Near Eastern Languages

and Civilizations

Chairman of Undergraduate Studies: Gene B. Gragg, Or 316, 702-9511 Departmental Secretary: Or 212, 702-9512

Program of Study

The programs for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations are as varied as the wide subject matter they embrace. In consultation with their advisers, students can work out a program that meets their cultural interests and provides a sound basis for graduate work. The areas of specialization that can be advised include:

Arabic and Islam (including Turkish and Persian)

Archaeology and Art of the Ancient Near East

Assyriology

Egyptian Languages and Civilization

Hebrew Language and Civilization

Near Eastern Jewish Studies

Program Requirements

Twelve courses are required in the area of specialization. All students must take one of the sequences that introduce the special fields.

Hum 200-201-202. Judaic Civilization I, II, III

MdvJSt 380-381-382. Medieval Jewish History I, II, III

NEHist 201-202-203. History of the Ancient Near East I, II, III

NEHist 211-212-213. Near Eastern Civilization I, II, III

SocSci 220-221-222. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I, II, III

Normally, students should take two year long sequences in one of the Near Eastern languages (for example, Akkadian, Arabic, Egyptian, or Hebrew). The rest of the course program, including other language arrangements, should be planned in light of special interests and needs. Students planning to do advanced work in Near Eastern studies are strongly encouraged to develop a reading knowledge of German and French. Students should consult the chairman of undergraduate studies for approval of the program.

Summary of Requirements

General 3 quarters of a civilization sequence

Education 3 quarters of a modern foreign language

Concentration 6 two years of a Near Eastern language (usually required)

3 quarters of a Near Eastern civilization sequence

3 courses related to the Near East

12

Grading. The program in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations uses letter grading only. No P/N or P/F grading is allowed. Students intending to work for an advanced degree should maintain at least a B average in the field of specialization.

Honors Program. An honors program is open, upon application before the end of the third year, to superior students with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better who wish to develop an extended piece of research through a senior honors paper under the supervision of a faculty member. One or two quarters of Near Eastern History 290, which can be counted toward concentration requirements, may be devoted to preparing the senior honors paper. For a student to be recommended for honors, the paper must first be recommended by the faculty member who supervised the work. The completed paper must be submitted to the chairman of undergraduate studies no later than the fifth week of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate.

Faculty

ROBERT D. BIGGS, Professor, Oriental Institute and Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

MENACHEM BRINKER, Henry Crown Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

JOHN A. BRINKMAN, Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

MIGUEL CIVIL, Professor, Departments of Linguistics and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

ROBERT DANKOFF, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

FRED M. DONNER, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Oriental Institute, and the College

PETER F. DORMAN, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

WALTER FARBER, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Oriental Institute, and the College

ARIELA FINKELSTEIN, Senior Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

CORNELL FLEISCHER, Professor, Departments of History and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations; Director, Center for Middle Eastern Studies

MCGUIRE GIBSON, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

NORMAN GOLB, Ludwig Rosenberger Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Oriental Institute, and the College

GENE B. GRAGG, Professor, Departments of Linguistics and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Oriental Institute, and the College

LI GUO, Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

HARRY A. HOFFNER, John A. Wilson Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

JANET H. JOHNSON, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

WADAD KADI, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations; Chairman, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

GÜNIZI KARTAL, Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

RASHID KHALIDI, Professor, Departments of History and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations; Director, Center for International Affairs

MARK LEHNER, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

FRANKLIN LEWIS, Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

HESHMAT MOAYYAD, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

FAROUK MUSTAFA, Professorial Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

DENNIS G. PARDEE, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

JOHN R. PERRY, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

ROBERT RITNER, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

MARTHA T. ROTH, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Oriental Institute, Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World, and Committee on Jewish Studies

DAVID SCHLOEN, Assistant Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

MATTHEW W. STOLPER, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

WILLIAM M. SUMNER, Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute; Director, Oriental Institute

JOHN E. WOODS, Professor, Departments of History and Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and the College

ASLIHAN K. YENER, Associate Professor, Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations and Oriental Institute

Courses

Akkadian

283. Mesopotamian Literature in Translation. This course surveys a range of Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian literature, including the great epic cycles such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Creation Epic, and less well-known incanations, poetry, fables, and wisdom literature. M. Roth. Spring.

