Near Eastern Studies (NES)Arts and Sciences

Showing 37 results.

Course descriptions provided by the Courses of Study 2017-2018.

Last Updated

  • Schedule of Classes - June 19, 2018 12:09PM EDT
  • Course Catalog - March 23, 2018 2:31PM EDT

NES 1312
Introduction to Urdu Script

This class is an introductory class for beginners. This course will teach students how to listen, speak, read and write Urdu through vocabulary, grammar, oral and written activities, with an emphasis on ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: URDU 1125

  • 3 Credits GradeNoAud

  •  7239 NES 1312   SEM 101

  • Prerequisite: HINDI 1101 or permission of instructor.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 1602
Great Discoveries in Greek and Roman Archaeology

This introductory course surveys the archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman Mediterranean. Each week, we will explore a different archaeological discovery that transformed scholars' understanding of ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ARKEO 1702, CLASS 1702

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16344 NES 1602   LEC 001

  •  

NES 1660
The Vikings and their World

Globalisation may seem like a recent hot topic, but it was already very much in vogue 1000 years ago when Norse explorers burst out of Scandinavia to journey as far as North America, Azerbaijan, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HIST 1660, MEDVL 1660

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 17299 NES 1660   LEC 001

  •  

NES 1935
FWS: The Many Lives of Biblical Joseph

The Joseph "novella" is unique in the biblical text and the character of Joseph himself extends far beyond biblical boundaries, inspiring retellings and new accounts of Joseph's adventures.  To what can ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   FWS Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 17656 NES 1935   SEM 101

  •  

  • For more information about First-Year Writing Seminars, see the Knight Institute website at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/knight_institute

NES 1963
FWS: That's in the Bible? Archaeology and the Religion of Ancient Israel

A casual reading of the Hebrew Scriptures might lead one to believe that the normative religion of the Israelites was that spelled out in the Torah and Prophets.  However, a more critical appraisal of ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   FWS Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 18515 NES 1963   SEM 101

  •  

  • For more information about First-Year Writing Seminars, see the Knight Institute website at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/knight_institute

NES 1985
FWS: Writing Under Pressure: Arabic Fiction in Times of Crisis

This course examines Arabic fiction written under conditions of crisis, when the author's life or safety was under threat due to war, famine, a totalitarian regime, etc. All readings will be available ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   FWS Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 17657 NES 1985   SEM 101

  •  

  • For more information about First-Year Writing Seminars, see the Knight Institute website at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/knight_institute

NES 2202
Intermediate Urdu Reading and Writing II

This course is designed to develop competence in Urdu reading and writing for students with a first-year knowledge of Hindi and knowledge of Urdu script. The goal of this course is to improve listening, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: URDU 2226

  • 3 Credits GradeNoAud

  •  7074 NES 2202   LEC 001

  • Prerequisite: NES 2201 or permission of instructor.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 2575
Myth and Religion in Mesopotamia

This course will survey the cultic practices and beliefs of ancient Babylonia and Assyria, the two major civilizations of Mesopotamia. We will examine the major myths of this region, e.g., Ishtar's Descent ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: JWST 2575, NES 6575, RELST 2575

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7420 NES 2575   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2626
Modern Islam

In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte led a French expedition to Egypt, fighting a campaign that would extend to Syria and last three years. Napoleon's journey, however, signalled far more than the beginning of ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: RELST 2626

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16063 NES 2626   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2629
New Testament/Early Christian Literatures

This course provides a literary and historical introduction to the earliest Christian writings, especially those that eventually came to be included in the New Testament.  Through the lens of the Gospel ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: CLASS 2613, JWST 2629, RELST 2629

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15982 NES 2629   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2649
Controversy and Debate in Islam

Whether it is politics, society, the law, sexuality, popular culture or minorities' rights, the media are saturated with news on Islam. This course introduces topical issues in Islam as a religious, historical, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASIAN 2247, RELST 2247

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16094 NES 2649   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2668
Ancient Egyptian Civilization

The course surveys the history and culture of pharaonic Egypt from its prehistoric origins down to the early first millennium bce. Within a chronological framework, the following themes or topics will ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ARKEO 2668

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7419 NES 2668   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2676
Holy War, Crusade, and Jihad from Antiquity to Present

Articulating and elaborating religious justifications for war is a cultural practice unique to the three monotheistic traditions and their respective textual communities. This notion and its practice have ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Choose one lecture and one discussion. Combined with: JWST 2676, MEDVL 2676, RELST 2676

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 15969 NES 2676   LEC 001

  •  

  • 16355 NES 2676   DIS 201

  •  

  • 16356 NES 2676   DIS 202

  •  

  • 16357 NES 2676   DIS 203

  •  

NES 3511
Performing Islam in Southeast Asia

What role does Islam take in the politics, history, arts and rituals of Southeast Asia? Structured as a seminar, this course takes you on a journey through Southeast Asia, home to almost a quarter of the ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASIAN 3311, ASIAN 6611, RELST 3311

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16088 NES 3511   SEM 101

  •  

  • Prerequisite: One course in the humanities.

