Ancient Near East Course Listings

Lower Division Course

10W. Jerusalem: Holy City. (5)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: English Composition 3 or 3H or English as a Second Language 36. Survey of religious, political, and cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia as symbolic focus of three faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Transformation of sacred space as reflected by literary and archaeological evidence through examination of testimony of artifacts, architecture, and iconography in relation to written word. Study of creation of mythic Jerusalem through event and experience. Satisfies Writing II requirement. Letter grading.

Upper Division Courses

CM101A. Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period to New Kingdom. (4)

(Formerly numbered Near Eastern Languages M101A.) (Same as Art History M101A.) Lecture, three hours. Study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts during Predynastic period and Old Kingdom. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Concurrently scheduled with course C267A. P/NP or letter grading.

CM101B. Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom to Greco-Roman Period. (4)

(Formerly numbered Near Eastern Languages M101B.) (Same as Art History M101B.) Lecture, three hours. Study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts from New Kingdom to Greco-Roman period. Concurrently scheduled with course C267B. P/NP or letter grading.

M103A-M103B. Ancient Egyptian Civilization. (4-4)

(Same as History M103A-M103B.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Course M103A is not requisite to M103B. Designed for juniors/seniors. Political and cultural institutions of ancient Egypt and ideas on which they were based. P/NP or letter grading. M103A. Chronological discussion of Prehistory, Old and Middle Kingdom. M103B. New Kingdom and Late period until 332 B.C.

M104. History of Ancient Mesopotamia and Syria. (4)

(Same as History M104.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Political and cultural development of Fertile Crescent, including Palestine, from Late Uruk to neo-Babylonian period. Letter grading.

M110A-M110B-M110C. Iranian Civilization. (4-4-4)

(Same as History M110A-M110B-M110C and Iranian M110A-M110B-M110C.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). History of ancient Iran from rise of Elam to end of Sasanian dynasty — Elamite civilization and Mede, Achaemenid, Arsacid, and Sasanian Empires. Emphasis on ancient Iran, but may be offered for early Islamic period. P/NP or letter grading.

120A-120B-120C. Elementary Ancient Egyptian. (5-5-5)

Lecture, five hours. Course 120A is requisite to 120B, which is requisite to 120C. P/NP or letter grading. 120A. Introduction to hieroglyphic script and phonology and morphology of Middle Egyptian. Basic rules of Middle Egyptian syntax, with focus on nominal, adjectival, and adverbial sentences. 120B. Verbal system and syntax of verbal sentences of Middle Egyptian. 120C. Reading of authentic Egyptian texts to deepen knowledge of Egyptian grammar and to acquire familiarity with aims and methods of philology, study of ancient texts.

121A-121B-121C. Intermediate Ancient Egyptian Readings. (5-5-5)

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 120C. Course 121A is requisite to 121B, which is requisite to 121C. Thematic readings in ancient Egyptian historical, religious, and literary texts. May be repeated for credit. P/NP or letter grading.

123A-123B. Coptic. (5-5)

Lecture, three hours. Course 123A is requisite to 123B. Introduction to Coptic grammar and reading of Coptic texts. P/NP or letter grading.

124. Middle Egyptian Technical Literature. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 121C. Reading of Middle Egyptian technical literature in hieroglyphic transcription. Medical, veterinary, mathematical, and astronomical texts included. P/NP or letter grading.

130. Ancient Egyptian Religion. (5)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction to religious beliefs, practices, and sentiments of ancient Egypt to study Egyptian religion as coherent system of thought and sphere of action that once served as meaningful and relevant framework for understanding physical reality and human life for inhabitants of Nile Valley. General principles as well as developments through time (circa 3000 B.C. to 300 C.E.). Topics include mythology, temple and cult, magic, and personal piety. P/NP or letter grading.

135. Religion in Ancient Israel. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Introductory survey of various ancient Israelite religious beliefs and practices, their origin, and development, with special attention to diversity of religious practice in ancient Israel and Canaan during 1st millennium B.C.E. P/NP or letter grading.

140A-140B-140C. Elementary Sumerian. (4-4-4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisites: Semitics 140A, 140B. Elementary grammar and reading of royal inscriptions, letters, and administrative texts from Ur III period. P/NP or letter grading.

145. Sumerian Literary Texts. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 140A, 140B. Reading and interpretation of selected Sumerian literary texts. P/NP or letter grading.

150A-150B-150C. Survey of Ancient Near Eastern Literatures in English. (4-4-4)

Lecture, three hours. Each course may be taken independently for credit. P/NP or letter grading. 150A. Mesopotamia; 150B. Egypt; 150C. Syria and Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia.

