Near Eastern Studies (NES)Arts and Sciences

Showing 36 results.

Course descriptions provided by the Courses of Study 2018-2019.

Last Updated

  • Schedule of Classes - May 15, 2019 12:56PM EDT
  • Course Catalog - March 4, 2019 1:00PM EST

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

  •  7058 NES 1312   SEM 101

  • Prerequisite: HINDI 1101 or permission of instructor.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 1932
FWS: Conflict and Coexistence: Religion in the Medieval Mediterranean

Many modern ideas – such as the "Clash of Civilizations" and convivencia ("living together") hypotheses – have been applied to the history of interfaith interactions among members of Jewish, Christian ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   FWS Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 17765 NES 1932   SEM 101

  •  

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

NES 1970
FWS: On Islands: Poetics of the Insular in World Literature

From idealized innocence to invoked fear of the unknown, and through philosophical notions of contingency and geological coincidence: in "Poetics of the Insular" we read and write about islands in world ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   FWS Session. 

  • 3 Credits Graded

  • 17766 NES 1970   SEM 101

  •  

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

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

  •  6904 NES 2202   LEC 001

  • Prerequisite: NES 2201 or permission of instructor.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

NES 2360
Music and Islam

What does Islam "say" about music? This course will trace circulations of this question in scholarly, popular, media, and religious discourses. Why and how does it matter what sound is called music and ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASRC 2360, MUSIC 2360, RELST 2360

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 17381 NES 2360   LEC 001

  •  

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

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Syllabi: none

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

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7226 NES 2575   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2607
Islam and Politics: Between an Islamic State and Daily Life

In the early twentieth century, a series of movements arose in the Middle East and South Asia, calling Muslims to return to Islam. Today, leaders and members of such groups –now known as Islamists –insist ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: GOVT 2807, HIST 2607, RELST 2617

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16328 NES 2607   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2640
The Age of Suleiman the Magnificent

Much has been written about the so-called "Golden Age" of the Ottoman Empire, some based on documentary evidence, while other based on the fertile imagination of foreign diplomats, artists, and historians ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HIST 2460

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16488 NES 2640   SEM 101

  •  

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

  •  8701 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

  •  7225 NES 2668   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2670
The History and Politics of Modern Egypt

This lecture class will explore the socio-cultural history of modern Egypt from the late 18th century to the 21st century "Arab Spring." We will explore Egyptian history under the Ottomans and the Mamluks, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASRC 2670, GOVT 2673, HIST 2672

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16339 NES 2670   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2695
Introduction to Christian History

This course offers an introduction to the history of Christianity from the first century through the seventeenth and perhaps a bit beyond. Our emphasis will be on the diversity of Christian traditions, ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: CLASS 2636, MEDVL 2695, RELST 2695

  • 3 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16359 NES 2695   LEC 001

  •  

NES 2793
Middle Eastern Cinema

Film industries in the Middle East, as in much of the rest of the world, emerged out of efforts at the national level. In the Arab world and Israel, the film industries reflect upon struggles ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 16334 NES 2793   LEC 001

  •  

NES 3542
The Ottoman Empire 1800-1922

This course will take the students through the age of reforms in the Ottoman Empire, the rising of nationalism, and the encroachment of colonialism in the Middle East, North Africa and the Balkans, and ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: HIST 3542

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16796 NES 3542   LEC 001

  •  

  • NES 1561 is a recommended prerequisite.

NES 3588
Biblical Archaeology

The purpose of the course is to place the Bible within the context of a larger ancient world that can be explored by systematic excavation of physical remains. Students will become familiar with archaeological ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 16363 NES 3588   SEM 101

  •  

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

  •  8666 NES 3655   LEC 001

  •  

NES 3802
Race and Ethnicity in the Ancient World

We will consider two basic questions: did the ancient Greeks and Romans have a concept of race or racial identity? If not, what were the dominant collective identities they used to classify themselves ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: CLASS 3802, HIST 3802

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • 16602 NES 3802   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4473
Messiah and Modernity

This course combines Jewish religious history with studies in the philosophy of modernity, focusing on changing conceptions of time and history.  We will interrogate possible or implicit connections between ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 17156 NES 4473   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4533
The Lower East Side: Jews and the Immigrant City

American Jews have frequently been touted as a "model minority." This course will take a more critical look at the historical interactions between Jewish immigration, United States industrialization, and ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16661 NES 4533   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

  •  5502 NES 4560   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4634
Muslim Resistance: Shi'a Islam in Asia

With sectarian conflicts and discussions on orthodoxy and heresy dominating the headlines, it becomes important to better understand the relationship between Muslim majorities and minorities. This seminar ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ASIAN 4434, ASIAN 6634, RELST 4434

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16477 NES 4634   SEM 101

  •  

  • Prerequisite: One course in the humanities.

