*Near Eastern Civilizations 91r. Supervised Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 1132
William E. Granara and members of the Department.
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Tutorial supervision of research in subjects not treated in regular courses.
*Near Eastern Civilizations 97r. Group Tutorial—Sophomore Year
Catalog Number: 0167
William E. Granara and members of the Department
Half course (spring term). M., 4:30–6:15. EXAM GROUP: 9
An introduction to the cultures and literatures of the Near East in ancient, classical, and modern times, emphasizing major themes and problems that cut across individual cultures and historical periods.
*Near Eastern Civilizations 98r. Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 2612
William E. Granara and members of the Department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Designed for juniors concentrating in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
*Near Eastern Civilizations 99r. Tutorial — Senior Year
Catalog Number: 6623
William E. Granara and members of the Department
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Note: Designed for seniors concentrating in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
*Near Eastern Civilizations 390. Direction of Doctoral Dissertation
Catalog Number: 3041
Ali S. Asani 7739, Paul-Alain Beaulieu 3708, William A. Graham, Jr. 4156, William E. Granara 1054, Jo Ann Hackett 2389 (on leave 2001-02), Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School) 1394, Jay M. Harris 2266, Wolfhart P. Heinrichs 4988, John Huehnergard 7697 (on leave 2001-02), James L. Kugel 7575, Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School) 2264, Peter Machinist 2812 (on leave spring term), James R. Russell 3411, Bernard Septimus 7160 (on leave fall term), F. Engin Sezer 2833, P. Oktor Skjaervo 2869, Lawrence E. Stager 1468, Piotr Steinkeller 7337, Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. 4004, Robert Wisnovsky 2229, and Ruth R. Wisse 3177 (on leave spring term)
Ancient Near East 101. Introduction to Mesopotamian Archaeology
Catalog Number: 1245
James Alan Armstrong
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Surveys the archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia (geographically defined as the territory of modern Iraq plus immediately adjacent areas) from the Neolithic Period until the conquest of Alexander the Great. While theoretical issues and approaches will not be neglected, the emphasis in this class will be on the archaeological data that are used in reconstructions of Mesopotamia’s history and its ancient social systems.
[Ancient Near East 102. Introduction to Mesopotamian Religion]
Catalog Number: 0486
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of the sources, data, and principal concerns. A selection of texts are read in translation.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3661.
[Ancient Near East 105. History of the Ancient Near East: The Levant (up to Alexander the Great)]
Catalog Number: 0711
Lawrence E. Stager
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The civilization and cultural traditions of the peoples of Syria-Palestine from the third millennium to the time of Alexander the Great.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1118.
Ancient Near East 107. History and Historiography in the Ancient Near East
Catalog Number: 0665
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Conceptions of history and the practice of historical writing in the ancient Near East. Discussions based on a comparative study of texts from a variety of cultural traditions, such as the Hittites, Mesopotamia, ancient Israel/ Hebrew Bible, and Second Temple Judaism, together with classical Greece. Some acquaintance would be desirable, though not required, of Biblical and ancient Near Eastern history and one of its languages, and of a modern research language such as French or German.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1427.
[Ancient Near East 109r. History and Historiography in the Ancient Near East: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 1822
Lawrence E. Stager and Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2002-2003: The Aramaeans, particularly in the pre-Hellenistic Near East. We will examine issues of political history, economy, society, language, religion, art, and material culture, involving the interplay of textual and non-written archaeological sources.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1822.
Ancient Near East 114. The Archaeological History of Egypt
Catalog Number: 7208
Peter Der Manuelian
Half course (spring term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
This historical survey course will focus on ancient Egyptian civilization (3,000 -332 B.C.), emphasizing the material culture discovered along the banks of the Nile: pyramids, temples, tombs, settlements and cities. We will follow a chronological path through the New Kingdom (1050 B.C.), with excursions into art, politics,hieroglyphs, and the development modern Egyptology. Field trips to the Museum of Fine Arts, and possible opportunities to contribute to the MFA’s new Giza Archives Project will be included.
[Ancient Near East 115. Archaeology of the Levant (Syria-Palestine)]
Catalog Number: 2813
Lawrence E. Stager and Ofer Bar-Yosef
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A chronological survey of the archaeology of the Levant in which material culture provides a window on human evolution, society, economy, and religion from the Lower Palaeolithic to Hellenistic times. Special topics include the earliest colonization of Homo erectus, the origin of modern humans, the emergence of farming and pastoral societies, the formation and dissolution of Bronze Age city-states, and the rise and fall of Iron Age kingdoms such as Israel, Moab, and Edom. This course will have a lab section.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1420.
Ancient Near East 117. Biblical Archaeology
Catalog Number: 1371
Lawrence E. Stager
Half course (fall term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Archaeology and texts, such as the Bible, used to reconstruct aspects of social, economic, and religious life (from courtier to commoner) in ancient Israel during the Iron Age.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1422. This course will have a lab session to be arranged.
Ancient Near East 118. Syro-Palestinian Pottery
Catalog Number: 1368
Lawrence E. Stager
Half course (fall term). F., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
A basic introduction to the pottery sequence of Palestine and Syria from Neolithic through Roman times, with emphasis on typological attributes having chronological significance. Conducted in the Harvard Semitic Museum laboratory.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1862. This course will have a lab session to be arranged.
Ancient Near East 120. Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures
Catalog Number: 6544
Michael Coogan
Half course (fall term). F., 11–1, and an additional hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4, 5
A survey of the Hebrew Scriptures as viewed in their historical and cultural setting in the ancient Near East and as interpreted by modern scholarship, with attention to this literature as an expression of the religious thought of Israel and one of the formative influences on Western civilization.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1101.
Ancient Near East 121. History of the Study of the Hebrew Bible: From the Renaissance to the Present: Seminar
Catalog Number: 8086
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Within the framework of a broad survey of Hebrew biblical scholarship since the Renaissance, the course focuses on particular scholars and their representative and seminal works. The central theme is the emergence of a historical-critical understanding of the Bible and the elaborations of and reactions to this understanding.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1425.
Prerequisite: Graduate status with background in the study of Hebrew Bible. Also, Biblical Hebrew and at least one of the following: French, German, or Modern Hebrew.
Ancient Near East 122. Biblical Interpretation
Catalog Number: 4289
Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Topic for 2001-02: The Book of Isaiah. The biblical book of Isaiah will be studied with attention to historical setting, major themes, literary characteristics, and place in history of ancient Israelite religion. The class will also consider the ways in which this biblical writing continues to play a role in contemporary religious and political thought and action.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1413.
