FALL 2008 COURSE OFFERINGS

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ARABIC | HEBREW | HINDI | MESAS | PERSIAN | SANSKRIT

ARAB 101: Elementary Arabic I

ARAB 201: Intermediate Arabic I

ARAB 301: Advanced Arabic I

ARAB 401: Advanced-Plus Arabic NEW COURSE

ARAB 497R: Supervised Reading in Arabic

ARAB 510R: Intensive Arabic Training for Graduate Students

ARAB 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

HEBR 101: Elementary Modern Hebrew I

HEBR 201: Intermediate Modern Hebrew I

HEBR 301: Advanced Modern Hebrew I

HEBR 497R: Supervised Reading in Hebrew

HEBR 510R: Intensive Hebrew Training for Graduate Students

HEBR 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

HNDI 101: Elementary Hindi I

HNDI 201: Intermediate Hindi I

HNDI 301: Advanced Hindi I

HNDI 497R: Supervised Reading in Hindi

HNDI 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

MESAS 100: Introduction to the Middle East

MESAS 102: Introduction to South Asian Civilizations

MESAS 125: Introduction to Jewish Literature

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Archaeology and the Bible

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Viewing Israel: Viewing Israel: Current Issues in Israeli Culture and Society

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Iraq from Sumer to Saddam: a Cultural and Religious History

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Harem Tales

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Global Islam in the 21st Century

MESAS 200WR: Interpreting the Middle East

MESAS 251WR: Daily Life in Ancient Israel

MESAS 315WR: The Qur'an

MESAS 316: Early and Medieval Islam

MESAS 355: The Great Decipherments

MESAS 370R:The Islamic West: Muslim Spain, North Africa, and Sicily, 600-1600

MESAS 370R: Family in South Asia

MESAS 370R: History of Israeli Politics: Institutions and Society

MESAS 495R: Honors Thesis

MESAS 497R: Supervised Reading

MESAS 570R: Historiography of Islam

MESAS 570R: The Historian and Practices of Visual Representation

MESAS 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

PERS 101: Elementary Persian I

PERS 201: Intermediate Persian I

PERS 301: Advanced Persian I

PERS 497R: Supervised Reading in Persian

PERS 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

SNSK 101: Intermediate Sanskrit I

SNSK 301: Advanced Sanskrit I

SNSK 497R: Supervised Reading in Sanskrit

SNSK 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

ARAB 101: Elementary Arabic I

Semaan, MWF 9:35-10:25, Th 10:00-11:15, MAX 15

Faculty, MWF 10:40-11:30, Th 11:30-12:45, MAX 15

Semaan, MWF 11:45-12:35, Th 1:00-2:15, MAX 15

Faculty, MWF 12:50-1:40, Th 2:30-3:45, MAX 15

Content: First in a series of courses which develop reading, speaking, listening, writing, and cultural skills in Arabic. The course stresses communication skills using both formal Arabic and some Egyptian dialect. Emphasis is also placed on reading authentic materials from Arabic media, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture. Preparation for class is an essential component of the course, allowing us to devote in-class time to communicating in the language rather than talking "about" the language. 

Texts:

• Alif Baa: An Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, Brustad, Al-Batal, & Al-Tonsi
• Al-Kitaab, Part One, Brustad, Al-Batal & Al-Tonsi

Particulars: Class attendance and participation (25%), daily homework (25%), quizzes and tests (35%), and final examination (15%).

Prerequisites: No previous knowledge of Arabic necessary.

ARAB 201: Intermediate Arabic I 

Semaan, MWF 2:00-2:50, Th 2:30-3:45, MAX 15

Faculty, MWF 3:00-3:50, Th 1:00-2:15, MAX 15

Content: A continuation of Arabic 102. This course aims to help students reach an intermediate level of proficiency in reading, speaking, writing, and listening . Emphasis is placed on reading authentic materials from Arabic media, expanding students' vocabulary, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture and communicative competence. Preparation for class is an essential component of the course, allowing us to devote in-class time to communicating in the language rather than talking "about" the language.

Texts: 

• Al-Kitaab, Part One, Brustad, Al-Batal, Al-Tonsi
• Dictionary of Modern Standard Arabic, Hans Wehr

Particulars: Class attendance and participation (20%), homework (20%), correction of homework (10%), quizzes and tests (30%), final examination (20%).

Prerequisite: Arabic 102 or equivalent.

ARAB 301: Advanced Arabic I 

Cornell, R. MWF 9:15-10:30, MAX 15

Content: A continuation of Arabic 202. This course aims to help students reach an intermediate-high level of proficiency in reading, speaking, writing, listening, and culture. Readings include articles on cultural, social, historical and literary topics.

Texts:

• Al-Kitaab, Part II, Brustad, Al-Batal, and Al-Tonsi
• Dictionary of Modern Standard Arabic, Hans Wehr

Particulars: Class attendance and participation (20%), homework (20%), correction of homework (10%), quizzes and tests (some outside class) (30%), final examination (20%).