160. Origins of Agriculture. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: Anthropology 8. Overview of prehistory of ancient Near East, with focus on human origins, origins of agriculture, and first cities. P/NP or letter grading.

161. Archaeology of Prehistoric Mesopotamia. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Survey of prehistoric archaeological periods in Mesopotamia. P/NP or letter grading.

162. Archaeology of Ancient Israel. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Survey of Bronze and Iron Age archaeology of Canaan and Israel through coming of Alexander the Great, with emphasis on relationship between archaeology and historical texts. P/NP or letter grading.

163. Archaeology of Iran. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Designed to introduce students to Iranian archaeology from prehistoric through Achaemenid times. P/NP or letter grading.

164A. Sumerians. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Overview of Sumer and related cultures of Greater Mesopotamia in 4th and 3rd millennia B.C.E., with focus on rich cultural history of region and integration of archaeological, art historical, and written records. P/NP or letter grading.

164B. Assyrians. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Overview of Assyrian cultural history from its origins to end of Neo-Assyrian period (circa 612 B.C.E.), with focus on rise, mechanics, and decline of Neo-Assyrian Empire, which at its peak ruled ancient Near East from Zagros to Egypt. P/NP or letter grading.

164C. Babylonians. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Overview of Babylonia and cultural history of region from late 3rd millennium B.C.E. to invasion of Cyrus in 539 B.C.E., with focus on history and archaeology of region, urban structure, literature, and legal practices. P/NP or letter grading.

C165. Egyptian Archaeology. (4)

(Formerly numbered 165.) Seminar, three hours. Requisite: one course from M103A, M103B, 130, or Near Eastern Languages 50A. Opportunity to research aspects of topics in ancient Egyptian archaeology. Topics vary each year. May be repeated for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C266. P/NP or letter grading.

M167. Magic in Ancient World. (4)

(Same as Classics M167.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Requisite: Classics 10 or 20. Exploration of art of influencing natural course of events by occult means as practiced in ancient world at large. Coverage of beliefs in supernatural forces, rites aimed at controlling these forces effectively, and character and social roles of ritual experts in various cultures of ancient world. Source material includes types of magical spells, literary texts about magic and magicians, and artifacts such as amulets and ritual implements. P/NP or letter grading.

M168. Introductory Hittite. (4)

(Same as Indo-European Studies M168.) Lecture, two hours; recitation, one hour. Recommended preparation: knowledge of language with case system. Introduction to Hittite grammar by series of graded lessons covering morphology and syntax, followed by readings of selected texts from variety of genres in transliteration. P/NP or letter grading.

170. Introduction to Biblical Studies. (4)

Lecture, two hours. Knowledge of original languages not required. Bible (Old and New Testaments) as book. Canon, text, and versions. Linguistic, literary, historical, and religious approaches to Bible study. Survey of history of interpretation from antiquity to present. P/NP or letter grading.

M185D. Religions of Ancient Near East. (4)

(Same as History M185D.) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Main polytheistic systems of ancient Near East, with emphasis on Mesopotamia and Syria and with reference to religion of ancient Israel: varying concepts of divinity, hierarchies of gods, prayer and cult, magics, wisdom, and moral conduct. P/NP or letter grading.

197. Individual Studies in Ancient Near East. (2 to 4)

Tutorial, one hour. Limited to juniors/seniors. Individual intensive study, with scheduled meetings to be arranged between faculty member and student. Assigned reading and tangible evidence of mastery of subject matter required. May be repeated for credit. Individual contract required. P/NP or letter grading.

199. Directed Research or Senior Project in Ancient Near East. (2 to 4)

Tutorial, one hour. Limited to juniors/seniors. Supervised individual research or investigation under guidance of faculty mentor. Culminating paper or project required. May be repeated for credit. Individual contract required. P/NP or letter grading.

Graduate Courses

M201. Archaeological Research Design. (4)

(Same as Archaeology M201C.) Seminar, three hours. Requisites: Archaeology M201A, M201B. How to design archaeological projects in preparation for M.A. thesis or Ph.D. phase. Students do exploratory research to select subject, then write research design that could form basis for extensive paper, grant application, or oral examination. Students work closely with faculty members and report weekly on their progress. Preparation of at least two oral progress-report presentations, one on theoretical framework and one on practical aspects of project. Final written research design that incorporates theoretical and practical aspects of research and formulates bridging arguments required. S/U or letter grading.

M208. Topics in Ancient Iranian History. (4)

(Same as History M210 and Iranian M210.) Seminar, three hours. Varying topics on Elamite, Achaemenid, Arsacid, and Sasanian history. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

210. Late Egyptian. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisites: courses 121A, 121B, 121C. Late Egyptian grammar and reading of both hieroglyphic and hieratic texts. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

211A-211B. Egyptian Texts of Greco-Roman Period. (4-4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 121C. Introduction to grammar and orthography of hieroglyphic texts from Greco-Roman temples. Text readings and translation of various textual types. Letter grading.

