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Archaeology and History in the Near East
V77.0600. Identical to V57.0600 (4 points)
Examines what conventional written history can and cannot explain about pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic sites and monuments in Israel, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran in light of archaeologists' reports, writings of historians, and slides.
Staff: TBA
The History of Ancient Egypt, 3200-50 B.C.
V77.0611. Identical to V57.0506 (4 points)
Political and intellectual history of ancient Egypt, introducing the student to a variety of religious and secular texts and showing how Egyptologists have drawn upon biographical texts, royal inscriptions, literary papyri, and archaeological remains to recreate Egyptian history.
Prof. Goelet
Seminar: Topics in Middle Eastern History
V77.0688. Identical to V57.0550 (4 points)
This course focuses on a particular aspect of Islamic, Ottoman, or modern Middle Eastern history, with an emphasis on historiographical and comparative issues. It is intended primarily for advanced undergraduates in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and in history, but other students may register with permission of the instructor.
Staff: TBA
The Making of the Muslim Middle East, 600-1250
V77.0640. Identical to V57.0542 and V65.0640 (4 points)
A historical and comparative approach to the first half millennium of Islamic history. Course traces the cultural and religious strands shaping the institutions, belief systems, and practices. Using primary sources, students explore the major debates in cultural history of this period.
Staff: TBA
World Cultures: Muslim Spain (711-1492)
V55.0527(4 points)
This course introduces the student to one of the two examples--the other is the Balkans--of the long-term establishment of a Muslim religious and political presence in Europe. It traces the political flow of events, from the Arab-Berber conquest of the peninsula and their experiments in state-formation to the gradual emergence of Christian rivals in the northern kingdoms and the reversal of the tide until the final submission of the surviving Muslim enclave of Granada in 1492. The chief emphasis, however, will be on
- The construction of a remarkable social, intellectual and artistic culture out of the various indigenous and imported elements available; and
- How the three indigestible ingredients called Islam, Christianity and Judaism fared in that melting pot, particularly when one of the others was doing the stirring. This course is part of the Morse Academic Program.

The Ottoman Empire in World History
V77.0650. Identical to V57.0515 and V65.0651 (4 points)
The course examines the Ottoman Empire from a world historical perspective. Beginning with the collapse of the Byzantine state and ending with the French Revolution, students will gain an understanding of Ottoman state and society and its responses to, and participation in, global trade, inter-state warfare, and the cultural and political development of the modern world.
Staff: TBA
Mediterranean Worlds
V77.0660. Identical to V57.0131 (4 points)
The early modern Mediterranean was a fluid frontier shifting between the Islamic and Christian powers. From the mosques of Spain to the markets of Venice to the multi-religious neighborhoods of Istanbul, students explore sites of coexistence, accommodation, and conflict through history, literature, and art.
Staff: TBA
Europe and the Middle East
V77.0689. Identical to V57.0534 (4 points)
Survey of economic, political, and cultural relations between Europe and the Middle East. Stresses the dynamics of social, economic, and political change in the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries resulting from the dramatic expansion of European influence the region. Also explores Middle Eastern ideological, cultural, and political responses to European dominance.
Staff: TBA
Islam and the West
V77.0694. Identical to V57.0520 (4 points)
This course examines the evolution of diplomatic, trade, and cultural contacts between Islam and the West. Particular attention is paid to the complex relationship that developed between these two civilizations and their historical impact on each other.
Staff: TBA
The Emergence of the Modern Middle East
V77.0690. Identical to V57.0531 (4 points)
Surveys main political, social, economic, and intellectual currents of the 20th century. Emphasis on historical background and development of current problems in the region. Topics include imperialism, nationalism, religion, orientalism, women, class formation, oil, the Arab-Israeli crisis, and the Iranian revolution.
Prof. Lockman
Seminar: Colonial, Imperialism, & Nationalism in the Middle East
V77.0677. Identical to V57.0541 (4 points)
Addresses theories of nationalism and its emergence as the primary political ideology in the Middle East. Investigates historiographical problems in writing nationalist history and the intersection of class and gender concerns with national identities.
Prof. Lockman, Prof. Fahmy
Palestine, Zionism, Israel
V77.0697. Identical to V57.0532 (4 points)
Survey of the conflict over Palestine from its origins in the late 19th century until the present. The purpose of this course is to examine the evolution of this ongoing struggle in its historical context and then try to understand why the various parties to the conflict have thought and acted as they did.
Prof. Lockman
Seminar: Modern Central Asia
V77.0700. Identical to V57.0700 (4 points)
Surveys the emergence of the newly independent states of Central Asia, the historical legacy that connects them and the political, social, environmental, and economic problems that they confront today.
Prof. McChesney
Russia and the Middle East in Modern Times
V77.0675. Identical to V57.0173 (4 points)
Surveys Russian contacts with the Steppe people, Byzantine civilization, and the Mongols and the growing involvement of Russia in Middle Eastern affairs at the expense of the Ottomans and Persians. Topics: the clash of Orthodox Christianity and Islam, the "Eastern Question," "pan" movements, nationalism, the conquest of Central Asia and the Caucasus and its implication for rivalry with Britain, World War I and revolution, Soviet approaches to the Middle East, and Zionism and oil-the making of a new crisis.
Staff: TBA
Israel: Fact through Fiction
V77.0698. Identical to V78.0780 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78).
Prof. Landress
Zionism and the State of Israel
V77.0696. Identical to V78.0180 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Prof. Engel