NES 4670
Wealth and Power: Political Economy in Ancient Near Eastern States

Early states emerged when select groups gained control over wealth and power and institutionalized that control. How this was accomplished is a question of political economy that we can approach ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ARKEO 4670, NES 6670

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16680 NES 4670   SEM 101

  •  

NES 4721
Peace Building in Conflict Regions: Case Studies Sub-Saharan Africa Israel Palestinian Territories

This course focuses on issues of conflict, peace, and reconciliation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Both regions exemplify how issues ranging from nationalism ... view course details

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Syllabi: none

  • 18044 NES 4721   SEM 101

  • Taught in Washington, DC. This is part of the Cornell in Washington program.

    Instructor Consent Required (Add)

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

  •  6770 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

  •  6771 NES 4992   IND 603

    • TBA

    • Weatherspoon, M

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6772 NES 4992   IND 604

    • TBA

    • Fahmy, Z

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6773 NES 4992   IND 605

    • TBA

    • Haines-Eitzen, K

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6774 NES 4992   IND 607

    • TBA

    • Monroe, C

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6775 NES 4992   IND 608

    • TBA

    • Monroe, L

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6776 NES 4992   IND 611

    • TBA

    • Powers, D

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6777 NES 4992   IND 612

    • TBA

    • Scharf, N

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6778 NES 4992   IND 613

    • TBA

    • Shoer, S

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6779 NES 4992   IND 614

    • TBA

    • Starr, D

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6780 NES 4992   IND 616

    • TBA

    • Younes, M

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6861 NES 4992   IND 618

    • TBA

    • Gocheleishvili, I

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6971 NES 4992   IND 621

    • TBA

    • Tenney, J

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7052 NES 4992   IND 622

    • TBA

    • Khatchadourian, L

  • Instructor Consent Required (Add)

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-6 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  8052 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

  •  6873 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

  •  6165 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 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

  •  7950 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

  •  7776 NES 6575   LEC 001

  •  

NES 6588
Biblical Archaeology

The purpose of the course is to place the Bible within the context of a larger ancient world that can be explored by systematic excavation of physical remains. Students will become familiar with archaeological ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 18117 NES 6588   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6642
Topics in Ancient History

Topic: Religion and Authority in Late Antique North Africa. The seminar focuses on the structures of religious authority in the Christian church(es) of North Africa from the end of the second century to ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: CLASS 7682, HIST 6300

  • 4 Credits Graded

  • Topic: How and Why did People Become Christians

  • 16257 NES 6642   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

  •  8669 NES 6655   LEC 001

  •  

NES 6670
Wealth and Power: Political Economy in Ancient Near Eastern States

Early states emerged when select groups gained control over wealth and power and institutionalized that control. How this was accomplished is a question of political economy that we can approach ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session.  Combined with: ARKEO 4670, NES 4670

  • 4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  • 16378 NES 6670   SEM 101

  •  

NES 6722
Graduate Colloquium

A series of lectures on a range of themes in the discipline sponsored by the Department of Near Eastern Studies. Presentations include lectures by invited speakers and works in progress presented by faculty ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1 Credit Sat/Unsat

  • 18385 NES 6722   SEM 101

  •  
    • TBA

    • Staff

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

  •  6166 NES 6992   IND 601

  •  
    • TBA

    • Starr, D

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6284 NES 6992   IND 602

  •  
    • TBA

    • Monroe, L

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6291 NES 6992   IND 604

  •  
    • TBA

    • Haines-Eitzen, K

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6781 NES 6992   IND 605

  •  
    • TBA

    • Monroe, C

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6782 NES 6992   IND 606

  •  
    • TBA

    • Brann, R

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6783 NES 6992   IND 607

  •  
    • TBA

    • Weatherspoon, M

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6784 NES 6992   IND 608

  •  
    • TBA

    • Fahmy, Z

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6785 NES 6992   IND 609

  •  
    • TBA

    • Scharf, N

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6786 NES 6992   IND 611

  •  
    • TBA

    • Younes, M

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  6787 NES 6992   IND 613

  •  
    • TBA

    • Powers, D

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7053 NES 6992   IND 614

  •  
    • TBA

    • Tenney, J

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  7054 NES 6992   IND 615

  •  
    • TBA

    • Khatchadourian, L

Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  9424 NES 6992   IND 616

  •  
Syllabi: none

  •   Regular Academic Session. 

  • 1-4 Credits Stdnt Opt

  •  9638 NES 6992   IND 617

  •  
    • TBA

    • Gocheleishvili, I

NES 7473
Messiah and Modernity

This course combines Jewish religious history with studies in the philosophy of modernity, focusing on changing conceptions of time and history.  We will interrogate possible or implicit connections between ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 17172 NES 7473   SEM 101

  •  

NES 7533
The Lower East Side: Jews and the Immigrant City

American Jews have frequently been touted as a "model minority." This course will take a more critical look at the historical interactions between Jewish immigration, United States industrialization, and ... view course details

View Enrollment Information

Syllabi: none

  • 16665 NES 7533   SEM 101

  •