Prerequisite: Arabic 202 or equivalent. 

ARAB 401: Advanced-Plus Arabic

Cornell, R. MW 1:00-3:00, MAX 15

Content: This course aims to solidify previously acquired proficiency language skills by combining textbook-based instruction with selected texts that introduce various genres of Arabic literature. Students who complete this course should be able to converse in Arabic in formal and informal situations, provide detailed explanations, and discuss concrete topics relating to particular interests and special fields of competence. In addition, they should be able to follow essential points of written discourse at a superior level, understand texts that are conceptually abstract and linguistically complex, and work with texts that treat unfamiliar topics. By the end of the semester, they should be able to discuss and write on a variety of topics in Arabic with significant precision and detail, and offer supported opinions and hypotheses.

Texts:

• A course pack consisting of carefully selected texts on a variety of literary genres in Arabic including politics, culture, art, history, science, religion, cartoons, humor, fables, short stories, novels, magazines, media, and plays commensurate with the proficiency level described above.
• Al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al-‘Arabiyya, A Textbook for Arabic Part III , Kristen Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press 2001. (Selected lessons)
• Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present, Bassam K. Frangieh. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2005. (Selected texts)
• Arabic-English Dictionary: The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, Edited by J M. Cowan. Ithaca, New York: Spoken Language Services Inc., 1976.
• English-Arabic Dictionary: The Concise Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage, Edited by N.S. Doniach. New York and Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1982.
• The Connectors in Modern Standard Arabic . Nariman Naili al-Warraki and Ahmed Taher Hassanein. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 1994.
• (Al-Jazeerah, BBCArabic.com, Aswaat Arabiyya, arabicjoke.com, and other sites will also be used for listening and reading throughout the semester.)

Particulars: Written Assignments, class participation, and oral presentations (40%); SOPI: Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (10%); mid-term exam with an emphasis on listening (20%); and final research paper in Arabic (minimum 10 pages)on an open topic (30%).

Prerequisites: Arabic 302WR (Advanced Arabic II) or its equivalent.

ARAB 497R: Supervised Reading in Arabic 

Content: For advanced students who wish to pursue independent study and research of Arabic texts.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair.

ARAB 510R: Intensive Arabic Training for Graduate Students

Semaan, MAX: 15

Prerequisites: Permission of Arabic Language Coordinator.

ARAB 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Faculty, MAX 10

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS Chair .

HEBR 101: Elementary Modern Hebrew I

Kreitman, MWF 11:45-12:35, Tu 11:30-12:45, MAX 15

Kreitman, MWF 12:50-1:40, Tu 1:00-2:15, MAX 15

Kadosh, MWF 2:00-2:50, Tu 2:30-3:45, MAX 15

Content: The purpose of this course is to provide a solid foundation and develop basic oral and writing skills in Hebrew. The course is designed for students with no previous exposure to Hebrew and for students who have had a limited experience in the language. Class activities include reading, writing, oral drills, short oral presentations, simulated situations, etc. that enable students to practice all communication skills while learning about Israeli culture. 

Required Texts:

• Vardit Ringvald, Porath Bonit, Yaron Peleg, Esther Shorr, Sara Hascal. 2005. Brandeis Modern Hebrew. Brandeis University Press

• Yaakov Levy (ed.). 1995. Oxford English-Hebrew / Hebrew-English  Dictionary. Kernerman & Kahn Lonnie / Keter Enterprises, Jerusalem

Recommeded Texts:

• Bolozky Shmuel. 1996. 501 Hebrew Verbs. Barron's Educational Series

• Software– Davka Hebrew Writer– (available at the Language Center)

Particulars: There will be several oral and written exams, quizzes, and a final. The final grade is based on all exams and quizzes, class participation and, homework. This course is the first in the Hebrew first year sequence.

HEBR 201: Intermediate Modern Hebrew

Kadosh, MWF 12:50-1:40, Tu 1:00-2:15, MAX 15

Content: Hebrew 201 is a continuation of Hebrew 102 on a more advanced level. At the beginning of the course there is an in-depth review of the verb system. The vocabulary and texts introduced in this course are more sophisticated than the material of the first year. Much emphasis is placed on speaking and creative writing. The course is a good preparation for students planing to study on a college level in Israel. 

Required Texts:

• Vardit Ringvald, Porath Bonit, Yaron Peleg, Esther Shorr, Sara Hascal. 2005. Brandeis Modern Hebrew. Brandeis University Press

• Yaakov Levy (ed.). 1995. Oxford English-Hebrew / Hebrew-English  Dictionary. Kernerman & Kahn Lonnie / Keter Enterprises, Jerusalem

Recommeded Texts:

• Bolozky Shmuel. 1996. 501 Hebrew Verbs. Barron's Educational Series

• Software– Davka Hebrew Writer– (available at the Language Center)

Particulars: This course is the first in the Hebrew second year sequence. It is open to students who have completed Hebrew 102, or the equivalent. This course may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and the minor in Hebrew.