Note: Except where indicated, there is no language requirement for these courses.

The Arabian Nights
V77.0716. Identical to V65.0714 (4 points)
The Arabian Nights have been an essential and dynamic literary meeting point between Arabic/Islamic literature and the Western canon. This course will examine both sides of this cultural dichotomy. Literary analysis of the tales includes close reading of the structure of the original as well as modern variations by authors such as Poe and Rushdie.
Prof. Kennedy
Seminar: Introduction to Islamic Texts (in Arabic)
V77.0720. Prerequisite: V77.0103 or equivalent (4 points)
This course will introduce students with at least two semesters of Arabic behind them to the main stylistic features of Classical Arabic. The object will be to give students a flavour of an older yet essential register of Arabic through the most important texts of the Islamic tradition. These texts constitute the very core of Islam to this day: the Koran (Qur'an) and the Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). The syllabus will also include samples from the Tafsir tradition (Koranic hermeneutics), Sufi/mystical literature (poetry and prose), philosophical novels, and pious tales from the popular sphere (the Arabian Nights tradition). The Koran will provide a sustained focus for the course, with particular attention being paid to how it has influenced all categories of Arabo-Islamic literature: linguistically, stylistically, thematically and doctrinally.
Prof. Kennedy
Masterpieces of Islamic Literature in Translation
V77.0710. Identical to V65.0710 (4 points)
Survey of the masterpieces of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature from pre-Islamic times to
the present. Selected texts in translation from the major genres, both in prose and poetry, are studied as works of art in themselves and as a reflection of the societies that produced them.
Prof. Kennedy, Prof. Mikhail
Literature and Society in the Arab World
V77.0711 (4 points)
Examines selected works in translation of leading 20th-century poets, novelists, and short story writers that reflect changing conditions and mores within Middle Eastern and North African societies. Investigates such topics as conflicts between traditionalists and modernists, the impact of urbanization on rural societies, and the existential dilemmas of men and women.
Prof. Mikhail
Women and War: Contemporary Arabic Literature and Film
V77.0714. Identical to V29.0714, V97.0714, and H72.0714 (4 points)
Women are central figures in the political upheavals of the modern Middle East; their images have had a remarkable hold on national and international imaginations. The course investigates the representations of women and war in Arabic literature and film through such topics as the gendering of war; the gender politics of national symbolism and liberation; the politics and aesthetics of documentary film; revolutionary erotic and anti-erotic; and combat and collaboration.
Staff: TBA
Comparative Imperialism
V77.0715. Identical to V29.0811 (4 points)
The course examines the diverse ways in which imperial and aesthetic idioms converge in American, English, French and Arabic literature. Texts include nineteenth-and twentieth-century narrative, political discourse and poetry.
Staff: TBA
Modern South Asian Literature
V77.0717. Identical to V29.0717 (4 points)
This course addresses the rich literary product of modern and contemporary South Asia. It offers more advanced undergraduates a window on a rich and culturally varied area of the world, as well as to aspects of South Asian history and society as represented in translations of modern prose writing (short stories and novels) originally written in South Asia's regional languages.
Prof. Ilieva
Modern Hebrew Literature
V77.0306. Identical to V78.0075 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Masterpieces of Modern Hebrew Literature in Translation
V77.0713. Identical to V78.0076 and V90.0713 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Staff: TBA