Prerequisite: Old Testament Introduction or equivalent.
[Ancient Near East 126. History of the Religion of Israel]
Catalog Number: 1672
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The study of ancient Israelite religion and culture in comparative historical context. Topics examined include conceptions of divinity, prophecy, law, kingship, and cult. Through such topics the aim is to see how Israel related to other cultures of the ancient Near East and, thus, of what value the study of the other cultures has in understanding the character of Israelite religion itself.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1110.
[Ancient Near East 127. Prophecy in Ancient Israel]
Catalog Number: 6739
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A study of the phenomenon and history of Israelite prophecy, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible, in the light of prophecy elsewhere in the ancient Near East and in other cultures. Pertinent sociological, literary, and religious issues are explored.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1125.
Ancient Near East 131. Readings in the Septuagint
Catalog Number: 3661
Richard James Saley
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 14
Aims to increase facility with Septuagint Greek by reading representative portions (predominantly prose) of the Septuagint and studying the pecularities of the grammar inductively. The fundamentals of Koine Greek will be reviewed as necessary.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4215.
Prerequisite: One year of Greek.
Ancient Near East 134. Genesis: Narrative Artistry and Theological Meanings
Catalog Number: 3291
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
A close critical reading in English of the book of Genesis with an eye both to the storytellers’ techniques and to the moral and theological dimensions of the text. Emphasis on literary and religious rather than historical and editorial issues.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1417.
Prerequisite: Ancient Near East 120.
[Ancient Near East 135. Biblical Theology: Hebrew Bible]
Catalog Number: 4476
Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The theology of the Hebrew Bible studied by explicating major biblical themes (e.g., creation, liberation, war and peace, economic justice, social reform) and then relating them to issues in the contemporary world. Attention also given to background questions such as concepts of biblical authority and hermeneutical theory.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1150/2470.
Prerequisite: Ancient Near East 120 or equivalent.
[Ancient Near East 138. The Bible and Politics]
Catalog Number: 8073
Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Political models found in the Hebrew Bible; the role of biblical traditions in the development of church-state relations in the history of the U.S.; the possibility of a suitable political theology within the context of contemporary religion and politics.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1465/2529.
[*Ancient Near East 215r. Problems in the Archaeology of Bronze and Iron Age Levant: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 2960
Lawrence E. Stager
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2004-05: To be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2004–05. Conducted in the Harvard Semitic Museum Laboratory.
[Ancient Near East 221. The Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament in Its Communities of Interpretation: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 8392
Gary Anderson (Divinity School) and Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An examination of selected methodological issues involved in the study of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament, such as the value and limitations of traditional Christian and Jewish modes of study, the relationship of the history of religion and historical criticism to theological affirmation, and the treatment of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament as a literary classic.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1800.
Prerequisite: At least two courses in Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament.
[Ancient Near East 236. Biblical Theology: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 7022
Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
An examination of resources within the Bible for the construction of contemporary political theology.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1801/2471.
Prerequisite: Ancient Near East 120 or equivalent.
*Ancient Near East 320. Reading and Research in Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization
Catalog Number: 5678
John Huehnergard 7697 (on leave 2001-02), Peter Machinist 2812 (on leave spring term), and Piotr Steinkeller 7337
*Ancient Near East 330. Reading and Research in Biblical Studies
Catalog Number: 1524
Gary Anderson (Divinity School) 1771, Jo Ann Hackett 2389 (on leave 2001-02), Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School) 1394, James L. Kugel 7575, Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School) 2264, Peter Machinist 2812 (on leave spring term), and Lawrence E. Stager 1468
Jewish Studies 114. Modern Hebrew Literature in Translation
Catalog Number: 0343
Shachar Mordechai Pinsker
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
This course traces the vibrant history of Modern Hebrew Literature from its emergence during the 1880’s in Eastern-Europe to its proliferation in contemporary Israel. We will study the literature and its complex relations with historical, social and cultural shifts in Modern Jewish society, and its contacts with various literary trends such as Realism, Romanticism and Modernism. The writers we will read include Abramovitz, Bialik, Brenner,Baron, Agnon, Goldberg, Yizhar, Yehoshua and other, less-known writers.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3685.
Jewish Studies 120. Gender and Identity in Modern Hebrew Literature and Culture
Catalog Number: 3419
Shachar Mordechai Pinsker
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
This course examines the construction of gender in Modern Hebrew literature. Topics include: the changing images of femininity and masculinity, the relations between national, cultural and gender identity, and the place of women as writers and subjects in Jewish and Israeli culture. We will discuss a variety of stories, novels, poems and films from early 20th century Europe to present-day Israel.
Note: All readings in English translation.
Jewish Studies 121. Who is a Jew?
Catalog Number: 6509
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
In modern times Jewish identity has become a subject of debate within the Jewish community. In this course, we survey how different Jewish communities, in both the USA and Israel, define the Jewishness of various problematic groups and individuals, including matrilineal Jews, patrilineal Jews, half-Jews, messianic Jews, Black Jews, crypto-Jews, and atheistic Jews.
Note: Offered at the Divinity School as 3644.
Jewish Studies 122. Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
Catalog Number: 2656
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
An introduction to the rabbinic literature of antiquity, focusing on the Mishnah and the Babylonian Talmud, their historical background, rhetorical patterns, and dominant ideas. All readings done in translation. This course is open to all and does not presume knowledge of Hebrew or familiarity with Judaism.
Early Iranian Civilizations 103. Manicheism
Catalog Number: 2604
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduction to and readings in Iranian Manicheism (on the basis of translated texts).
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3580.
[Islamic Civilizations 121. North Africa, 1500 to the Present]
Catalog Number: 6224
Susan G. Miller
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An initiation to North African (Maghribi) history, surveying the evolution of relations between state and society from the late medieval period to the present and emphasizing the specificity of the North African experience. Topics include: Maghribi space and society in the medieval literature; saint worship and sultanic authority; society viewed through the literature of captivity; the 19th-century encounter with the West; race and caste in the colonial era; the Algerian revolution in essay, film and fiction; post-colonial political change.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Islamic Civilizations 124. Central Asian Culture and Society]
Catalog Number: 3927 Enrollment: Limited.