HEBR 301: Advanced Modern Hebrew 

Content: The course continues to develop skills acquired in first and second year courses and concentrates on more complicated grammatical forms, written and oral expressions, comprehension and advanced texts, as well as exposure to Israeli culture.

Texts: 

• Hapo'al Lelomdei Ivrit, Hara Farstei, Tamar Weil
• Hebrew from A to Z, volume 3, Naomi Nansur, Riva Padan, Tel Aviv University
• 501 Hebrew Verbs, Shmuel Bolozky, (Barron's Educational Series, 1996)
• Multi-dictionary, Edna Lauden, Liora Weinback, (paperback)

Particulars: Satisfactory completion of Hebrew 202, or equivalent (to be determined by the instructor). There will be everal short examinations during the term and a final paper. Participation in "Shenkin in Emory" is required. This course may be used to satisfy the requirements for the major in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and the minor in Hebrew.

HEBR 497R: Supervised Reading in Hebrew

Content: For advanced students who have completed HEBR 302 and wish to pursue independent study and research of Hebrew texts.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair.

HEBR 510R: Intensive Hebrew Training for Graduate Students

Kreitman, MAX 15

Prerequisites: Permission of Hebrew Language Coordinator.

HEBR 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Kreitman, MAX 10

Content: Graduate students may enroll in this course for directed study of Hebrew beyond the advanced level of the language sequence.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS Chair .

HNDI 101: Elementary Hindi I

Ranjan, MWF 9:35-10:25, Tu 10:00-11:15, MAX 15

Faculty, MWF 10:40-11:30, Tu 11:30-12:45, MAX 15

Content: This course is the first in a series of Hindi language courses. Students with no previous knowledge of the language learn to read, write, and converse in Hindi on a range of topics.

HNDI 201: Intermediate Hindi I

Faculty, MWF 11:45-12:35, Tu 1:00-2:15, MAX 15

Content: This course is the third in a series of Hindi language courses. Students improve reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Prerequisites: Hindi 102 or permission of the instructor.

HNDI 301: Advanced Hindi I

Ranjan, MWF 10:40-11:30, MAX 15

Content: This course is the fifth in a series of Hindi language courses. Students develop advanced reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Prerequisites: Hindi 202 or permission of the instructor.

HNDI 497R: Supervised Reading in Hindi

Ranjan, MAX 15

Content: Students may enroll in this course for directed study of Hindi beyond the advanced level of the language sequence. Topics may include Hindi literature as well as interdisciplinary research in Hindi.

Prerequisites: Hindi 302 or equivalent, permission of the instructor, and approval of the MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair.

HNDI 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Ranjan, MAX 15

Content: Graduate students may enroll in this course for directed study of Hindi beyond the advanced level of the language sequence. Topics may include Hindi literature as well as interdisciplinary research in Hindi.

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor and approval of the MESAS Chair .

MESAS 100: Introduction to the Middle East

Collins, TuTh 11:30-12:45, MAX 30

Content: This course provides students with a solid background in the history and cultures of the Middle East, from the dawn of Near Eastern civilization (ca. 3000 BCE) to the Golden Age of Islam and the era of the Crusades (to the late 13th Century CE).  Mastering the course material will enable you to place past and current events in historical perspective.  Our inquiry will be based on textual analysis, archaeology, and art history. 

Particulars: Preparation, attendance, and participation (20%), weekly response papers (30%), quizzes (20%), attendance at extra-curricular events on the Middle East (15%), final exam (15%).

Prerequisites: None. This is a core course for the Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies major. 

MESAS 102: Introduction to South Asian Civilizations

Juneja, WF 3:00-4:15, MAX 30 (Same as ASIA 102)

Content: This course is intended to introduce major themes of South Asian Civilizations – religious beliefs and practices, state forms, visual culture, social organization and gender relations – by tracing the ways these domains have historically evolved. It adopts a broad chronological frame in which each theme will be examined. At the same time it will use different entry points to initiate a discussion of subjects. We will analyze materials such as monuments, paintings, archaeological finds, novels, biographies or political texts to understand structures and recover the workings of social and cultural processes. The course will also plot the ways Indian history was first written about and its rewritings over the recent decades. In doing so it hopes to generate an awareness of how each generation takes a fresh look at older histories through the prism of newer concerns and contexts.

Texts:

• Romila Thapar, The Penguin History of Early India. From the Origins to AD 1300, London/New York/New Delhi: Penguin Books , 2003 (updated and revised edition).

• Barbara D. Metcalf and Thomas R. Metcalf, A Concise History of Modern India, Cambridge: CUP 2006 (second edition), also available online as e-book.

• Annemarie Schimmel, The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture, Chicago: University of Chicago Press 2006.