The Qur’an and Its Interpretation
V77.0781
Introduction to the Qur’anic text and its role in Islamic thought and practice. Explores the form and themes of the Qur’an, and the diverse ways in which Muslims (including jurists, mystics, and other groups) have understood meaning to emerge from the text. We will then look at some of the trends in Qur’anic exegesis (including modernist, radical, and feminist interpretation) that have emerged in modern times.
Prof. Katz
Women and Gender in Islam
V77.0728
Both within Islamic societies and in the western press, the image of the Muslim woman has been taken as emblematic of the perceived virtues or failings of the Islamic tradition. This course examines the complexity of the messages and models relating to gender in one of the world’s most influential religious traditions. Beginning with the rise of Islam, we will observe how foundational texts and personalities have been interpreted and reinterpreted in changing social, historical and political contexts.
Prof. Katz
A Cultural History of Ancient Egypt
V77.0614. Identical to V57.0506 and V78.0121 (4 points)
Survey of the literary, religious, and material culture of ancient Egypt. Each class examines the ancient Egyptian intellectual world as shown by a major monument (e.g., the Great Pyramid) along with its cultural background. Daily life as well as the visual and symbolic aspects of the civilization are illustrated with slides and charts. The reading emphasizes historical, literary, and religious texts in translation.
Prof. Goelet
Islamic Political Movements
V77.0674 (4 points)
This course will attempt to explain the rise of Islamic political movements in the contemporary Middle East and look at the various ways in which they have been discussed in the media and in academic writings. Examples of Islamist writings and publications will also be presented in order to elucidate the ways in which Islamist depict themselves and their concerns. Because of the nature of these movements, the course will have a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on concepts from politics, history and law.
Prof. Haykel
Seminar: Islamic Law and Society
V77.0780 (4 points)
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Islamic law through a reading of its various genres and a study of a selection of secondary sources covering its various topics. The course will also focus on the ways Islamic law has interacted with Islamic societies in historical practice and the way it has adapted, or not adapted, to the challenges of modernity.
Prof. Haykel
Seminar: Women and Islamic Law
V77.0783 (4 points)
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with the ways Islamic law has treated women in theory and practice. Students will be exposed to medieval and modern legal texts regarding the status of women as believers, daughters, wives, mothers and legal persons. Case studies from different periods of Islamic history will be read and discussed as well as writings from contemporary anthropology.
Prof. Haykel
Politics of the Near and Middle East
V77.0750. Identical to V53.0540 (4 points)
See description under Politics (53)
Staff: TBA
International Politics of the Middle East
V77.0752. Identical to V53.0760 (4 points)
See description under Politics (53)
Prof. Mitchell
Politics and Society in Iran
V77.0797. Identical to V53.0545 (4 points)
See description under Politics (53)
Prof. Kazemi
Area Economics--Middle East
V77.0802. Identical to V31.0224 (4 points)
See description under Economics (31)
Staff: TBA