NES 3519
History of State and Society in Modern Iran (Through Literature and Film)

In the conditions of strict censorship and numerous limitations on various forms of political organization and activism, literature and cinema, especially Iran's internationally acclaimed art cinematography, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HIST 3519

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7855 NES 3519   LEC 001

  •  

NES 3655
Minorities of the Middle East

This course examines the historic diversity of the modern Middle East, exploring histories of inter-communal contact and conflict. We begin by investigating the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and the impact ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: COML 3743, JWST 3655, NES 6655

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16026 NES 3655   LEC 001

  •  

NES 3920
The Trans-Sahara Anti-Terrorist Campaign: Chasing AQMI, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS in an African Desert

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the war on terrorism has been the focus of US foreign policy in Africa. This focus has led to major adjustments in US priorities in Africa, including the pairing ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASRC 3420, GOVT 3423

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16558 NES 3920   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4520
Jewish Cities

From Jerusalem to Rome, from Shanghai to Marrakesh, Jews and cities have been shaping each other for thousands of years. This course ranges through time and space to examine how Jewish and other "minority" ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16781 NES 4520   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4530
The Caucasus: Captives, Cultures, Crossroads

The Caucasus occupies a distinctive place within both the ancient and modern imagination. It is a region long anchored to tropes of disobedience, punishment, and redemption. It is also a place in which ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 16030 NES 4530   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4560
Theory and Method in Near Eastern Studies

Requirement for NES majors.  Seminar offering advanced Near Eastern Studies students the opportunity to read and discuss the range of theories and methods that have been employed by scholars ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 6560

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  5606 NES 4560   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4644
Late Bronze Age World of Ugarit

No description available. view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16016 NES 4644   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4652
Bodies and Diseases in the Middle East (1500-2000)

Bodies and Diseases in the Middle East (1500-2000) will explore the history of medicine and science in the Middle East from early modern period to the present. It covers the main topics and questions regarding ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: BSOC 4651, FGSS 4652, NES 6652

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  8929 NES 4652   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4660
Global Religious Revival of the 1970's

In the 1960s, religiosity was said to be a mere byproduct of tradition, increasingly marginalized by modernization. Yet, in an unexpected turn, the 1970s saw religious revival swept across the globe as ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 6650, RELST 4660

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16036 NES 4660   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4913
Walter Benjamin

This extraordinary figure died in 1941, and his death  is emblematic of the intellectual depradations of Nazism. Yet since World War II, his influence, his reputation, and his fascination for scholars ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15013 NES 4913   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4992
Independent Study, Undergraduate Level

For undergraduates who wish to obtain research experience or do extensive reading on a special topic. Students select a topic in consultation with the faculty member who has agreed to supervise ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6937 NES 4992   IND 602

    • TBA

    • Brann, R

  • To apply for independent study, please complete the on-line form at https://data.arts.cornell.edu/as-stus/indep_study_intro.cfm.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6938 NES 4992   IND 603

    • TBA

    • Weatherspoon, M

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6939 NES 4992   IND 604

    • TBA

    • Fahmy, Z

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6940 NES 4992   IND 605

    • TBA

    • Haines-Eitzen, K

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6941 NES 4992   IND 607

    • TBA

    • Monroe, C

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6942 NES 4992   IND 608

    • TBA

    • Monroe, L

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6943 NES 4992   IND 611

    • TBA

    • Powers, D

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6944 NES 4992   IND 612

    • TBA

    • Scharf, N

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6945 NES 4992   IND 613

    • TBA

    • Shoer, S

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6946 NES 4992   IND 614

    • TBA

    • Starr, D

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6947 NES 4992   IND 616

    • TBA

    • Younes, M

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7028 NES 4992   IND 618

    • TBA

    • Gocheleishvili, I

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7144 NES 4992   IND 621

    • TBA

    • Tenney, J

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7233 NES 4992   IND 622

    • TBA

    • Khatchadourian, L

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  8560 NES 4992   IND 623

    • TBA

    • Rock-Singer, A

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 4998
Senior Honors Essay

Each fall, a small number of highly qualified seniors enter the Near Eastern Studies Honors Program. The Honors Program is open to NES majors who have done superior work and who wish to devote a substantial ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 4 Credits Multi-Term

  •  7040 NES 4998   IND 601

    • TBA

    • Staff

  • NES 4998 is the FIRST course in the Honors two-part sequence.