• Catherine B. Asher and Thomas R. Metcalf (eds.), Perceptions of South Asia’s Visual Past, Oxford and IBH: New Delhi 1994.

• In addition a collection of important articles will be placed together in a separate file. A set of materials – maps, visuals and texts – together with links to important websites will be made available online.

Particulars: The course will be structured as a mix of lectures, class presentations and discussions of textual or visual material. Students will be graded for regular attendance, reading and class participation. In addition they will be expected to make two oral presentations in the course of the term, submit a mid-term paper (5-6 pages) and write an end-of-term exam. At least one of the presentations and/or the term paper should be a study of either an art object (e.g. from the Carlos Museum), a novel, a film or a primary text (to be decided after discussion with me), locating it in its historical context and using it as a window onto aspects of South Asia’s past and/or present.

MESAS 125: Introduction to Jewish Literature

Yeglin, TuTh 10:00-11:15, MAX 25 (Same as JS 125)

Content: This course is based on reading in major works of jewish literature from Biblical narrative to Hebrew stories and poetry. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the breadth and depth of the jewish historiographic and literary traditions. After a grounding in Biblical history we will move to the jewish experience in pre-modern Europe and the Middle East and to the flowering of Yiddish and Hebrew literature.

Texts:

• Jewish Study Bible
• Modern Hebrew Literature
• The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself

Particulars: Students are required to attend all of the class sessions. Each class will consist of both lecture and discussion. Students will submit in hard copy form a weekly reading response (2 pages). Grading: Responses 50%, Final exam 40%, Class participation 10%.

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Archaeology and the Bible

Borowski, TT 10:00-11:15, MAX 18 (Same as JS 190S and REL 190S)

Content: An introduction to the field of Biblical Archaeology with careful examination of theory and methodology. The famous discoveries (inscriptions, architecture) and important sites (Megiddo, Hazor, Gezer, Dan) which form the historical background to some of the biblical stories will be examined as well as issues and topics such as the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac,Jacob), Exodus (Moses,) and settlement of Canaan (Joshua), the kings of Israel and Judah, and more. There will be a few early evening video screenings on related topics.

Texts:

• Walter E. Rast, Through the Ages in Palestinian Archaeology, (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1992)
• H.G. May, Oxford Bible Atlas, (New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press), 3rd edition
• The Bible (recommnded Oxford Study Bible)
• Course Packet

Particulars: Weekly reports (35%), 2 papers (25%+15%); oral reports (25%). This course fulfills the methodology requirements for a Minor in Mediterranean Archaeology.

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Viewing Israel: Current Issues in Israeli Culture and Society

Hary, T 4:00-7:00, M 6:00-8:00 every other week for film screenings, MAX 18 (Same as JS 190S)

Content: Israel has been facing continuous turmoil in the last several years. This situation has caused rapid changes in Israeli politics and society/societies. This course examines in depth current issues facing Israeli society from the center to the margin. Topics range from political structure and parties to current state and local politics, divisions in Israeli society, consensus in the society, the so called “Mizrahim”, Religion and politics, Arabs in Israel, the Arab/Israeli conflict, army life, women in Israel, languages and language policy in Israel, and more. Students will read scholarly materials but will also regularly read printed Israeli press in English and will keep a journal. Students will watch during the semester seven Israeli feature films (subtitled) that will demonstrate issues discussed in class. Classes will be devoted to specific topics, however, current issues will be dealt with regularly. Class discussions and visual materials are the main mode of instruction.

Texts: (Chapters and parts from):

• Asher Arian, The Second Republic: Politics in Israel. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House. 1998.
• Calvin Goldscheider, Israel’s Changing Society. Boulder: Westview. 2002.
• Bernard Reich and Gershom Kieval, Israel: Land of Tradition and Conflict. Boulder: Westview, 1993.
• Eugene Rogan and Avi Shlaim, The War for Palestine: Rewriting the History of 1948. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2001.
• Barbara Swirski and Marilyn P. Safir, [eds.], Calling the Equality Bluff: Women in Israel. New York: Teachers College Press. 1993.
• The New York Times
• HaAretz, English Edition at www.haaretzdaily.com
• HaAretz, in Hebrew at www.haaretz.co.il (optional)

Particulars: No knowledge of Hebrew is required.  The course may serve as an elective for the major in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and the major and minor in Jewish Studies. Film screenings every other Monday

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Iraq from Sumer to Saddam: a Cultural and Religious History

Goldman, TuTh 2:30-3:45, MAX: 18

Content: This course provides a broad survey of Mesopotamian history and culture.  It was in ancient Iraq that the first cities developed, the first places of worship were built, and the first schools system was organized. The subsequent history of Iraq was always referenced to its Ancient Near Eastern roots.  Early Islamic Iraq was acutely aware of its Mesopotamian origins, and this awareness has persisted into the modern period.