John S. Schoberlein
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The course explores the diversity and continuity in contemporary Central Asian culture and society and their historical roots. After building a basis of knowledge of the pre- and early-modern history of the region and of its contemporary political context and institutions, the course will approach Central Asian culture, social structure and everyday life from a variety of angles. These will include perspectives available in various types of literature on the region, including the travel accounts of travelers to the region from pre-modern to recent time, indigenous literary folklore traditions, 19th-century orientalist scholarship, and contemporary scholarly approaches. The course will draw on ethnographic accounts to develop a rich picture of the social meaning and cultural context of ways of life (from the historical caravan trade and pastoral nomadism to contemporary collective farm and urban life), community rituals, social institutions, religious practices, moral sensibilities and aesthetic traditions.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Intended primarily for advanced undergraduates and graduate students; some background in the Near East and/or the former Soviet Union desirable.
Islamic Civilizations 125. History and Culture of Islamic Peoples of the Former Soviet Union
Catalog Number: 0646 Enrollment: Limited.
John S. Schoberlein
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Themes in the history of cultural change, from prior to Russian expansion into Muslim lands until the post-Soviet period. The course encompasses territories falling under Russian dominion by the 19th century that are inhabited by peoples which are culturally more akin to Asia and the Islamic Middle East than to Europe: Central Asia, the Caucasus, and southern Russia. Themes include the background of Iranian, Turkic and Islamic culture, problems of induced cultural change (Russification/Europeanization/modernization), social transformation under the establishment and dissolution of Russian rule and the Communist system, the institutionalization of national identities, and changing family and community organization.
Note: Intended primarily for graduates and advanced undergraduates; some background in the Near East and/or the Soviet Union desirable.
Islamic Civilizations 145. Islamic Philosophy and Theology
Catalog Number: 0292
Robert Wisnovsky
Half course (fall term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
An introduction to some of the more important philosophical and theological problems that have preoccupied Muslim intellectuals from the 8th to the 20th centuries. Points of conflict amongst philosophers and theologians will be examined in detail. These include the Qur’an’s createdness, God’s causation of human acts, the primacy of human reason, the world’s eternity, the survival of human souls, and God’s ability to intervene in the natural order. The impact of European thought on 19th- and 20th-century Islamic intellectual history will also be examined. Finally, we will try to determine how “Islamic” Islamic philosophy and theology are, and how useful they might be to Muslims today.
Note: No knowledge of Arabic required. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3602.
[Islamic Civilizations 160. The Meanings of Islam in Central Asia]
Catalog Number: 8678
John Schoberlein
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The course will examine the changing role of Islam in Central Asia through history from a multidisciplinary perspective. Central Asia is on the margins of the Islamic world, though integral to it, and the course will consider the ways that regions’ position on the transcontinental trade routes and desert-oasis borderlands have led to particular expressions of the processes which are common to the Islamic world more widely. It will also look at the process of modernization and the role of Islam in the Russian and Soviet imperial contexts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Primarily for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Some background in Central Asia and/or Islamic civilizations preferable.
Islamic Civilizations 200b. Middle Eastern Studies Research Project Seminar
Catalog Number: 9274
Laila Parsons
Half course (spring term). F., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Interdisciplinary seminar designed primarily for students in the final semester of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies A.M. program, although open to A.M. students in related fields. Students are required to expand a short paper already written for another course in Middle Eastern Studies into a long research paper, and to present the results of their research to the seminar. Students are also required to read the materials provided by the presenters in advance of their presentations, and to critique those presentations.
Note: Recommended but not required for students pursuing the A.M. in Middle Eastern Studies.
*Islamic Civilizations 241r. Approaches to Studying Indo-Muslim Culture and South Asian Islam
Catalog Number: 7515
Ali S. Asani
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A seminar for graduate students focusing on current scholarship on Islamic civilization in South Asia.
Note: Open to qualified undergraduates.
Prerequisite: Introductory coursework on Islam, Religion 1585 or equivalent.
*Islamic Civilizations 350. Reading and Research in Ottoman History and Literature
Catalog Number: 4084
Sinasi Tekin 2353
[Armenian Studies 102. Armenian Civilization]
Catalog Number: 6070
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An introduction to the history, traditions, religion, and literature of the Armenian people from the earliest times to the Middle Ages.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. No knowledge of Armenian is required.
Armenian Studies 200r. Guided Readings in Armenian Studies
Catalog Number: 8105
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Akkadian 120. Intermediate Akkadian
Catalog Number: 3724
Paul-Alain Beaulieu and assistant
Full course (indivisible). Spring: M., 11–2. EXAM GROUP: 4, 5, 6
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
[Akkadian 140a. Akkadian Historical Texts]
Catalog Number: 3737
Paul-Alain Beaulieu
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
[Akkadian 140b. Akkadian Historical Texts]
Catalog Number: 4748
Paul-Alain Beaulieu
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
Akkadian 142. Akkadian Hymns and Prayers
Catalog Number: 6387
Paul-Alain Beaulieu
Half course (fall term). M., 1:30–4:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8, 9
Readings from the various genres of Akkadian hymns and prayers, with particular emphasis on the genre of shuilla prayers. In the course of the semester students are expected to master the style and vocabulary of these texts, as well as to learn how to reconstruct a text from several manuscripts.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
[Akkadian 143. Neo-Babylonian Archival Texts]
Catalog Number: 7434
Paul-Alain Beaulieu
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings from letters and legal and administrative documents dated to Neo- and Late Babylonian periods (c. 750–100 B.C.). The goal of the course is to learn how to use these documents as sources for the culture and social and economic history of Babylonia in that period.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
Akkadian 144. Akkadian Divination Texts
Catalog Number: 6734
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (spring term). W., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9
[Akkadian 149. Akkadian Legal and Economic Texts]
Catalog Number: 6703
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
[Akkadian 150. Akkadian Historiographic Texts]
Catalog Number: 2417
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
Akkadian 151. Cuneiform Sources for the Hellenistic Period
Catalog Number: 2125
Paul-Alain Beaulieu
Half course (spring term). M., 2–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9
Survey of the various types of cuneiform sources dated to the rules of the Macedonian, Seleucid, and Arsacid dynasties. Administrative and legal documents, chronographic texts as well as literary and scholarly texts will be surveyed.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of cuneiform script and Akkadian language.
Akkadian 152. Texts and History of Imperial Assyria
Catalog Number: 3226
Peter Machinist
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings and analysis of a variety of texts from the Middle and Neo-Assyrian periods illustrating issues in Assyrian imperial history, culture, and language.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of a cuneiform script.
Akkadian 153. Old Akkadian
Catalog Number: 8334
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Readings in representative historical, epistolary, literary, and economic texts with emphasis on the grammar.
Prerequisite: Akkadian grammar, basic vocabulary, knowledge of cuneiform script.
