A.B. Near Eastern Studies

ARA 101 Elementary Arabic I Fall Students in this course will develop their skills in speaking, hearing, reading, and writing Modern Standard Arabic, the form of the Arabic language shared by all Arab countries. The course covers phonics, the alphabet and numerals, as well as noun-adjective agreement and how to form sentences using past and present tense verbs. Also covered: greetings and courtesy phrases in spoken Arabic. Five classes, one hour of drill. No credit is given for ARA 101 unless followed by ARA 102. Staff

ARA 102 Elementary Arabic II Spring Continuation of 101. Students will expand their language skills through conversational and grammatical exercises based on the audio-visual approach. Students will be able to speak and write simply and accurately about topics such as daily activities, studies, family members, and hopes and plans for the future. Five classes, one hour of drill. Staff

ARA 105 Intermediate Arabic I Fall Building upon the skills gained in 101 and 102, this course offers further practice in speaking and listening and increases proficiency in reading and writing. Topics to be covered include use of dual and feminine plural forms; conditional sentences; use of superlatives and comparatives; and the study of case markings in formal written Arabic. Five classes, one hour of drill. Staff

ARA 107 Intermediate Arabic II Spring Continuation of 105. Students will expand their reading, writing, speaking, and oral comprehension skills through oral and written exercises involving more sophisticated texts derived from authentic newspaper and journal sources. Five classes, one hour of drill. Staff

ARA 111 Colloquial Arabic I Not offered this year An introduction to a specific spoken dialect of the Arabic language. This course currently focuses on the Arabic dialects used in the Levant, especially Palestinian and Lebanese dialects. The material of the course is designed to promote functional usage of the language stressing vocabulary and grammar in conversation of everyday life. Four classes. N. Coffin

ARA 113 Colloquial Arabic II Not offered this year A continuation of ARA 111. Focusing on Arabic dialects used in the Levant, especially Palestinian and Lebanese dialects, the material of the course further develops functional usage of the language stressing vocabulary and grammar in conversation of everyday life. N. Coffin

ARA 301 Advanced Arabic I Fall Reading and accurate translation of numerous selections from modern Arabic works as well as reading for general understanding of simple prose, mostly from newspapers and magazines. Review of morphology, introduction to the systematic study of syntax. Speaking about the readings and about other assigned topics. English to Arabic translation. Emphasis on building vocabulary. Two 90-minute classes, two periods of drill. Staff

ARA 302 Advanced Arabic II Spring Continuation of 301. Class reading of more sophisticated discursive prose and short stories. Class discussion in Arabic of assigned texts not translated in class. Emphasis on the systematic study of syntax. Increased emphasis on speaking about a variety of topics. Arabic composition. Two 90-minute classes, two periods of drill. Staff

ARA 401 Advanced Arabic Skills Workshop Not offered this year LA This course develops to a more advanced and natural level the linguistic skills of listening, speaking, and reading through the reading and class discussion of lengthy texts, primarily literary ones. Term papers written in Arabic provide the opportunity to improve composition, and aural comprehension is honed through the use of tapes of Arabic broadcasts, and through viewing films from various parts of the Arab world. Prerequisite: 302 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes. Staff

ARA 403 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture Fall This course is designed as an advanced, fourth-year course in Arabic language and culture which may be repeated up to two times, provided the topic is different each time. The course is intended to appeal to students who prefer to study in an Arabic immersion environment, and all aspects of the course will be conducted in Arabic. T. Elsayed

ARA 404 Topics in Arabic Language and Culture Spring LA Introduces the conventions of major genres of history, belles-lettres and religious thought of the Abbasid era (750-1258 CE). Primary emphasis on reading comprehension and developing confidence in approaching classical sources. Conducted in Arabic, apart from translation exercises, and will also develop skills in writing, through projects, and speaking, through discussions and presentations. Course is divided into one or two-week units, focusing on excerpts from major texts. Students to complete major reading/writing project on a text of choosing. T. Hefter

HEB 101 Elementary Hebrew I Fall Introductory course develops skills of reading, speaking, comprehension, and writing through various techniques, with an emphasis on a solid grammatical basis and awareness of idiomatic usage of the language. Teaching materials include ones developed in Israel. Five classes. No credit is given for HEB 101 unless followed by HEB 102. P. Zhakevich