Texts:

• G. Roux: Ancient Iraq
• S. Kramer:  History Begins  at Sumer
• S. Mitchell: Gilgamesh
• G. Leick : Mesopotamia---the Invention of the City
• A. Robinson: The History of Writing
• P.Marr: The Modern History of Iraq

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Harem Tales

Lal, TT 4:00-5:15, MAX 18 (Same as ASIA 190S and HIST 190S)

Content: What is a harem? Are the following images invoked in your mind straight away: a reclining naked woman holding grapes and a cup of wine, attendants serving her? Or, groups of women engaging in convivial activities, bathing together, absorbed in festivity? Is the harem exactly like this? Is it merely a place for pleasure? Who inhabits it? Only women? Sometimes eunuchs? What about children? Is it possible that the harem could be one of the most sacred concepts in Islamic thought? And that it is a highly contested terrain? By looking at a variety of primary and secondary texts, essays, films, and slides, this seminar will investigate the ‘activities’ of various harems – set in different historical times and places.

Texts: Selections from Leslie P. Peirce, The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire; Ruby Lal, Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World; Malek Alloula, The Colonial Harem; Fatima Mernissi, Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood; Ruth Yeazell, Harems of the Mind: Passages of Western Art and Literature; and Montesquieue, The Persian Letters.

Particulars: Regular and informed participation in class, a mid-term and a final paper.

MESAS 190S: Freshman Seminar: Global Islam in the 21st Century

Martin, TT 8:30-9:45, Max: 18 (Same as REL 190S)

Content: Students in this freshman seminar will study the encounter of Muslim societies with modernity. The first phase covers an overview of premodern Islamic history and religious beliefs, practices and theological controversies. Next the course takes up the problem of modernity and the West, and Islamic responses, such as Fundamentalism, Modernism, Secularism, and Islamic Feminism. The final phase will focus on postmodern developments in Islam, including modern Islamic theology, law and ethics, the Internet, globalization, the impact of the Gulf War and 9/11, and growth of social movements, such as Salafi/Wahhabi, and Progressive Muslim identities.

Texts: will include

• Living Islam (6 documentary films on Contemporary Islam)
• Cooke and Lawrence, Muslim Networks: From Hajj to Hip Hop
• Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death:  Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
• Mohammadi, Islam Encountering GlobalizationOther readings handed out in class

Particulars: Each week will be divided roughly between lectures with discussion (usually Tuesdays) and student presentations discussion (usually Thursdays). Students will be asked to write brief responses to the readings before class as a basis for discussion. Three take-home exams during the semester. A written evaluation of student work will be provided at mid term and at the end of the course.

MESAS 200WR: Interpreting the Middle East

Goldman, TuTh 11:30-12:45, MAX: 18

Content: This course is intended for majors and others who wish to deepen their knowledge of Middle Eastern history and literature. Our theme for the term will be the issue of exclusivity and inclusivity in the Middle Eastern cultural traditions. Attention will be paid to the acquisition and development of skills in close reading, textual analysis, expository and analytical writing, and researching Middle Eastern topics.

Texts:

• A History of the Arab Peoples, Hourani
• The Jews of Islam, Lewis
• The Orientalism Reader, Macfie
• The Arabian Nights, Haddawy
• Eve and Adam, Kvam
• The Red Ten, Diamant
• Oxford Study Bible

Particulars: Regular short written assignments based on the readings, and a research paper. Regular attendance and active class participation are required.  

Prerequisite: MESAS 100 and permission of the instructor. This is a core course for the Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies major.

MESAS 251WR: Daily Life in Ancient Israel

Borowski, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX 18 (Same as JS 251 and REL 251)

Content: The course deals with everyday life in ancient Israel (1200-586 BCE), including topics such as the economy, religion and cult, city planning, the Israelite kitchen, death and burial, status of women, war and peace, and more.

Texts:

• Oded Borowski, Agriculture in Iron age Israel (Boston, MA:ASOR, 2002)
• Oded Borowski, Every Living Thing: The Daily Use of Animals in Ancient Israel (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1988)
• Oded Borowski, Daily Life in Biblical Times (Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2003)
• The Bible

Particulars: Written weekly reports (35%), LearnLink communications (20%), final paper (35%), book review (10%). Graduate students will have additional assignments. This course fulfills the Minor in Mediterranean Archaeology.

MESAS 315WR: The Qur'an

Stewart, TuTh 10:00-11:15, MAX 20 (Same as REL 315WR)

Content: In this course we will examine the text of the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam and one of the most widely read books in the world, in English translation. Particular attention will be paid to the various genres and literary forms which ppear in the Qur'an, the style and structure of the text, and the relationship of Qur'anic texts with those of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and pre-Islamic Arabian religious traditions.

Texts:

• The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, M.M. Pickthall
• The Koran: A Very Short Introduction, Michael Cook
• The N ew Oxford Annotated Bible
• Course pack

Particulars: There will be three assigned papers (5-7 pages), and regular short written assignments.