Introduction to Egyptian Religion
V77.0719. Identical to V90.0719 (4 points)
Examines the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, including the nature of the gods, syncretism, private religion, theories of divine kingship, the judgment of the dead, cultic practices, the life of priests, the relationship between this world and the afterlife, wisdom literature as moral thought, festivals, funerary practices, creation myths, and foreign gods and influences--all illustrated by Egyptian religious texts or scenes from temples and tombs.
Prof. Goelet
The Civilizations and Religions of the Ancient Near East
V77.0790. Identical to V90.0790 (4 points)
Introduction to the ancient Near East. Places the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Anatolia in their historical framework and discusses their institutions
Staff: TBA
Judaism, Christianity, Islam
V77.0800. Identical to V65.0025, V78.0160, and V90.0102 (4 points)
Comparative study of the three great monotheistic religious traditions: how each understood its origin and evolution and their similarities and differences in matters of scripture, worship, authority, community, theology, and mysticism.
Prof. Peters
World Cultures: Islamic Societies
V55.0502 (4 points)
An introduction to the common religious and cultural base of societies, past and present, that have regarded themselves as Islamic. The course covers both the history and belief systems of those societies from the Quranic origins of the Islamic community and the career of Muhammad that shaped it down to the present day, mostly read out in the words and thoughts of Muslim themselves. This course is part of the Morse Academic Program.
Prof. Peters
What Is Islam?
V77.0691. Identical to V57.0085 and V90.0085 (4 points)
The prophet Muhammad and the origins of Islam: the Islamic community; its beliefs and practices; Sunni and Shi'ite Islam; Sufism; an introduction to the spiritual, intellectual, and artistic life of the Islamic Commonwealth; and the modern Islamic revival.
Staff: TBA
Sufis: Mystics of Islam
V77.0863. Identical to V65.0863 and V90.0863 (4 points)
Readings in the Sufi poets in translation and reflections of their influence in Persian literature and the European tradition. Sufism as one of the primary manifestations of the Islamic spirit in Iran. The effect of Sufism (the hidden path that leads from the individual to God) on the shape of Islam, on the spirit of Persian literature and art, and on Western religious sensibilities.
Prof. Chelkowski
Islam in Asia
V77.0693. Identical to V57.0518 (4 points)
Two-thirds of the world's Muslims today live in Central, South, and Southeast Asia. This course examines the ways in which the Islamic traditions spread from the Middle East, the nature of the ensuing dialogue between Muslims and adherents of existing traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, shamanism), and the politics of Islam today in Asia from Afghanistan to the Philippines.
Prof. McChesney
Iran: Past and Present
V77.0796 (4 points)
Ancient Iranian culture and its influence on the Near East. The impact of the Arab-Islamic conquest, the Islamization of Iran, and the Iranian role in the development of Islamic civilization. The rebirth of Iranian self-consciousness and the establishment of Shi'ism as the state religion under the Safavids. Traditional Iranian culture in conflict with the West. Modern Iran from the reinstitution of the monarchy to the Islamic revolution. Illustrated with readings, slides, films, a museum visit, live recitations, and music.
Prof. Chelkowski
Jerusalem: The City, the Shrine, the Conflict
V77.0843. Identical to V90.0843 (4 points)
See description under Religious Studies (90)
Prof. Peters, Staff: TBA
The Land of Israel through the Ages
V77.0609. Identical to V57.0540, V78.0141, and V90.0609 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Staff: TBA
The Jews: The Ancient Period
V77.0680. Identical to V78.0100 and V90.0680 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Staff: TBA
The Jews: The Medieval Period
V77.0681. Identical to V57.0110, V78.0101, and V90.0682 (4 points)
See description under Hebrew and Judaic Studies (78)
Staff: TBA
Art in the Islamic World
V77.0891. Identical to V43.0098 and V65.0098 (4 points)
See description under Fine Arts (43)
Staff: TBA

Internship
V77.0980, 0981
Prerequisite: permission and placement for Departmental majors from Director of Undergraduate Studies. 2 or 4 points. For guidelines, see Internship Program.
Independent Study
V77.0997, 0998
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. 1 to 4 points per term

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