01-02 LS&A Bulletin

Courses in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies (Division 314)

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ACABS 100 / AAPTIS 100 / HJCS 100 / HISTORY 132. Peoples of the Middle East.: (General Near Eastern Studies); (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; An introductory course on the diversity of peoples, cultures, economies, and politics of the Middle East. Topics include religion (Judaism, Islam, Christianity), cities and nomads, women in the Middle East, economic change, social and political systems, and the world's first civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
ACABS 101. Elementary Biblical Hebrew I.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); (3). (LR).; An introduction to the language and style of the Hebrew Bible. Daily instruction on grammar with drills.
ACABS 102. Elementary Biblical Hebrew II.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 101. (3). (LR).; Lessons and exercises in a standardized form of the language of the Hebrew Bible. Presentation of grammar and vocabulary.
ACABS 121 / RELIGION 121. Introduction to the Tanakh/Old Testament.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); (4; 3 in the half-term.). (HU).; Introduction to the Hebrew Bible in translation and to modern methods of interpretation.
ACABS 122 / RELIGION 122. Introduction to the New Testament.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; This course introduces the student to the modern study of the new testament, the most widely read but, probably, least understood book in the world. The course places the New Testament in its historical setting and introduce students to the methods of interpretation of New Testament writings.
ACABS 200 / AAPTIS 200 / HJCS 200 / RELIGION 201. Introduction to World Religions: Near Eastern.: (General Near Eastern Studies); (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; Religions of the Book: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An introduction to those world religions with roots in the Near East. The traditions studied include Ancient Israel (including the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) as well as its "offspring:" Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Special attention is paid the origins and development of these traditions, what they share, and how they differ.
ACABS 201. Intermediate Biblical Hebrew, I.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 102. (3). (LR).; This course is an introduction to the literature of the Hebrew Bible. Texts representing different literary genres and dating from different periods are read in the original. Students are introduced to the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible and the problems of its translation and interpretation. Special emphasis is placed on refining the student's knowledge of Biblical Hebrew through the study of Hebrew syntax.
ACABS 202. Intermediate Biblical Hebrew, II.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 201. (3). (LR).; The student is introduced to the elements of Biblical Hebrew syntax and other aspects of advanced grammar. Selected Biblical texts are read and their historical and literary backgrounds analyzed and discussed.
ACABS 221 / RELIGION 280. Jesus and the Gospels.: (New Testament); (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; An examination of the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and of the form, purpose, and context of the Gospels.
ACABS 261. Ancient Egypt: Religion and Culture.: (Ancient Egypt: Culture Courses); (4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl).; A general introduction to the religion and culture of Ancient Egypt, students in this course examine aspects of ancient Egyptian religion through its intellectual and material culture.
ACABS 266. Before the Bible: The Phoenicians.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); (3). (HU).; Introduction to the culture and religion of the Phoenicians, the inhabitants of ancient Lebanon and Palestine before and during the period of the Bible.
ACABS 277 / HJCS 277 / AAPTIS 277 / JUDAIC 277 / HISTORY 277 / RELIGION 277. The Land of Israel/Palestine through the Ages.: (Jewish Literature and Culture in English); (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; A survey course on the history of the Land of Israel. It outlines the historical events that occurred in that territory, analyze the various factors (political, economic, cultural) that shaped its development, and introduce empires and nations that ruled the land as well as the people who inhabited its cities and villages.
ACABS 281. Ancient Egypt and its World.: (Ancient Egypt: Culture Courses); (4; 3 in the half term). (HU).; A general introduction to the history and culture of ancient Egypt and the peoples and cultures in contact with the Egyptians.
ACABS 291. Topics in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies.: (Occasional Course); (3). (Excl).; Undergraduate topics course in the field of Ancient Culture and Biblical Study.
ACABS 307 / GREEK 307. The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke.: (Courses in Greek); Greek 102; and permission of instructor. Taught in Greek. (3). (LR).; Careful attention is paid to the morphology and syntax of Koine Greek, particularly as the morphology and syntax contrasts with Attic Greek. The three Gospels are read in their entirety, with close attention paid to stylistic differences in the accounts.