Prerequisites: No particular background in Arabic or Islam is required; experience in close reading or textual analysis will be helpful.

MESAS 316: Early and Medieval Islam

Newby, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX 30 (Same as REL 316)

Content: The rapid rise of Islamic civilization at the end of the ancient world is one of the major events in world religious and political history. Historians and theologians have debated the rapid rise of Islam and its successful overtaking of major portions of the empires that formed the ancient world. In a little over a century, Muslims spread their religious and political culture to cover the area from the Pillars of Hercules to the Indian Sub-Continent, and soon well beyond that. In this course, we will explore the theories that have been advanced for this expansion as well as the historical events themselves. We will look at primary as well as secondary sources to understand this fascinating period in world civilization. We will also explore the relationship of Islam’s foundational events to our own religious, civilizational and cultural discussions and experiences.

Texts:

• Marshall G. S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 3 vols. Volumes 1 and 2 are required for this course. Volume 3 is available in the bookstore and is highly recommended as an addition to your personal library.

• Muhammad Marmeduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. This translation of the Quran is one of the most widely accepted translations of the Quran into English by English speaking Muslims. If you are able to read the Quran in Arabic, please feel free to do so.

• Andrew Rippin and Jan Knappert, Textual Sources for the Study of Islam, Manchester, Manchester U. Press. Gordon D. Newby, A Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, Oxford: One World Press. This work is not required but might prove useful for students who wish a single-volume encyclopedia of terms related to Islam.

• Other resources, including electronic resources will be posted from time to time on the class LearnLink conference.

Particulars: Class attendance and participation (20%); weekly writing assignments (30%); a term-end research paper on a topic approved by the instructor (50%).

MESAS 355: The Great Decipherments

Stewart, TT 1:00-2:15, MAX: 25 (Same as LING 385)

Content: 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. It will examine the conventions and historical development of these writing systems as well as the process by which the alphabet came into being in Syro-Palestine and was adapted to write other languages in the ancient Mediterranean world such as Greek and Latin. It introduces students to lingistic principles and strategies of decipherment and looks in some detail at the great decipherments of cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Minoan Linear B, as well as yet undeciphered scripts such as Elamite and Linear A.

Texts:

• Peter T. Daniels and William Bright (eds.). The World's Writing Systems. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Richard Parkinson. Cracking Codes: The Rosetta Stone and Decipherment. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.
• John Chadwick. The Decipherment of Linear B. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967.
• C.B.F. Walker. Cuneiform. Reading the Past. London: British Museum, 1987.
• W. Davies. Egyptian Hierogrlyphs. Reading the Past. London: British Museum, 1987.

Particulars: Class attendance, readings, class participation (10%); three assigned papers/reports (45%: 15% each); mid-term exam (15%); final exam (30%).

MESAS 370R: The Islamic West: Muslim Spain, North Africa, and Sicily, 600-1600

Cornell, V. TT11:30-12:45, MAX: 20 (Same as REL 370R and SPAN 430R)

Content: This course is a historical and cultural survey of the medieval Islamic West (the Maghrib) as a single cultural unit, comprising Muslim Spain (al-Andalus), North Africa, and Sicily. A major theme of the course will be cultural and religious interactions between indigenous peoples and Arab Muslims, critically examining the notion of Convivencia (coexistence) as theorized by modern Spanish and North African historians. The course will also include discussions of material culture, music, and poetry.

Texts:

• Cornell, Vincent, Realm of the Saint: Power and Authority in Moroccan Sufism

• Fletcher, Richard, The Quest for El Cid

• Gerber, Jane S., The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience

• Kennedy, Hugh, Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus

• Lewis, David Levering, God’s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe, 570-1215

• Lowney, Chris, A Vanished World: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Medieval Spain

Particulars: Two take-home midterm exams (60%: 30% each) and a take-home final exam (40%). Students may write a research paper (15 pages in length) that will count the same as one midterm exam. This paper may be written for extra credit, or to replace a midterm grade.

MESAS 370R: Family in South Asia

Lal, TT 2:30-3:45, MAX: 15 (Same as ASIA 370R and HIST 385)

Content: This course investigates the history of Muslim and Hindu families and the construction of domestic norms in northern India from the sixteenth century to today. We shall use a variety of texts - historical and anthropological writings, films and fictional accounts - to examine how contemporary thinkers and writers consider familial relationships and norms of comportment and everyday life.

MESAS 370R: History of Israeli Politics: Institutions and Society      

Shultziner, MWF11:45-12:35, MAX: 40 (Same as HIST 385, JS 371, and POLS 385)

Content: This course explores the Israeli political system, its institutional characteristics and components, and its main political dilemmas. The course aims to provide knowledge about Israeli political history and society. Topics included will be the origins and the historical developments of the political system, electoral histories, and government formation. Attention is given to the dynamics between institutional arrangements and social cleavages in Israel and their interrelated effects. The course also discusses some of the main socio-political issues and tensions resulting from the dual definition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, religion and politics, and the effects of armed conflicts on politics and society. The course requires no previous knowledge about Israel.