301-302-303. Elementary Akkadian I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This is a three-quarter sequence covering the elements of Babylonian grammar and the cuneiform writing system, with reading exercises in Old Babylonian texts (ca. 1900 to 1600 B.C.), such as the Laws of Hammurabi. W. Farber. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Arabic and Islam

201-202-203. Intensive Elementary Arabic I, II, III. PQ: Second-year standing. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This course sequence concentrates on the acquisition of reading and aural skills in modern formal Arabic. The class meets for six hours a week. L. Guo. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

304-305-306. Intermediate Arabic I, II, III. PQ: Arab/I 203 or equivalent. L. Guo. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Armenian Studies

A course or courses in Armenian Studies are usually offered each year. Although specific courses change yearly, topics have included Armenian art and architecture, history, and linguistics. This program is made possible through the United Armenian Cultural Association/The Ara and Edna Dumanian Foundation Endowment Fund.

Egyptology

201-202. Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs. PQ: Second-year standing. This course sequence, together with Egypt 203, fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This course examines hieroglyphic writing and the grammar of the language of classical Egyptian literature. Staff. Autumn, Winter.

203-211. Middle Egyptian Texts I, II. Egypt 203, together with Egypt 201-202, fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This course features readings in a variety of genres, including historical, literary, and scientific texts. Staff. Autumn, Spring.

212. Hieratic. Staff. Winter.

213. Old Egyptian. Staff. Spring.

221. Introduction to Coptic. PQ: Knowledge of earlier Egyptian language phases or of Classical or Koine Greek helpful but not required. The course provides an introduction to the last native language of Egypt, in common use during the Roman, Byzantine, and Medieval Islamic periods (fourth to tenth centuries C.E.). Grammar and vocabulary of the standard Sahidic Dialect are presented in preparation for reading biblical, monastic, and Gnostic literature, as well as a variety of historical and social documents. Staff. Autumn.

222. Coptic Texts. Staff. Winter.

223. Introduction to Late Egyptian. Staff. Spring.

Hebrew

201-202-203. Introductory Modern Hebrew I, II, III (=Hebrew 201-202-203, JewStd 250-251-252, LngLin 201-202-203). This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This course introduces students to reading, writing, and speaking modern Hebrew. All four language skills are emphasized: comprehension of written and oral materials; reading of nondiacritical text; writing of directed sentences, paragraphs, and compositions; and speaking. Students learn the Hebrew root pattern system and the seven basic verb conjugations in both the past and present tenses, as well as simple future. At the end of the year, students can conduct short conversations in Hebrew, read materials designed to their level, and write short essays. A. Finkelstein. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

204-205-206. Intermediate Modern Hebrew I, II, III (=Hebrew 204-205-206, JewStd 253-254-255, LngLin 204-205-206). The course is devised for students who had previously taken either modern or biblical Hebrew courses. The main objective is to provide students with the skills necessary to approach modern Hebrew prose, both fiction and nonfiction. In order to achieve this task, students are provided with a systematic examination of the complete verb structure. Many syntactic structures are introduced, including simple clauses, and coordinate and compound sentences. At this level, students not only write and speak extensively, but are also required to analyze grammatically and contextually all of the material assigned. A. Finkelstein. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

215-216. Hebrew Poetry and Narrative Art: The Bible to the Present I, II. In the first quarter, discussion centers on recent theories of the biblical text, biblical poetry, and biblical narrative art, in addition to the nature of midrashic narrative and its intertextual ties to the Bible. In the second quarter, discussion focuses on the rise of secular Hebrew poetry in Spain, France, and Italy, its genres and aesthetics, and the main themes of modern Hebrew literature up to the Israeli period. M. Brinker. Autumn, Winter.

230-231-232. Advanced Modern Hebrew I, II, III (=Hebrew 230-231-232, JewStd 256-257-258). This course assumes that students have full mastery of the grammatical and lexical content at the intermediate level. However, there is a shift from a reliance on the cognitive approach to an emphasis on the expansion of various grammatical and vocabulary-related subjects. Students are introduced to sophisticated and more complex syntactic constructions, and instructed how to transform simple sentences into more complicated ones. The exercises address the creative effort on the part of the student, and the reading segments are longer and more challenging in both style and content. The language of the texts reflects the literary written medium rather than the more informal spoken style, which often dominates the introductory and intermediate texts. A. Finkelstein. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

249. Contemporary Israeli Poetry. PQ: Knowledge of Hebrew not required. D. Fishelov. Spring.

250-251-252. Elementary Classical Hebrew I, II, III (=Hebrew 250-251-252, JewStd 220-221-222). This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. D. Pardee. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

253-254-255. Intermediate Classical Hebrew I, II, III (=Hebrew 253-254-255, JewStd 223-224-225). D. Pardee. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Hittite

320-321-322. Elementary Hittite I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. H. Hoffner. Not offered 1997-98; will be offered 1998-99.