[Akkadian 154a. Peripheral Akkadian]
Catalog Number: 2416
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Two full courses in Akkadian.
[Akkadian 155r. Akkadian Historical Grammar and Dialectology]
Catalog Number: 0232
John Huehnergard
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2002–03: To be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Two full courses in Akkadian.
[Sumerian 146. Sumerian Religious Literature]
Catalog Number: 2605
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Sumerian 149. Sumerian Legal and Economic Texts
Catalog Number: 8820
Piotr Steinkeller
Half course (spring term). F., at 11 and two hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Arabic 110. Colloquial Levantine Arabic
Catalog Number: 6732
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
A basic course in the spoken Arabic of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine). Principles of grammar and syntax and foundation for conversation.
Note: Some knowledge of Arabic helpful but not required.
Arabic 120a. Intermediate Classical Arabic
Catalog Number: 1106
William E. Granara and assistant
Half course (fall term). M. through F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
A thorough review of classical Arabic grammar with emphasis on reading and writing, with some discussion in Arabic in class for vocabulary and structure reinforcement. Readings will focus on medieval Arabic historiography: biographical dictionaries, chronicles, and geography/“travel” literature. Contemporary texts dealing with “classical” themes will form part of the syllabus to help students develop better reading fluency.
Prerequisite: Arabic A or equivalent.
Arabic 120b. Intermediate Classical Arabic
Catalog Number: 0597
William E. Granara and assistant
Half course (spring term). M., through F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
Continuation of Arabic 120a.
Arabic 121a. Intermediate Modern Arabic
Catalog Number: 0973
Ayman A. El-Desouky and assistant
Half course (fall term). Section A: M., through F., at 11; Section B: M., through F., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
A continuation of Elementary Arabic with equal emphasis on speaking, reading, oral and aural skills. Selections from contemporary Arabic media will be introduced and will serve as bases for reading and conversation.
Arabic 121b. Intermediate Modern Arabic
Catalog Number: 0685
Ayman A. El-Desouky and assistant
Half course (spring term). Section A: M., through F., at 11; Section B: M., through F., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
A continuation of Arabic 121a.
Arabic 130a. Advanced Classical Arabic
Catalog Number: 4591
Robert Wisnovsky
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Concentration on readings from classical Islamic texts, with emphasis on Qur’an, hadith, sira, and tafsir literature; directed readings and textual analysis; review of classical Arabic morphology and syntax.
Arabic 130b. Advanced Classical Arabic
Catalog Number: 2964
Robert Wisnovsky
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 11:30–1. EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
Continuation of Arabic 130a or may be taken separately with permission of the instructor. Readings from corpus of “Adab” (Belles-Lettres) literature, as well as various pieces of classical Arabic secular prose and poetry.
Arabic 131a. Advanced Modern Arabic
Catalog Number: 0739
Ayman A. El-Desouky and assistant
Half course (fall term). M. through Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6, 15
Reading and discussion of selections from Arabic newspapers and journals on contemporary political, social, religious, and cultural issues in the Arab world. Emphasis on developing advanced reading and speaking skills, with some attention to writing and listening comprehension.
Arabic 131b. Advanced Modern Arabic
Catalog Number: 0697
Ayman A. El-Desouky and assistant.
Half course (spring term). M. through Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 6, 15
A continuation of Arabic 131a or may be taken separately with permission of the instructor. Continued emphasis on advanced reading and speaking skills, and introduction to contemporary Arabic fiction, with emphasis on short stories and novellas.
Arabic 140. The Qur’an
Catalog Number: 6021
William A. Graham, Jr.
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Introduction to and selected readings from the Qur’an and Arabic exegesis.
Prerequisite: Arabic 120b or equivalent.
[Arabic 141. Introduction to the Hadith]
Catalog Number: 0705
William A. Graham, Jr.
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to and selected readings in the Hadith literature.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Arabic 120b or permission of instructor.
[Arabic 144. Sources for the Study of Islamic History]
Catalog Number: 3450
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Elementary knowledge of Arabic.
[Arabic 146r. History of the Arabic Languages]
Catalog Number: 8526
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A presentation of the linguistic and cultural history of the various forms of Arabic, including Old North Arabian, Early Classical Arabic (pre-Islamic poetry and Koran), medieval Islamic Arabic, Middle Arabic (with Judeo-Arabic) and the dialects.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Two years of Arabic or equivalent.
Arabic 150r. History of Arabic Literature
Catalog Number: 7759
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Overview of Classical Arabic literature, including reading and discussion of selected texts.
Note: Knowledge of Arabic an advantage, but not required. If there is sufficient interest, an additional hour will be set aside for reading in the originals.
[Arabic 161. Classical Arabic Grammarians on Arabic]
Catalog Number: 6820
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Arabic 241a. Modern Arabic Literature
Catalog Number: 3309
William E. Granara
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
This constitutes the final year of Modern Arabic track. Representative readings from contemporary literature and culture will form bases of discussions on major themes in contemporary Arab society.
Note: Conducted in Arabic.
Prerequisite: Advanced proficiency in Arabic.
Arabic 241b. Modern Arabic Literature
Catalog Number: 6399
William E. Granara
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A continuation of Arabic 241a.
Arabic 245r. Classical Arabic Literature: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4854
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Topic for 2001-2002: Ancient Arabic poetry (pre-Islamic and early Islamic). The course will offer an introduction to the reading and interpretation of poems from a variety of genres and a discussion of recent approaches to the study of this poetry.
[Arabic 248r. Medieval Arabic Writings on Grammar: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 1440
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the study of the medieval Arabic disciplines dealing with language. Discussion of selected topics on the basis of text readings and recent secondary literature.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Arabic.
*Arabic 249r. Arabic Philosophical Texts: Seminar
Catalog Number: 3572
Robert Wisnovsky
Half course (spring term). Th., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Selected readings from falsafa literature. Topic for 2001–02: Ethics.
Prerequisite: Three years of Arabic or equivalent.
Arabic 250r. Arabic Theological Texts: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7849
Robert Wisnovsky
Half course (spring term). M., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Selected readings from kalam and other types of theological literature. Topic for 2001–02: Hanbalism and Wahhabism.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3883.
Prerequisite: Three years of Arabic or equivalent.
[Arabic 252. Arabic in the Context of the Semitic Languages: Workshop]
Catalog Number: 6146
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Two years of Arabic or special permission of the instructors.
Arabic 253. Modernity, Linguistic Philosophy and the Logic of Islamic Law: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6254
Abdul Karim Soroush
Half course (spring term). F., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
This course considers the conceptual analytical tools and basic linguistic presuppositions of Muslim jurisprudents pertaining the logic of legal inference. This course will also include relevant observations made by modern philosophers on issues such as speech-acts.