Texts:

• Mahler, Gregory S. 2004. Politics and Government in Israel: The Maturation of a Modern State.
  

• Rabinovich, Itamar. and Jehuda Reinharz. 2008. Israel in the Middle East: documents and readings on society, politics, and foreign relations, pre-1948 to the present.
  

Particulars: Students will have a mid-term exam (25%), short assignment(s) (15%), and write a final examination (60%). Class participation in encouraged and may count up to anadditional 10% bonus of the final grade. Students will also send weekly reflection paragraphs on the subjects and readings discussed in class.

MESAS 495R: Honors Thesis 

Faculty, MAX: 10

Content: Open to candidates in their senior year, this course will be the culmination of study for honors in the MES Program.! The text and materials will vary as each student will work closely with the Professor to identify texts appropriate to his or her particular area of research.

Prerequisites: Approval of MESAS Honors Program Adviser. 

MESAS 497R: Supervised Reading in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies

Faculty, MAX 10

Content: This course is designed for advanced students who would like to conduct research on a particular aspect of the Middle East or South Asia or both.

Particulars: The course can be used to satisfy the requirements for the major in MESAS. Requirements depend on the nature of the project or research undertaken.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair .

MESAS 570R: Historiography of Islam

Cornell, V. M 4:00-7:00, MAX 15

Content: This course is in two parts. The first part of the course is an introduction to the “New Historiography” as it applies to Islamic Studies. Students will be introduced to the most important historiographers in this field such as R. G. Collingwood, Marc Bloc and the Annales school, Jan Vansina’s work on the historiography of oral tradition, and theorists of historiography as literature, such as Hayden White. The second part of the course is an introduction to the historiographical methods applied by Muslim historians and hagiographers. The research paper will require students to apply one of the New Historiographical methods to a problematical issue in Islamic history.

Texts:

• Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft

• Clark, Elizabeth A. History, Theory, Text: Historians and the Linguistic Turn

• R. G. Collingwood, The Idea of History

• R. Stephen Humphries, Islamic History: A Framework for Inquiry

• Jenkins, Keith, Rethinking History

• Stock, Brian, Listening for the Text: On the Uses of the Past

• Vansina, Jan, Oral Tradition as History

• Hayden White, Tropics of Discourse

• Other works on Islamic Historiography to be added later.

Particulars: 1. Complete all of the assigned readings. 2. Active and spirited participation in class discussions (20% of grade). 3. Give thorough and critical presentations on assigned topics (30% of grade). 4. Successful completion of 20-25 page research paper (50% of grade).

MESAS 570R: The Historian and Practices of Visual Representation

Juneja, Tu 2:00-5:00, MAX: 15 (Same as HIST 585)

Contents: Written texts continue to enjoy canonical status as “sources” used by historians, while visual images often tend to be regarded as illustrative material. This seminar seeks to engage with the communicative power of images – painted, printed, sculpted and photographed – with a view to uncovering their complex and distinct discursive workings. It will examine the ways in which a visual object both encodes symbolic propositions as well as possesses agency. Problematising the concept of representation would involve looking at both the production and mediation of knowledge through vision and visuality. One of the central issues this course will address is that of cultural difference. What are the implications of the difference between Western and non-Western cultures for the task of visual and artistic analysis? We will examine the varied responses to this question, ranging from an emphasis on the complete incommensurability of different cultures to ambitious attempts at constructing world art histories. Is it possible to formulate a common conceptual frame and vocabulary that can respond to the challenge of plurality in non-hierarchical ways?

The course will have a theoretical component centered on a discussion of selected programmatic texts. It will also take a close look at case studies from different regions, so as to come to grips with the agency of visual documents and practices, such as in processes of nation building, in the workings of gender and ethnicity or in the formation of subject positions within cultures. It is addressed to graduate students with different regional specializations and from disciplines such as history, religion, anthropology and art history in the hope of fruitful exchanges across disciplinary boundaries and regional perspectives.

Texts:

• Alfred Gell, Art and Agency: an Anthropological Theory, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998.
• Norman Bryson, Michael Ann Holly & Keith Moxey (eds), Visual Culture: Images and Interpretations, Hanover: University Press of New England, 1994.
• Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard (eds), Reclaiming Female Agency. Feminist Art History after Postmodernism: Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005.
• Esther Pasztory, Thinking with things: toward a new vision of art, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005
• Deborah Poole, Vision, race and modernity: a visual economy of the Andean image world, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.
• Christopher Pinney, ‘Photos of the Gods’: the printed image and political struggle in India, London: Reaktion, 2004.
• Vidya Dehejia, Discourse in Early Buddhist Art: Visual Narratives of India, New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1997.
• Richard H. Davis, Lives of Indian Images, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1997.
• Jerry Brotton & Lisa Jardine, Global interests: Renaissance art between East and West, London: Reaktion 2000.
• Claire J. Farago and Robert Zwijnenberg (eds), Compelling visuality: the work of art in and out of history, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2003.
• Art History and Visual Culture, Theme Issue (ed. Deborah Cherry), Art History 27 (4), September 2004.

