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Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Courses

Key to Course Descriptions

For Distribution Requirement purposes, all NMC courses except NMC 465H1 and 462Y1 are classified as HUMANITIES courses.

| Course Winter Timetable |


HUM199H1
First Year Seminar [26S]


HUM199Y1
First Year Seminar [52S]

Undergraduate seminar that focuses on specific ideas, questions, phenomena or controversies, taught by a regular Faculty member deeply engaged in the discipline. Open only to newly admitted first year students. It may serve as a distribution requirement course but not a program requirement; see page 48.
Introductory Courses


NMC101Y1
The Ancient Near East        [78L]

Introduction to the archaeology, history and literature of the ancient Near East. The contributions made by the Egyptians, Babylonians and Assyrians to the development of civilization.

Exclusion: NMC370Y1/NMC343H1/NMC344H1/NMC346H1/NMC347H1 may not be taken in the same year,


NMC201Y1
Islamic Culture and Civilization [52L]

This course acquaints students with the main features and legacies of the civilization that was formed in the Middle East in the 8th-10th centuries C.E. under the impetus of Islam, and marked by several highpoints before the early modern period. Continuity with the earlier civilizations of the ancient Near East are highlighted, and the diverse cultural traditions that contributed to the formation of Islamic civilization are described.


NMC202H1
Introduction to Coptic Studies [26L]

Overview of the history of the Copts from political, religious, social and economic perspectives. Literary and documentary sources will illustrate these different aspects of Coptic Civilization. The focus on Coptic Monasticism will underline the role of monasteries as conservers of the Coptic Orthodox Church tradition.

Language Courses
Note
The Department reserves the right to place students in the language course best suited to their linguistic preparation.

Akkadian


NML305Y1
Introductory Akkadian (formerly NMC305Y1) [78S]

Introduction to Old Babylonian. Grammar and the reading of selected texts. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Arabic or Hebrew, normally NMC136Y1/210Y1/NMC230Y1/NML155H1/NML156H1/NML210Y1/NML150Y1

Exclusion: NMC305Y1


NML405Y1
Intermediate Akkadian (formerly NMC405Y1) [78S]

(Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NML305Y1/NMC305Y1

Exclusion: NMC405Y1

Arabic


NML210Y1
Introductory Standard Arabic (formerly NMC210Y1) [78L, 26P]

Introduction to the grammar and basic vocabulary of standard or literary Arabic, the one language written and read, and also spoken by those educated to speak it, throughout the Arab world.

Exclusion: Native users/NMC210Y1. Priority enrollment will be given to declared NMC majors/specialists.


NML310Y1
Intermediate Standard Arabic (formerly NMC310Y1) [78L,26P]

Begins with a review of basic grammar and proceeds with the reading of simple, connected prose passages that typify normal patterns of Arabic syntax. More literary and idiomatic passages are introduced gradually.

Exclusion: Native users/NMC310Y1. Priority enrollment will be given to declared NMC majors/specialists.
Prerequisite: NML210Y1/NMC210Y1


NML410Y1
Advanced Standard Arabic (formerly NMC410Y1) [78S]

Connected passages of Arabic texts drawn from both classical and modern times are studied in detail.

Exclusion: NMC410Y1; Native users of Arabic must obtain permission of instructor.
Prerequisite: Two years of Arabic


NML411H1
Readings in Arabic Newspapers (formerly NMC411H1) [26S]

Directed readings of passages drawn from well-known Arabic newspapers such as: al-Ahram (Egypt), al-Ra’y (Jordan), al-Safir (Lebanon), al-Khalij (UAE), and al-Haya (UK). The course is designed to make advanced students of Arabic familiar with the language, style and topics of the Arabic Press.

Exclusion: NMC411H1; Native users of Arabic must obtain permission of instructor.
Prerequisite: NML310Y1/NMC310Y1 or adequate reading knowledge of Arabic


NML412Y1
Survey of Classical Arabic Literature (formerly NMC412Y1) [52S]

Systematic outline of the development, characteristics, and peculiarities of selected genres of classical Arabic literature such as historiography, belles-lettres (adab), philosophy, ethics - Qur’an, exegesis, Literature of Tradition - poetry. Complementary readings, analysis and translation of original text passages are given emphasis.
Prerequisite: Two years of Arabic or adequate reading knowledge

Exclusion: NMC412Y1


NML413H1
Islamic Thought in Mediaeval Arabic Sources (formerly NMC413H1) [26S]

Insights into the history of ideas in Islam. Original texts by Jurjani (d. 1078, literary criticism), Ghazali (d. 1111, philosophy), Ibn Rushd (d. 1196, law), Shahrastani (d. 1153, heresiography), Ibn Taymiyah (d. 1328, dogmatics), and Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406, social history). (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Adequate reading knowledge of Arabic

Exclusion: NMC413H1


NML414H1
Qu’ranic Arabic [26L]

This course offers students of Arabic the opportunity to study more closely the text of the Qur’an. The course will focus on the Arabic language of the Qur’an and its function both semantically and aesthetically. Selected Qur’anic passages will be examined in detail.
Prerequisite: Completion of Advanced Arabic, or equivalent qualification determined by the Department. Permission of the instructor is required.