Note: Advanced Arabic required.
*Arabic 320. Modern Arabic Litrature and Literary Criticism
Catalog Number: 9167
William E. Granara 1054
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
[Aramaic 124a. Readings in Syriac I]
Catalog Number: 5557
J. F. Coakley
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Historical and theological texts, and early poetry.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4112.
Prerequisite: Aramaic C or equivalent.
[Aramaic 124b. Readings in Syriac II]
Catalog Number: 0103
J. F. Coakley
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Special attention to exegetical texts and to reading manuscripts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4113.
Prerequisite: Aramaic C or equivalent.
Aramaic 128. Introduction to Turoyo
Catalog Number: 3747
Wolfhart P. Heinrichs
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Some knowledge of Syriac or any other classical Aramaic language.
Armenian B. Elementary Modern Eastern Armenian
Catalog Number: 7168
James R. Russell
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the spoken and literary language of the Republic of Armenia.
[Armenian 120a. Intermediate Modern Eastern Armenian]
Catalog Number: 4892
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Armenian B or equivalent.
Armenian 121a. Intermediate Classical Armenian
Catalog Number: 0626
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Armenian A or equivalent.
Armenian 130. Advanced Classical Armenian
Catalog Number: 4926
James R. Russell
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
The text of St. Grigor Narekats’i Matean olbergut’ean, with other mystical texts from Armenian and Eastern Christian traditions.
Prerequisite: Armenian A.
Armenian 241r. Readings in Modern Armenian Literature
Catalog Number: 8746
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
[Ethiopic 120ar. Readings in Classical Ethiopic (Ge‘ez) Texts I]
Catalog Number: 0231
John Huehnergard
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Ethiopic A.
[Ethiopic 120br. Readings in Classical Ethiopic (Ge‘ez) Texts II]
Catalog Number: 0390
John Huehnergard
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Ethiopic A.
Hebrew 226r. Seminar in Jewish Studies
Catalog Number: 4663
Jay M. Harris
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Required of all incoming graduate students in Jewish Studies. An overview of the methods, questions, and controversies in the field of Jewish Studies over the last two centuries.
Note: Open to qualified undergraduates with permission of the instructor.
Hebrew 247. Intertextuality and the Midrashic Imagination in Modern Hebrew Literature: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1125
Shachar Mordechai Pinsker
Half course (fall term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
The seminar explores contacts between Rabbinic texts and Modern Hebrew Literature. How do modern writers employ Rabbinic language in forging modern subjectivity? In what ways traditional narrative structures and genres are being reread and rewritten?
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Hebrew.
Hebrew 249. Exile and Homecoming: The Experience of Migration in Modern Hebrew and Jewish Literature: Seminar
Catalog Number: 9107
Shachar Mordechai Pinsker
Half course (spring term). M., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Exile and homecoming are central concepts in traditional Judaism, in modernist literature and critical theory. Hebrew and Jewish texts of and about immigrants, emigrants, travelers and exiles, alongside theorists like Arendt, Adorno and Lyotard.
Note: All readings in English translation.
Classical Hebrew 120a. Intermediate Classical Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 5545
John L. Ellison and assistant
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Review of grammar; readings in prose books.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4020.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew A or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 120b. Intermediate Classical Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 8494
John L. Ellison and assistant
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4021.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 120a or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 130ar. Rapid Reading (Classical Hebrew) I
Catalog Number: 7895
John L. Ellison
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1625/4030.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew A, 120a, and 120b, or equivalent.
Classical Hebrew 130br. Rapid Reading (Classical Hebrew) II
Catalog Number: 7896
John L. Ellison and assistant
Half course (spring term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1626/4031.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 130a or equivalent.
[Classical Hebrew 138. Historical Grammar of Biblical Hebrew ]
Catalog Number: 4415
John Huehnergard
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 130, or equivalent.
[Classical Hebrew 238r. Advanced Study of Historical Hebrew Grammar]
Catalog Number: 9997
Jo Ann Hackett and John Huehnergard
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Reading of major sections of the Biblical corpus with emphasis on historical linguistic issues.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 130b and either Classical Hebrew 138 or Semitic Philology 140.
Modern Hebrew B. Elementary Modern Hebrew
Catalog Number: 4810
Miri Kubovy, Irit Aharony, and Rina Winkelman
Full course (indivisible). Section I: M. through F., at 9; Section II: M. through F., at 12; Section III: M. through F., at 3. EXAM GROUP: 5, 14
For students with no previous instruction in Hebrew and for those who have had some unsystematic exposure to the language. Emphasis on developing skills necessary for fluent reading, speaking, and writing basic sentences in all tenses. Grammar is taught through the Israeli “Top 40.”
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4015.
Modern Hebrew 120a. Intermediate Modern Hebrew I
Catalog Number: 1711
Miri Kubovy, Irit Aharony, and Rina Winkelman
Half course (fall term). Section I: M. through F., at 10. Section II: M. through F., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 3, 12
For students with basic understanding of modern Hebrew grammar and some experience in reading. Emphasis on rapid reading of contemporary newspapers, magazines, short stories, and poetry.
Note: Conducted primarily in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4040.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew B or passing of special departmental placement test.
*Modern Hebrew 120b. Intermediate Modern Hebrew II
Catalog Number: 2563
Miri Kubovy, Irit Aharony, and Rina Winkelman
Half course (spring term). Section I: M. through F., at 10. Section II: M. through F., at 1 . EXAM GROUP: 6, 15
Continuation of Modern Hebrew 120a. Selected readings from 20th-century Hebrew literature prose, poetry, and drama. The linguistic analysis of the texts is followed by a literary discussion as well as an examination of the individual works in relation to various trends in modern Hebrew culture.
Note: Conducted primarily in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4041.
Modern Hebrew 130r. Advanced Modern Hebrew: Contemporary Israeli Culture
Catalog Number: 8127
Miri Kubovy
Half course (fall term). Tu., 7–9 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 18
Surveys typical examples of contemporary Israeli culture: novels, short stories, poetry, feminist literature, Holocaust literature, literary and political journals and magazines, theater and films, rock music from the Top 40, all representing current cultural trends and expressing attitudes toward social and political issues.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew. All texts will be read in Hebrew. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 4045.
Prerequisite: Modern Hebrew 120a, 120b or equivalent.
