2025-2026 Autumn

ARME 10101 Elementary Modern Armenian I

This first course in the three-quarter sequence focuses on the acquisition of basic speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in modern formal and spoken Armenian. The course utilizes the most advanced computer technology and audio-visual aids enabling students to master the alphabet, a core vocabulary, and some basic grammatical structures in order to communicate their basic survivor’s needs in Armenian, understand simple texts and to achieve a minimal level of proficiency in modern formal and spoken Armenian.
A considerable amount of historical-political and social-cultural issues about Armenia are skillfully built into the course for students who have intention to conduct research in Armenian Studies or related fields, to visit or to pursue work in Armenia. A language competency exam is offered at the end of spring quarter for those taking this course as college language requirement.
Hripsime Haroutunian
2025-2026 Autumn

AKKD 10502 Intro to Babylonian II

This course is the second quarter of the annual introductory sequence to the Babylonian language and the Cuneiform script. Students will further explore the grammar of Babylonian in its Old Babylonian dialect (19th-16th c. BCE) and read ancient inscriptions (especially the Laws of Hammu-rabi) in the Old Babylonian monumental script. They will also be introduced to the Old Babylonian cursive used in letters and the documents of everyday life.

Prerequisites

AKKD 10501 or equivalent

Christian Borgen
2024-2025 Winter

AKKD 10503 Introduction to Babylonian III

This course is the third quarter of the annual introductory sequence to the Babylonian language and the Cuneiform script. After covering the grammar in the first two quarters, students will further their mastering of the Classical and Late Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian and the associated monumental and cursive scripts by reading through a varieties of text genres: Letters, Royal Inscriptions, Legal Texts, and excerpts of Literature. 

Prerequisites

AKKD 10502 or equivalent

Martha Roth
2024-2025 Spring
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