220. Seminar: Ancient Egypt. (4)

Seminar, three hours. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

221A-221B. Demotic. (4-4)

Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 121C. Course 221A is requisite to 221B. Introduction to Demotic grammar and orthography. Reading of texts from various genres. May be repeated for credit with topic change. S/U or letter grading.

230. Seminar: Ancient Syria/Palestine. (4)

Seminar, three hours. Examination of selected topics on political, social, and intellectual history of ancient Israel. Exploration of how historical, social, and political contexts shaped and influenced interpretation and use of biblical texts. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

240A-240B-240C. Seminars: Sumerian Language and Literature. (4-4-4)

Seminar, two hours. Readings of texts from various Sumerian periods and literary genres; selected problems in linguistic or stylistic analysis and literary history. S/U or letter grading.

M250. Seminar: Ancient Mesopotamia. (4)

(Same as History M207.) Seminar, three hours. Selected topics on political, social, and intellectual history of ancient Mesopotamia. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

250X. Seminar: Ancient Mesopotamia. (1)

Seminar, three hours. Selected topics on political, social, and intellectual history of ancient Mesopotamia. Course for students who participate regularly in class meetings but without homework required in course M250. May be repeated for credit. S/U grading.

260. Seminar: Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology. (2 to 4)

Seminar, two hours. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

261. Practical Field Archaeology. (2 to 8)

Fieldwork, two hours. Participation in archaeological excavations or other archaeological research in Near East under staff supervision. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

262. Seminar: Object Archaeology. (4)

Seminar, two hours; laboratory, one hour. Selected topics in analysis and interpretation of Near Eastern archaeological finds in museum collections. Students work with objects in Heeramanek Collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art. S/U or letter grading.

263. Seminar: Egyptian Monuments. (4)

Seminar, two hours. Selected monuments and sites in Egypt, including Delta, Nile Valley, desert sites, wadis, oases, and border regions. Architecture and decoration of temples and tombs, statuary and monuments, settlement and use history, text translation of appropriate documents, including stelae, monumental inscriptions, or pertinent socioeconomic texts. May be repeated. S/U or letter grading.

264. Egyptian Museum Collections. (4)

Seminar, two hours; research group meeting, one hour. Ancient Egyptian museum collections around world, data sets, provenance and dating studies, collection history and agenda, museology, and exhibition history. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.

M265. Depositional History and Stratigraphic Analysis. (4)

(Same as Archaeology M265.) Lecture, two hours. Theoretical understanding of depositional processes (“laws”) which lead to site formation and of stratigraphic procedures to be used in recovery of embedded cultural materials. Study of issues covered in literature, with specific test cases from actual excavations and site reports. Coverage of theoretical implications of such disciplines as surveying and pedology with help of specialists. S/U or letter grading.

C266. Egyptian Archaeology. (4)

Seminar, three hours. Requisite: one course from M103A, M103B, 130, or Near Eastern Languages 50A. Opportunity to research aspects of topics in ancient Egyptian archaeology. Topics vary each year. May be repeated for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C165. S/U or letter grading.

C267A. Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period to New Kingdom. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts during Predynastic period and Old Kingdom. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Concurrently scheduled with course CM101A. S/U or letter grading.

C267B. Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom to Greco-Roman Period. (4)

Lecture, three hours. Study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor arts from New Kingdom to Greco-Roman period. Concurrently scheduled with course CM101B. S/U or letter grading.

268. Seminar: Art and Death in Ancient Egypt. (4)

Seminar, two hours; discussion, two hours. Ways of death, burial, funerary ritual, and afterlife beliefs in ancient Egypt, as well as in ancient Near East and Nubia, with focus on ancient visual materials — both objects and architecture — from Predynastic to Roman periods. S/U or letter grading.

272. Semitic Background of New Testament. (4)

Lecture, two hours. Requisites: Hebrew 102A, 102B, 102C, Semitics 130, Greek 1, 2. Study of Semitic elements in Greek New Testament: traditions transmitted in Aramaic, relations to Old Testament and to post-Biblical literature, and Palestinian Judaism. S/U or letter grading.

596. Directed Individual Study. (2 to 8)

Tutorial, to be arranged. May be repeated for credit. S/U or letter grading.

597. Examination Preparation. (2 to 8)

Tutorial, to be arranged. S/U grading.

599. Ph.D. Dissertation Research and Preparation. (2 to 8)

Tutorial, to be arranged. S/U grading.