[Modern Hebrew 131r. Advanced Modern Hebrew: Hebrew of the Media: Press, TV, and Radio]
Catalog Number: 1940
Rina Winkelman
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course will introduce students of Hebrew language and literature to the language as practiced in the broadcast and printed media. In Hebrew, more than in other languages, the language of the media uses terminology, vocabulary, and syntactic structures that are unique to these fields, and that both express and influence meaningful trends in culture and society. The course will present examples from Israeli Internet programs, television, radio, daily newspapers, and magazines all relating to current events and major issues. Conducted in Hebrew.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Conducted in Hebrew.
Prerequisite: 4040 (Modern Hebrew 120a) or equivalent.
Modern Hebrew 134r. The Layers of Hebrew in Texts about Jerusalem
Catalog Number: 6949
Irit Aharony
Half course (spring term). M., W., 2–3:30. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A survey of the layers of the Hebrew language as reflected in texts dealing with Jerusalem, written indifferent centuries. Students will learn the practical morphology and syntax of all periods of the Hebrew language, in many kinds of texts. In the modern period we will introduce the students to literary, press, and media selections, as well as academic papers. The goal of this course is to facilitate scholarly work and research in Hebrew.
Note: Conducted in Hebrew. Offered by the Divinity School as 4043.
Prerequisite: 4040 (Modern Hebrew 120a) or equivalent.
Modern Hebrew 155. The Mamas and the Papas: Israeli Literature in Translation
Catalog Number: 2250
Miri Kubovy
Half course (spring term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
Close reading of a selection of works by three generations of Israeli writers in the second half of the 20th century, and a discussion of fiction, poetry, drama, film and essays which represent major trends in Israeli social and cultural life. The main subjects include the Holocaust; feminism; Americanization; the quest for normalcy; the departure from Zionist ideology; the genre of eternal childhood; and the polarities between Arabs and Jews, Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews, poor and rich, orthodox and secular, and right and left political camps. Among the authors to be discussed: S.Y. Agnon (Nobel Prize 1966), Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua, David Grossman, Yehudah Amichai, Yonah Wollach, and Orly Castel-Bloom.
Note: This course will be conducted in English.
Hebrew 150a. Introduction to Rabbinic Literature
Catalog Number: 7629
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Designed to introduce students with a basic reading knowledge of Hebrew to Mishnah, Tosefta, Midrash and Talmud through a close study of representative texts in the original. Texts are mostly non-legal and in Hebrew (rather than Aramaic). Attention to questions of language, exegetical method, literary and intellectual history.
Prerequisite: Intermediate biblical or modern Hebrew, or permission of instructor.
[Hebrew 150b. Introduction to Rabbinic Literature]
Catalog Number: 7878
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
This course is a continuation of Hebrew 150a, although it can be taken independently. The readings are slightly more difficult, and include legal texts and texts that use Aramaic as well as Hebrew. No prior knowledge of Aramaic is assumed.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Hebrew 150a or permission of the instructor.
Hebrew 153. Midrash Seminar
Catalog Number: 3397
James L. Kugel
Half course (spring term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
An examination of rabbinic interpretations of the Bible and their relationship to other early exegetical traditions. Focuses on a series of specific midrashic themes and motifs found in a variety of rabbinic texts and seeks to understand their original exegetical function as well as their development and history of transmission.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1840.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of Mishnaic Hebrew.
[Hebrew 169. The Bavli and the Yerushalmi]
Catalog Number: 2226
Jay M. Harris
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A comparative study of the Babylonian and “Jerusalem” Talmuds. Emphasis on comparing their relationship to antecedent sources, their use of midrash, and their rhetorical patterns. Also studied is the historical destiny of these two works in the medieval and modern periods.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Hebrew 171. The Problem of Language in Medieval Jewish Thought]
Catalog Number: 7205
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
The status and significance of language generally and Hebrew, in particular, viewed from a variety of perspectives in texts from several genres (exegetical, linguistic, literary, legal, philosophical and mystical) ranging chronologically from late antiquity through the Renaissance.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of Hebrew.
Hebrew 174. Political Thought: Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages
Catalog Number: 8693
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Explores the following interrelated topics: the debate over monarchy; divine providence and political rationality; the theological significance of political defeat; the foundations of communal government. Legal exegetical, philosophical, and literary texts treating these topics will be read against their historical backdrop.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of Hebrew.
[Hebrew 176. Aristotle’s Ethics in Medieval Jewish Thought]
Catalog Number: 0805
Bernard Septimus
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of Hebrew.
Hebrew 178. Mishnah and Tosefta
Catalog Number: 0226
Shaye J.D. Cohen
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Examination of the central synoptic problem in rabbinic literature: the interrelationship of the Mishnah and Tosefta. We will study several sample tractates and survey modern scholarship on the subject.
Note: Offered by the Divinity School as 3646.
Prerequisite: A good knowledge of rabbinic Hebrew.
Hebrew 184. Jewish Bible Commentary in the Modern Period
Catalog Number: 5236
Jay M. Harris
Half course (spring term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
A study of Jewish Bible commentaries in the late 18th and 19th centuries that seeks to introduce the student to the wide range of Jewish Bible commentary in this period. Commentators to be studied include the Gaon of Vilna, Moses Mendelssohn, Moses Sofer, Meir Leibush Malbim, Samuel David Luzatto, and Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin, each studied within the appropriate cultural context.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3688.
[Hebrew 208r. Literature of Israel: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 1356
Peter Machinist
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2003-2004: To be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04.
Prerequisite: Advanced reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew. Also, acquaintance with other relevant ancient and modern languages desireable.
Hebrew 209r. Literature of Israel: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1326
James L. Kugel
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. First meeting only 9/12/01 10-12 Semitic Museum 202. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Topic for 2001–02: The Book of Psalms
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1824.
Prerequisite: Good reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.
[Hebrew 210r. Literature of Israel: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 6322 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Paul D. Hanson (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2002-03 to be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1820.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.
[Hebrew 218. Joseph and Esther: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 0880
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A close critical reading of Genesis 37-50 and the Book of Esther in Hebrew. Emphasis on the literary design and religious message of each work and on the influence of the story of Joseph upon the Book of Esther.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1802.
Prerequisite: Three years of Hebrew or the equivalent.
Hebrew 222a. Texts on the Social and Cultural History of the Jews in the Talmudic Era (70–500 C.E.)
Catalog Number: 6845
Isaiah M. Gafni (Hebrew University)
Half course (spring term). Tu., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
A methodological introduction to the use and interpretation of rabbinic texts and other sources for the study of Jewish history in late antiquity. Topics: the emergence, development, and nature of rabbinic leadership and institutions; historical frameworks, contexts and influences for literary development in the rabbinic world.