323-324-325. Intermediate Hittite I, II, III. H. Hoffner. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

326-327-328. Advanced Hittite I, II, III. H. Hoffner. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Medieval Jewish Studies

380-381-382. Medieval Jewish History I, II, III (=Hum 230-231-232, MdvJSt 380-381-382). PQ: Consent of instructor. This three-quarter sequence deals with the history of the Jews over a wide geographical and historical range. First-quarter work is concerned with the rise of early rabbinic Judaism and development of the Jewish community in Palestine and the eastern and western diasporas during the first several centuries C.E. Topics include the legal status of the Jews in the Roman world, the rise of rabbinic Judaism, the rabbinic literature of Palestine in that context, the spread of rabbinic Judaism, the rise and decline of competing centers of Jewish hegemony, the introduction of Hebrew language and culture beyond the confines of their original home, and the impact of the birth of Islam on the political and cultural status of the Jews. An attempt is made to evaluate the main characteristics of Jewish belief and social concepts in the formative periods of Judaism as it developed beyond its original geographical boundaries. Second-quarter work is concerned with the Jews under Islam, both in Eastern and Western Caliphates. Third-quarter work is concerned with the Jews of Western Europe until the time of the first crusade. N. Golb. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Near Eastern Archaeology

201-202-203. Art and Archaeology of the Near East I, II, III. These courses present the archaeological sequences in the Near East from the Paleolithic period through the Islamic period. The archaeologies of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, and Egypt are covered. Staff. Not offered 1997-98; will be offered 1998-99.

235. Introduction to Islamic Archaeology. This course surveys the region of the fertile crescent from the ninth to the nineteenth century. We aim for a comparative stratigraphy for the archaeological periods of the last millennium. The primary focus is on the consideration of the historical archaeology of the Islamic lands, the interaction of history and archaeology, and the study of patterns of cultural interaction over this region, which may also amplify understanding of the ancient archaeological periods of the Near East. D. Whitcomb. Autumn.

237. Late Levant: Islamic Archaeology of Syria and Palestine. This course is an exploration of the cultural patterns in the Levant from the late Byzantine period down to modern times, a span of some 1500 years. While the subject matter is archaeological sites of this period in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel, the focus is on the role of medieval archaeology in amplifying the history of economic and social systems. It is this connective quality of Islamic archaeology that contributes to an understanding of the earlier history and archaeology of this region. D. Whitcomb. Winter.

Near Eastern Civilizations

211-212-213. Near Eastern Civilization I, II, III: Society, Religion, and Literature. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This sequence introduces students to central aspects of Near Eastern civilization through the examination of textual and archaeological evidence from key regions and periods. Staff. Not offered 1997-98; will be offered 1998-99.

220-221-222. Introduction to Islamic Civilization I, II, III (=NECiv 220-221-222, SocSci 220-221-222). This course surveys the religious, political, and cultural institutions of Islam, both in their historical development and in their contemporary significance. Each of the three quarters focuses on one of these aspects. In the first quarter we discuss Islamic religious institutions and thought, including Qur'an and its exegesis; law, theology, and mysticism; sectarian divisions; and modern reform movements. In the second quarter we study the political and social institutions of the Islamic world, ranging from Africa to Central Asia and from Indonesia to the Balkans, but concentrating on the major polities of the central region, the Middle East, in their historical evolution. In the third quarter we survey oral, literary, and artistic expression in Islamic cultures; we read in translation excerpts from Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literatures, and we examine monuments of the visual arts. R. Dankoff, J. Perry. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Near Eastern History

201-202-203. History of the Ancient Near East I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. This sequence surveys the history of the ancient Near East from the earliest periods to the death of Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). Areas covered include Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, Iran, and Egypt. J. Brinkman. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