ACABS 308 / GREEK 308. The Acts of the Apostles.: (New Testament: Courses in Greek); Greek 102; and permission of instructor. Taught in Greek. (3). (LR).; A continuation of ABS 307, with greater attention to New Testament idiom and style. Special attention is given to selected vocabulary: the etymology and the shift in meaning as the words are used in Attic, Hellenistic and Koine Greek.
ACABS 321 / HISTORY 306 / RELIGION 358. Israel Before the Exile (587 BCE): Its History & Religion.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); (4). (HU).; Traces the cultural history of Ancient Israel as seen within the larger histories of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria of the late 2nd and mid 1st millennia (1200-600 BCE).
ACABS 322 / HISTORY 307 / RELIGION 359. History and Religion of Ancient Judaism.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); May be elected independently of ACABS 321. (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; Covers the history and religion of Ancient Judaism from the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE) to the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism (3rd century CE).
ACABS 382 / HISTART 382 / ANTHRCUL 381. Introduction to Egyptian Archaeology.: (Ancient Egypt: Culture Courses); Upperclass standing. (4; 3 in the half-term). (HU).; This course focuses on the material culture and disposition of archaeological sites in ancient Egypt and Nubia from c. 3200 bce-285 ac. The logic and nature of both sacred and secular landscapes are explored, and specific sites, some well known (such as the extensive temple precinct at Karnak and the Meroitic pyramids).
ACABS 393 / AAPTIS 393 / RELIGION 393. The Religion of Zoroaster.: (General Near Eastern Studies); (3). (HU).; A comprehensive introduction to the dualistic religion of Zoroaster, his view of creation and salvation, and ethics.
ACABS 395. Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies: Directed Readings.: (General ACABS); (1-3). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT). May be repeated for a total of six credits.; Designed for individual students who have an interest in a specific topic (usually that has stemmed from a previous course). An individual instructor must agree to direct such a reading and the requirements are specified when approval is granted.
ACABS 411. Introduction to Akkadian.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Language Courses); Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).; Examination of the principles underlying the writing system of the Babylonians, followed by guided reading in Assyrian and Babylonian texts.
ACABS 412. Akkadian Texts.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Language Courses); ACABS 411. (3). (Excl).; Examination of the principles underlying the writing system of the Babylonians, followed by guided reading in Assyrian and Babylonian texts.
ACABS 413 / ANTHRCUL 442 / HISTORY 440. Ancient Mesopotamia: History and Culture.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Culture Course); Junior standing. (4; 3 in the half-term). (Excl).; Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilization from the first cuneiform documents to the fall of the Neo-Babylonian empire; special attention to (1) the rise and nature of early Mesopotamian city-states; (2) Mesopotamian economics; (3) Mesopotamian law; (4) ethnic relations in Mesopotamia; (5) Mesopotamia and its neighbors � Egypt, Iran, Israel; (6) the collapse of Mesopotamian civilization.
ACABS 414 / RELIGION 442. Mythology and Literature of Ancient Mesopotamia.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Culture Course); (3). (Excl).; This course provides a broad introduction to the two and a half millennia of Sumerian and Akkadian writing including myth and literature. It is studied from a variety of perspectives, concentrating on the historical and social contexts of writing. Genre theory, semiotics, hermeneutics and reader response is studied in conjunction with the unique problems of ancient myths.
ACABS 415. Elementary Hittite.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Language Courses); (3). (Excl).; An introduction to the earliest-attested Indo-European language. Presentation of the fundamentals of Hittite grammar and orientation to the cuneiform writing system. Consideration of the position of Hittite among the languages of Europe and the Near East.
ACABS 483. Aramaic, I.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 102. (3). (Excl).; Introduction to the classical Aramaic of the Persian and Hellenistic periods.
ACABS 484. Aramaic, II.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 483. (3). (Excl).; Introduction to the classical Aramaic of the Persian and Hellenistic periods.
ACABS 485. Introduction to Middle Egyptian, I.: (Ancient Egypt: Language Courses); Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).; An introduction to the language of the Middle Kingdom.