Prerequisite: Facility in the reading of classical Hebrew sources.
[Hebrew 223. The Book of Jubilees and Ancient Biblical Interpretation]
Catalog Number: 1813
James L. Kugel
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
An in-depth examination of one of the most important texts of the post-exilic period.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1432.
Prerequisite: A reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew. (Also, welcome but not required: reading knowledge of Ge’ez and Aramaic.)
Hebrew 224. Readings in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and Other Second Temple Texts.
Catalog Number: 4565
James L. Kugel
Half course (fall term). W., 12–2. EXAM GROUP: 5, 6
A study centering on one mysterious document of the Second Temple period and the light it can shed on Jewish religious piety and practice toward the end of the biblical period.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1433.
Prerequisite: A reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew. (Also, welcomed but not required: reading knowledge of Greek and Aramaic.)
Hebrew 226r. Seminar in Jewish Studies
Catalog Number: 4663
Jay M. Harris
Half course (fall term). M., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Required of all incoming graduate students in Jewish Studies. An overview of the methods, questions, and controversies in the field of Jewish Studies over the last two centuries.
Note: Open to qualified undergraduates with permission of the instructor.
Hebrew 230. Midrash: The Figure of Abraham: Seminar
Catalog Number: 0203
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
A close reading in Hebrew of some rabbinic midrashim centering on the figure of Abraham. Emphasis on the acquisition of the textual skills necessary for studying midrash and on the role of Abraham in rabbinic theology. Comparison with other primary sources about Abraham from Second Temple Judaism and the New Testament, presented in English.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1803/3871.
Prerequisite: Sound reading knowledge of Hebrew (any period).
Hebrew 231. Genesis 12-25: Seminar
Catalog Number: 1109
Jon D. Levenson (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
A close critical reading of Genesis 12-25 in Hebrew. Emphasis on literary design and religious message of this section of the story of Abraham and his family. Students will make presentations about historical, literary, and theological aspects of the material.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1809.
Prerequisite: An introductory course in critical biblical studies and three years of Hebrew or the equivalent.
Hebrew 245. Early Biblical Interpretation: Seminar
Catalog Number: 6731
James L. Kugel
Half course (spring term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Biblical interpretation from its beginnings within the Hebrew Bible itself to evidence of its continuing development as found in ancient Bible translations, biblical apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, commentaries, sermons, liturgical poetry, and other Jewish and Christian writings of late antiquity.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1804.
Prerequisite: A good reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew.
Hebrew 253. Jewish Sources as an Aid to the Critical Study of the Hebrew Bible. Seminar
Catalog Number: 4318
----------
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Jewish sources—such as ancient translations, Midrash, Talmud, and medieval commentaries—will be used as an aid to the source-critical study of the Pentateuch, including both narrative and legal texts. Participants should be able to read the biblical texts in their original language, but they may use English translations of the later Jewish sources.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 1812.
Prerequisite: Advanced reding knowledge of biblical Hebrew.
*Hebrew 350. Postbiblical Hebrew Language and Literature
Catalog Number: 4408
Jay M. Harris 2266, James L. Kugel 7575, and Bernard Septimus 7160 (on leave fall term)
Iranian B. Introduction to Avestan
Catalog Number: 3936
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Full course (indivisible). Hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: Spring: 8, 9
[Iranian 142b. Avestan III]
Catalog Number: 6865
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to Old Avestan.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Iranian 145a. Eastern Middle Iranian II. Introduction to Sogdian I
Catalog Number: 9001
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to Manichean Sogdian.
Iranian 145b. Eastern Middle Iranian II. Introduction to Sogdian II
Catalog Number: 0912
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (spring term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Readings in Manichean, Buddhist, Christian, and secular Sogdian texts.
[Iranian 146a. Eastern Middle Iranian III. Introduction to Bactrian I]
Catalog Number: 6705
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to Bactrian
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
[Iranian 146b. Eastern Middle Iranian III. Introduction to Bactrian II]
Catalog Number: 0827
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Advanced readings in Bactrian texts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Iranian 207r. Advanced Khotanese
Catalog Number: 2018
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Advanced readings in Khotanese texts (Buddhist, secular.)
Prerequisite: One year of study of Khotanese.
[Iranian 208r. Advanced Sogdian]
Catalog Number: 2457
P. Oktor Skjaervo
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Advanced readings in Sogdian texts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: One year of study of Sogdian.
Persian 120a. Intermediate Persian I
Catalog Number: 2206
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2
Readings in modern prose literature. Introduction to classical metrics and prosody. Readings in classical prose and poetry.
Persian 120b. Intermediate Persian II
Catalog Number: 3712
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2
Continuation of Persian 120a.
Persian 140ar. Selected Readings in Classical Persian Literature
Catalog Number: 0814
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Half course (fall term). M., W., 2–3:30. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Selected topics in Classical Persian literature for the advanced student. Readings from historical and belletristic texts, the classics of Sufism, and the poets of Iran and India.
Prerequisite: Persian 120b or equivalent.
Persian 140br. Selected Readings in Classical Persian Literature
Catalog Number: 0258
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr.
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–2:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
A continuation of Persian 140ar.
[Persian 150r. Readings in Persian Historians, Geographers and Biographers]
Catalog Number: 6538
Roy Mottahedeh
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Semitic Philology 151. Introduction to Northwest Semitic Epigraphy
Catalog Number: 2858
John L. Ellison
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Readings in Hebrew and Phoenician inscriptions with an introduction to methods and techniques of Northwest Semitic palaeography, and attention to problems of historical grammar.
Prerequisite: Classical Hebrew 138 or Semitic Philology 140.
[Semitic Philology 152. Introduction to Ugaritic]
Catalog Number: 2777
Jo Ann Hackett and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to Ugaritic grammar, with readings in mythological, epistolary, and administrative texts.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Semitic Philology 140 or equivalent.
Semitic Philology 220r. Northwest Semitic Epigraphy: Seminar
Catalog Number: 2948
John L. Ellison
Half course (spring term). F., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Topic for 2001-02: Northwest Semitic Texts.
Prerequisite: Semitic Philology 152.
[Semitic Philology 230. The Early History of Northwest Semitic]
Catalog Number: 3959
John Huehnergard
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Readings in the Canaanizing Akkadian tablets from el-Amarna; review of so-called “Amorite” sources, as well as early alphabetic, Egyptian, and other evidence for Northwest Semitic in the second millennium BCE.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Akkadian A and Classical Hebrew 138 or Semitic Philology 151.