286-287-288. History of the Islamic Middle East: 600 to the Present (=Hist 257-258-259/357-358-359, NEHist 286-287-288). May be taken in sequence or individually. This course is a survey of the main trends in the political history of the Middle (Near) East, including North Africa, Central Asia, and North India, with some attention given to currents in economic, social, and cultural history. The autumn quarter covers ca. 600 to 1000 C.E., including the rise and spread of Islam, the age of the imperial caliphate, and the beginnings of regionalism. The winter quarter covers the "middle periods," ca. 1000 to 1700 C.E., including the arrival of the Steppe Peoples (Turks and Mongols), the Mongol successor states, and the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, and the foundation of the great Islamic regional empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Moghuls. The spring quarter surveys developments in the central regions since 1700, including such topics as Western military, economic, and ideological encroachment; the impact of such ideas as nationalism and liberalism; and the emergence of the "modern" Middle East. F. Donner, Autumn; J. Woods, Winter; R. Khalidi, Spring.

290. Honors Program. PQ: Consent of instructor. In consultation with a faculty member, students devote the equivalent of one- or two-quarter courses to the preparation of a senior honors paper. For more information on the honors program, consult the general description in the front of this catalog section. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

301-302. Islamic Origins. PQ: Ability to utilize for research primary sources in one relevant language (Arabic, Byzantine Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Pahlavi, Armenian, Aramaic, or South Arabic) or primary materials for archaeology or art history, and consent of instructor. Reading knowledge of French or German helpful. A two-quarter research seminar exploring the history of the Near East in the period 500 to 700 C.E. with particular emphasis on the Late Antique context for the rise of Islam, the events and issues of the earliest Islamic period (roughly first century A.H.), and the historiographical debate over the nature of early Islam. F. Donner. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

360-361. The High Caliphate, I, II. PQ: Ability to utilize for research primary sources in one relevant language (Arabic, Persian, Pahlavi, Byzantine Greek, Syriac, Coptic, or Armenian) or primary materials for archaeology or art history, and consent of instructor. Reading knowledge of French or German helpful. A two-quarter research seminar exploring the history of the Near East in the period ca. 650 to 950 C.E., with particular emphasis on the institution of the caliphate; growth of the Islamic empire under the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs; development of an institutional infrastructure, including the military, bureaucracy, and judiciary; problems of legitimation; problems of imperial integration in the face of regional, local, and clan-based particularism; development of urbanism; and social and economic change. F. Donner. Not offered 1997-98; will be offered 1998-99. Autumn, Winter.

475. Research Seminar in Near Eastern History. PQ: A clearly defined research topic on some problem of Near Eastern history in any period, and ability to pursue research using primary sources (textual, archaeological, or art historical), and consent of instructor. This course provides a context for students to write research papers on topics of their choice. Students pursue research mainly under the supervision of a faculty adviser of their choice, but present their initial proposals and final drafts to the seminar for comments and suggestions of instructor and other students. Any subject in Near Eastern history (broadly defined) or the humanistic social sciences, from remote antiquity to the present, including many topics in religion, literature, intellectual history, law, and so on, is suitable. F. Donner. Not offered 1997-98; will be offered 1998-99..

Persian

201-202-203. Elementary Persian, I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. The sequence concentrates on modern written Persian, with an introduction to classical literature and modern colloquial usage. Upon completion of the grammar (by the end of winter quarter), stories, articles, and poetry are read and movies are viewed. The class meets five hours a week with the instructor and one hour with a native informant who conducts grammatical drills and Persian conversation. F. Lewis. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

204-205-206. Intermediate Persian I, II, III. PQ: Persn 203 and consent of department chairman. F. Lewis. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Sumerian

301-302-303. Elementary Sumerian I, II, III. PQ: Akkcun 301. This sequence covers the elements of Sumerian grammar, with reading exercises in UR III, pre-Sargonic, and elementary literary texts. M. Civil, G. Gragg. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Turkish

201-202-203. Elementary Turkish I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This sequence features proficiency-based instruction emphasizing grammar in modern Turkish. The course consists of reading and listening comprehension, as well as grammar exercises and basic writing in Turkish. The instructor is assisted by a native informant who conducts grammatical drills and Turkish conversations focusing on everyday topics. Modern stories and contemporary articles are read towards the end of the sequence. The class meets for six hours a week. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

204-205-206. Intermediate Turkish I, II, III. PQ: Turk 203 or equivalent. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.