NES 2754 - Introduction to Near Eastern Civilization: Wondrous Literatures of the Near East

This course (which also fulfills an NES major requirement) is a multidisciplinary introduction to Near Eastern civilizations, exploring  history, literature, religion, art and archeology, and other aspects of the Near East’s rich and diverse heritage from earliest times to the present. We focus on Literature. Together we will read and discuss such ancient works as the Epic of Gilgamesh and ‘The Song of Songs,’ from such medieval works as the Travels of Ibn Battuta, the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, and the poems of Yehuda Ha-Levi, and modern material from the Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish literary traditions.  We will also watch films and be joined by outside speakers.  All material is in English translation.