[Swahili 120ar. Readings in Swahili]
Catalog Number: 5026
Ali S. Asani and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Swahili Aab or equivalent.
[Swahili 120br. Readings in Swahili]
Catalog Number: 4270
Ali S. Asani and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Swahili 120ar or equivalent.
Turkish 120a. Intermediate Turkish I
Catalog Number: 4009
F. Engin Sezer
Half course (fall term). M., through F., at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2, 11
Emphasis on complex sentence structure and building communicative competence in describing events and expressing ideas through exercises in reading, writing, and speaking.
Note: Not open to auditors.
Prerequisite: Turkish A or equivalent.
Turkish 120b. Intermediate Turkish II
Catalog Number: 1394
F. Engin Sezer
Half course (spring term). M., through F., at 9. EXAM GROUP: 2, 11
Studies in argumentative and literary prose.
Note: Not open to auditors.
Prerequisite: Turkish 120a or equivalent.
Turkish 121a. Elementary Uzbek
Catalog Number: 3006
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged; four meetings per week.
Introduction to conversational and literary Uzbek. Overview of the grammar, intensive practice of the spoken language, and reading of contemporary texts.
Note: Some knowledge of Modern Turkish or other Turkic language helpful but not required.
Turkish 121b. Elementary Uzbek
Catalog Number: 7303
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged; four meetings per week.
Continuation of Turkish 121a.
Note: Some knowledge of Modern Turkish or other Turkic language helpful but not required.
Turkish 130a. Advanced Turkish I
Catalog Number: 6964
F. Engin Sezer
Half course (fall term). M., through F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
Gaining and improving advanced language skills in Modern Turkish through reading, writing, listening, and speaking with special emphasis on the proper usage of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
Note: Not open to auditors.
Prerequisite: Turkish 120b or equivalent.
Turkish 130b. Advanced Turkish II
Catalog Number: 4354
F. Engin Sezer
Half course (spring term). M. through F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4, 13
Studies in literary and idiomatic prose through readings, discussions, and writing of short analytical papers.
Note: Not open to auditors.
Prerequisite: Turkish 130a or equivalent.
Turkish 140. Introduction to Ottoman
Catalog Number: 1906
Sinasi Tekin
Full course. Spring: Tu., at 1, Th., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: Spring: 15, 16
Introduction to basic orthographic conventions and grammatical characteristics of Ottoman Turkish through readings in printed selections from the 19th and 20th centuries, and exercises on techniques.
Prerequisite: Turkish A; and one year of Arabic or Persian desirable.
Turkish 142. Introduction to Ottoman Palaeography and Diplomatic Correspondence
Catalog Number: 0239
Sinasi Tekin
Full course. Fall: Tu., at 2, Th., 3–5; Spring: Tu., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: Fall: 16, 17, 18; Spring: 15, 16, 17
Calligraphic, orthographic, and stylistic characteristics of Ottoman legal and diplomatic correspondence through reading and analysis of primary sources.
Prerequisite: Turkish 140 or equivalent.
Turkish 146. Old Turkish
Catalog Number: 2929
Sinasi Tekin
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Writing and structure of Old Turkish through readings in Orkhon inscriptions and Old Uyghur Buddhist and Manichaean texts.
Prerequisite: Knowledge of one Turkish language.
Turkish 147a. Advanced Uzbek
Catalog Number: 3846
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. and assistant
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Turkish 147b. Advanced Uzbek
Catalog Number: 4820
Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. and assistant.
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Turkish 147a.
[Turkish 148b. Chaghatay: Poetry]
Catalog Number: 6843
Sinasi Tekin and assistant
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Language and style of Chagatay poetry through selected readings from the post-Karakhanid period until the 16th century.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Turkish A, Persian A, or equivalents.
Yiddish B. Intermediate Yiddish
Catalog Number: 6147
David Braun
Full course (indivisible). M., W., F., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 4
Further develops the four basic communication skills. Includes selected readings from modern Yiddish literature.
Prerequisite: Yiddish A or equivalent.
Yiddish Ca. Advanced Yiddish I
Catalog Number: 8331
David Braun
Half course (fall term). M., W., 4–5:30. EXAM GROUP: 9
Yiddish Cb. Advanced Yiddish II
Catalog Number: 8968
David Braun
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Prerequisite: Yiddish Ca or equivalent.
[Yiddish 102r. Modern Yiddish Literature I]
Catalog Number: 4013
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2002-03: To be anounced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03. Primary readings are in Yiddish (translations available). Class discussion in English.
[Yiddish 103r. Modern Yiddish Literature II ]
Catalog Number: 8269
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2002-2003: To be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Yiddish 105. Yiddish Language and Linguistic Theory
Catalog Number: 7146
David Braun
Half course (spring term). Th., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
Yiddish, spoken among Ashkenazic Jews (i.e., Jews of Western and Central European and, later, Eastern European origin) for the past millenium, belongs to the Germanic language family, although its contacts with Slavic and Semitic (Hebrew, Aramaic) have made lasting impressions. Facts of Yiddish phonology, morphology, syntax, and the syntax-semantics-pragmatics interface pose interesting problems for linguistic theory, many of which are not common to other Germanic languages. We will look at a wide range of Yiddish data and will read and discuss some of the more recent analytical attempts to understand these phenomena.
[Yiddish 108. American Jewish Literature]
Catalog Number: 6058
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Studies major motifs and tensions in Yiddish poetry, prose and drama during the heyday of Jewish immigrant culture when America became one of the world centers of Yiddish culture. Works by Abraham Cahan, Jacob Gordin, Moishe Leib Halpern, Sholem Asch, Jacob Glatstein, Anna Margolin, Isaac Bashevis Singer; the Yiddish influence on Isaac Rosenfeld, Saul Bellow, Irving Howe, and Cynthia Ozick.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003–04.
Yiddish 109. The Yiddish Novel Under Tsars and Stripes
Catalog Number: 6009
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Studies the emergence of the novel as a major Yiddish literary form in Poland, Russia, and the United States. Readings from Sholem Asch, David Bergelson, Isaac Rabon, Der Nister, Jacob Glatstein, I. J. Singer, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Chava Rosenfarb.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Yiddish helpful, but all works will be available in English translation.
[Yiddish 202r. Yiddish Literature: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 3854
Ruth R. Wisse
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Topic for 2001–02: To be announced.
Note: Expected to be given in 2002–03.
Prerequisite: Reading knowledge of Yiddish.