ACABS 486. Introduction to Middle Egyptian, II.: (Ancient Egypt: Language Courses); ACABS 485. (3). (Excl).; An introduction to the language of the Middle Kingdom.
ACABS 487 / WOMENSTD 487. Gender and Society in Ancient Egypt.: (Ancient Egypt: Culture Courses); Some familiarity with Egypt is helpful. (3). (Excl).; Using ancient texts in translation, secondary readings and artifacts in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, students in this course examine the definitions of gender, gender roles, and relations and the impact of status, religion, sexuality, and ethnicity on ancient Egyptian understandings of gender.
ACABS 491. Topics in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies.: (Occasional Course); (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.; A course for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students taught by temporary faculty or as a testing course for permanent faculty.
ACABS 498. Senior Honors Thesis.: (Occasional Course); Permission of instructor. (1-6). (Excl). (INDEPENDENT).; The Senior Honors thesis is for students who have been approved by the Near Eastern Studies concentration advisor, honors advisor, and the LSA Honors Council. The length of the thesis may vary, but 50-60 pages is common. Two advisors should be chosen. The principal advisor is a member of the faculty in whose field of expertise the thesis topic lies, and he or she oversees the student's research and the direction taken by the thesis.
ACABS 511. Introduction to Sumerian.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Language Courses); (3). (Excl).; Introduction to the study of Sumerian with emphasis on learning to read.
ACABS 512. Sumerian Texts.: (Mesopotamian and Hittite Studies: Language Courses); ACABS 511. (3). (Excl).; Continuation of Introduction to Sumerian with emphasis on learning to read.
ACABS 521. Coptic, I.: (Ancient Egypt: Language Courses, New Testament); (3). (Excl).; In this course students learn to read Coptic, the latest form of the Egyptian language. Coptic has recently become very important because it is the language in which the Nag Hammadi texts are written. These texts, discovered in 1945, reveal information about the schisms which divided early Judaism and Christianity.
ACABS 543 / HJCS 543. The Bible in Jewish Tradition.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Culture Courses); Permission of instructor. (3). (Excl).; Selections from the Hebrew Bible are read and interpreted in the light of the ancient (Aramaic) Targumim and the medieval commentaries.
ACABS 544 / HJCS 544. Tannaitic Literature.: (Jewish Literature and Culture in Hebrew); HJCS 302. (3). (Excl).; Readings and interpretations of texts from the Tannaitic corpus of literature, including Mishnah and Midrash.
ACABS 581. Ugaritic, I.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 102. (3). (Excl).; Readings in the Ras Shamra texts, with emphasis on the development of the Canaanite languages.
ACABS 582. Ugaritic, II.: (Ancient Israel/Hebrew Bible: Language Courses); ACABS 581. (3). (Excl).; Readings in the Ras Shamra texts, with emphasis on the development of the Canaanite languages.
ACABS 585. Advanced Middle Egyptian.: (Ancient Egypt: Language Courses); ACABS 486. (3). (Excl).; This course continues the study of Middle Egyptian beyond the first year by exposing students to a variety of texts in this language. Students read a selection of biographical, literary, religious, magical, medical and documentary texts, in modern transcriptions and in facsimiles of the ancient originals.
ACABS 587. Seminar in Ancient Egyptian History and Culture: Selected Topics.: (Ancient Egypt: Culture Courses); ACABS 281 or 382. (3). (Excl). May be repeated for a total of six credits.; Selected topics in Ancient Egyptian history and culture.
ACABS 591. Topics in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies.: (Occasional Course); (3). (Excl).; A course for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students taught by temporary faculty or as a testing course for permanent faculty.
ACABS 592. Seminar in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies.: (Occasional Course); (3). (Excl).; Seminar intended for upper level undergraduates and graduate students.
ACABS 593. Mini Course � Topics in Ancient Civilizations and Biblical Studies.: (Occasional Course); (1). (Excl).; Course for upper level undergraduates and graduate students to be taught by temporary faculty or as an experimental course for permanent faculty.

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