    Department Consent Required (Add)

NES 4999
Senior Honors Essay

Each fall, a small number of highly qualified seniors enter the Near Eastern Studies Honors Program. The Honors Program is open to NES majors who have done superior work and who wish to devote a substantial ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 4 Credits Graded

  •  6285 NES 4999   IND 601

    • TBA

    • Staff

  • NES 4999 is the SECOND course in the Honors two-part sequence. To enroll in Honors, please email cmc40@cornell.edu to request a permission number.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 6530
The Caucasus: Captives, Cultures, Crossroads

The Caucasus occupies a distinctive place within both the ancient and modern imagination. It is a region long anchored to tropes of disobedience, punishment, and redemption. It is also a place in which ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16041 NES 6530   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6560
Theory and Method in Near Eastern Studies

Requirement for NES majors.  Seminar offering advanced Near Eastern Studies students the opportunity to read and discuss the range of theories and methods that have been employed by scholars ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 4560

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  8400 NES 6560   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6575
Myth and Religion in Mesopotamia

This course will survey the cultic practices and beliefs of ancient Babylonia and Assyria, the two major civilizations of Mesopotamia. We will examine the major myths of this region, e.g., Ishtar's Descent ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: JWST 2575, NES 2575, RELST 2575

  • 4 Credits Graded

  •  8166 NES 6575   LEC 001

  •  

NES 6644
Late Bronze Age World of Ugarit

No description available. view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16011 NES 6644   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6650
Global Religious Revival of the 1970's

In the 1960s, religiosity was said to be a mere byproduct of tradition, increasingly marginalized by modernization. Yet, in an unexpected turn, the 1970s saw religious revival swept across the globe as ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: NES 4660, RELST 4660

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16038 NES 6650   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6652
Bodies and Diseases in the Middle East (1500-2000)

Bodies and Diseases in the Middle East (1500-2000) will explore the history of medicine and science in the Middle East from early modern period to the present. It covers the main topics and questions regarding ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: BSOC 4651, FGSS 4652, NES 4652

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  8928 NES 6652   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6655
Minorities of the Middle East

This examines the historic diversity of the modern Middle East, exploring histories of inter-communal contact and conflict. We begin by investigating the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and the impact of ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: COML 3743, JWST 3655, NES 3655

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16029 NES 6655   LEC 001

  •  

NES 6992
Independent Study: Graduate Level

For graduate students who wish to do intensive reading on a focused topic. Students select a topic in consultation with the faculty member that has agreed to supervise the course. view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6286 NES 6992   IND 601

  •  
    • TBA

    • Starr, D

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6406 NES 6992   IND 602

  •  
    • TBA

    • Monroe, L

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6413 NES 6992   IND 604

  •  
    • TBA

    • Haines-Eitzen, K

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6948 NES 6992   IND 605

  •  
    • TBA

    • Monroe, C

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6949 NES 6992   IND 606

  •  
    • TBA

    • Brann, R

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6950 NES 6992   IND 607

  •  
    • TBA

    • Weatherspoon, M

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6951 NES 6992   IND 608

  •  
    • TBA

    • Fahmy, Z

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6952 NES 6992   IND 609

  •  
    • TBA

    • Scharf, N

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6953 NES 6992   IND 611

  •  
    • TBA

    • Younes, M

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6954 NES 6992   IND 613

  •  
    • TBA

    • Powers, D

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7234 NES 6992   IND 614

  •  
    • TBA

    • Tenney, J

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7235 NES 6992   IND 615

  •  
    • TBA

    • Khatchadourian, L

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 18200 NES 6992   IND 616

  •  
Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 18923 NES 6992   IND 617

  •  
    • TBA

    • Gocheleishvili, I

NES 7520
Jewish Cities

From Jerusalem to Rome, from Shanghai to Marrakesh, Jews and cities have been shaping each other for thousands of years. This course ranges through time and space to examine how Jewish and other "minority" ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16785 NES 7520   SEM 101

  •  

NES 7913
Walter Benjamin

This extraordinary figure died in 1941, and his death is emblematic of the intellectual depradations of Nazism. Yet since World War II, his influence, his reputation, and his fascination for scholars in ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 15023 NES 7913   SEM 101

  •