HEB 102 Elementary Hebrew II Spring A continuation of 101, with emphasis on the development of all skills. The course will expose students to contemporary Israeli culture by using authentic material such as films, TV series, newspaper articles, and Web-based material. Class activities include role-playing, drills, group discussion, and oral presentations. Five classes. P. Zhakevich

HEB 105 Intermediate Hebrew I Fall Expansion of reading, oral, aural, and written skills, as well as coverage of more advanced grammar. Students will be gradually introduced to contemporary Israeli prose and poetry. Maximum participation by students is encouraged through discussion of readings and films. Five classes. P. Zhakevich

HEB 107 Intermediate Hebrew II Spring A continuation of 105, covering remainder of grammar. Further explores contemporary Israeli prose, poetry, and more complex essays from textbooks and photocopied material. Five classes. P. Zhakevich

HEB 301 Advanced Hebrew Language and Style I Not offered this year LA For advanced students, this course seeks to improve further the active command of written and spoken Hebrew through work with a variety of literary texts, styles, and artistic expressions, including film. Topics are selected to explore fundamental issues of Israeli culture and society. Prerequisite: 107 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes. Staff

HEB 302 Advanced Hebrew Language and Style II Not offered this year LA Continuation of 301. Growing emphasis on individual and small group work. Students prepare final project of their choosing in consultation with instructor. Prerequisite: 301 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes. P. Zhakevich

NES 201 Introduction to the Middle East (also

HIS 223

NES 202 Contemporary Arabic Literature in Translation Not offered this year LA A survey of the literature of the modern Arab world, starting with the late 19th century and continuing up to within the last five years. Narrative (novel and short story), theater, poetry, as well as (briefly) folk literature will be treated. Works are assigned in English translation, but students who are able to read them in Arabic are welcome to do so. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Offered in alternate years. N. Coffin

NES 205 The Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East and Egypt (See ART 200)

NES 214 Masterworks of Hebrew Literature in Translation (also

JDS 214

NES 220 Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Middle Ages (also

HIS 220

NES 230 Early Islamic Art and Architecture (See ART 230)

NES 232 The Arts of the Islamic World (See ART 232)

NES 235 In the Shadow of Swords: War, Martyrdom and the Afterlife in Islam (See REL 235)

NES 236 Introduction to Islam (See REL 236)

NES 240 Muslims and the Qur'an (also

REL 240

NES 265 Political and Economic Development of the Middle East (also

POL 465

NES 268 Political Islam Not offered this year HA For decades scholars predicted that as nations modernized, religion and its corresponding institutions would become increasingly irrelevant. No phenomenon has discredited the secularization thesis more than the powerful resurgence of Islamist movements that began in the 1970s. Given the rapid social and economic development experienced by most Muslim countries, why has political Islam emerged as the most potent force of political opposition in all of these countries? To address this question, the course examines the origins and discourse of political Islam and the goals and organization of Islamist groups. Two lectures, one preceptorial. Staff

NES 269 The Politics of Modern Islam Fall HA An examination of the political dimensions of Islam, involving a study of the nature of Islamic political theory, the relationship between the religious and political establishments, the characteristics of an Islamic state, the radicalization of Sunni and Shi'i thought, and the compatibility of Islam and the nation-state, democracy, and constitutionalism, among other topics. Students will be introduced to the complex and polemical phenomenon of political Islam, using examples drawn mainly, though not exclusively, from cases and writings from the Middle East. Two lectures, one preceptorial. B. Haykel

NES 305 Modern Worlds of Islam (See HIS 336)

NES 315 War and Politics in the Modern Middle East Not offered this year SA Drawing on case studies of Middle Eastern wars, this course examines the changing nature of warfare from the second half of the 20th century through the present day. It begins with Clausewitz's theory of war and examples of conventional state warfare in the Middle East, then moves on to cases of insurgency and so-called fouth generation warfare and uses them to test Clausewitz's ideas and less state-centric alternatives. Two 90-minute classes. M. Reynolds

NES 322 Politics of the Middle East (See POL 364)

NES 334 Modern Islamic Political Thought (also

REL 334

NES 336 Pilgrimage, Travel, and Sacred Space: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Land of Islam (See REL 336)

NES 337 The Making of the Modern Middle East (also

HIS 334

NES 338 The Arab-Israeli Conflict (also

JDS 338

NES 339 Introduction to Islamic Theology (also

REL 339