MESAS 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Faculty, MAX 10

PERS 101: Elementary Persian I

Samei, MWF 9:35-10:25, Tu 2:30-3:45, MAX 15

Content: We will learn about Iranian culture(s) through the medium of the Persian language, establish basic proficiency in reading, writing and speaking, acquire a systematic understanding of Persian grammar (written and spoken) and cultural context. The text books will be supplemented by readings, samples of Persian poetry, songs, etc. By the end of the first year of Persian, it will be possible to participate in conversations in Persian on simple topics and read selections of basic modern texts.

Texts:

• A Basic Course in Persian, Saffar-Moghaddam (available in MESAS office)
• Class handouts

Particulars: Students are expected to attend all classes, complete daily assignments and participate actively in class. Grading: Class participation 20%; daily assignments 20%; quizzes 20%; midterm 20%, final 20%.

PERS 201: Intermediate Persian I

Samei, MWF 11:45-12:35, Tu 4:00-5:30, MAX 15

Texts:

• Modern Persian, Gernot Windfuhr, Intermediate Level
• Haim's Persian-English Dictionary
• Millenium English-Persian Dictionary
• Class handouts

Paticulars: Students are expected to attend and prepare for class, complete daily assignments and participate in class. Grading: Class participation and preparation 20%, written compositions 10%, performance/ski! t 10%, Quizzes 20%,midterm 20%, final 20%.

Prerequisites: Persian 102 or consent of instructor.

PERS 301: Advanced Persian I

Samei, MWF 2:00-2:50, Tu 4:00-5:30, MAX 15

Content: Readings of selected literary texts and newspapers/media with attention to expansion of vocabulary, further development of listening, writing, and speaking skills, reading strategies and cultural competence.

Particulars: Grading will be based upon preparation of readings, weekly essays, as well as written and oral presentations, and a final exam. The course can be used to satisfy the language requirement for the Major in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, or the Minor in Persian.

Prerequisites: Persian 202 or consent of instructor.

PERS 497R: Supervised Reading in Persian

Samei, MAX 15

Content: Supervised reading in Persian literary, historical or religious texts, in order to conduct specific research projects. Advanced students will read a selection of Persian poetry and prose texts to be determined in consultation with the instructor.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair.

PERS 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Samei, MAX 15

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS Chair.

SNSK 101: Elementary Sanskrit I

Berardi, MF 2:00-3:50, MAX 15

Content: In two semesters the elementary course covers all the basic grammar of classical Sanskrit, following the Goldman primer. In the first semester students learn the script, correct pronunciation and sandhi, as well as basic morphology, syntax and grammatical construction. Simple readings from the epics, Mahabharata and/or Ramayana, will be introduced during the later half of the second semester. The elementary course is the first part of a two-year process that enables the student to read Sanskrit with a dictionary. There will be one session per week devoted to conversation skills and grammar review.

Texts:

• Robert P. Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland, Devavanipravesika: An Introduction to the Sanskrit Language
• A.A. Macdonell, A Sanskrit Grammar for Students
• Xeroxed course packets.

Particulars: Students are expected to attend all classes, complete daily assignments and participate in class. Grading: class participation 20%, daily assignments 20%, quizzes 20%, midterm 20%, final 20%.

Prerequisites: No previous knowledge of Sanskrit is necessary. However it is very helpful to have some prior experience of reading and writing the Devanagari script. It will be sufficient to work through the first two chapters of the introductory grammar text (Goldman) for a few weeks before classes begin.

SNSK 301: Advanced Sanskrit I

Berardi, MF 10:40-12:35, MAX: 15

Content: Readings of selected Sanskrit literary or religious texts, with attention to advanced grammar, reading strategies, metrics and chant and cultural competence.

Texts:

• Charles Rockwell Lanman, A Sanskrit Reader
• M. Monier-Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary
• Class handouts

Particulars: Grading will be based on preparation of readings, a translation paper and a final exam.

Prerequisites: Sanskrit 202 or permission of the instructor.

SNSK 497R: Supervised Reading in Sanskrit

Berardi, MAX 8

Content: For advanced students who wish to pursue independent study and reading of Sanskrit texts.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS DUS and MESAS Chair .

SNSK 797R: Directed Reading (Graduate)

Berardi, MAX 8

Content: For advanced graduate students who wish to pursue independent study and reading of Sanskrit texts.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and approval of MESAS Chair.