NML 415H1
The Structure of Arabic Language [26L]

This course is an investigation of the formal properties of Modern Standard Arabic. Its primary goal is to provide the student with an in depth knowledge of the grammar of the language. To this end, the course makes use of concepts and tools of analysis common to contemporary generative linguistics.
Prerequisite: NML310Y1 or permission of instructor.


NML416Y1
Survey of Modern Arabic Literature [36L]

This course introduces students to the richness and breadth of modern Arabic literature, covering a wide range of selected texts, including travel accounts, novellas, fiction, prose, poetry, and drama. Texts studied in original Arabic language. Class conducted and tests/assignments written in English.
Prerequisite: NML410Y or permission of instructor




Aramaic/Syriac

NML220Y1
Introductory Aramaic (formerly NMC315Y1) [78S]

Introduction to Aramaic grammar. Readings from biblical Aramaic. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Introductory Biblical Hebrew (NMC230Y1/NML150Y1)

Exclusion: NMC315Y1


NML320H1
Intermediate Aramaic: Targum (formerly NMC415H1) [39S]

An intensive study of various Targumim to the Pentateuch: Onkelos, Pseudo-Jonathan, Neophyti, Samaritan and Fragment Targumim. Differences among them in vocabulary, syntax and verb usage are discussed, as well as their relationship to the Palestinian midrashim. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NML220Y1/NMC315Y1

Exclusion: NMC415Y1/NMC415H1


NML420Y1
The Jerusalem Talmud: Jewish Western Aramaic (formerly NMC416Y1) [52S]

The Talmud of the Land of Israel, also called Talmud Yerushalmi or Palestinian Talmud, is written in a mixture of Jewish Western Aramaic and Mishnaic Hebrew. It is the principal document of the Land of Israel in Late Antiquity. The course examines the legal argumentation, terminology and language which differ from those of the Babylonian Talmud. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Recommended preparation: NMC315Y1/334Y1/NML220Y1/NML320H1

Exclusion: NMC416Y1


NML421Y1
Classical Syriac (formerly NMC418Y1) [78S]

(Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC315Y1/NML220Y1

Exclusion: NMC418Y1

Armenian


NML180Y1
Elementary Modern Armenian [72L]

An introduction to Modern Armenian (Eastern standard), the official and spoken language of the Republic of Armenia. Eastern Armenian is also the language of the Armenian communities in Iran, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and several other countries. The course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Armenian.

Exclusion: Any exposure, however passive, to Armenian language.

Coptic


NML230H1
       Elementary Coptic I (formerly NMC220H) [26L]

Introduces the student to the last stage of the Egyptian language, written mostly in Greek characters. The course will first concentrate on the grammar of the language and go on to read short texts.

Exclusion: NMC220H


NML231H1
Elementary Coptic II [26L]

A continuation of NML230H1, Elementary Coptic I.

(Ancient) Egyptian


NML240Y1
Introduction to Middle Egyptian (formerly NMC320Y1) [78S]

Grammar and reading of selected hieroglyphic texts.

Exclusion: NMC320Y1


NML241Y1
Ancient Egyptian Iconography (formerly NMC321H1) [52S]

This course deals with the recognition and interpretation of ancient Egyptian symbols and the representations of divine and royal figures as preserved in the epigraphic record.
Prerequisite: NMC320Y1/NML240Y1

Exclusion: NMC321H


NML340Y1
Intermediate Egyptian(formerly NMC420Y1) [78S]

Middle Egyptian texts.
Prerequisite: NMC320Y1/NML240Y1

Exclusion: NMC420Y1Y


NML440Y1
Ancient Egyptian Historical Texts        [26L]

Texts of significance for the reconstruction and understanding of Egyptian History will be read in the original, and analyzed for content, style, and grammar. The social and archaeological context of these texts will also receive attention.
Prerequisite: NML340Y1 (formerly NMC420Y1)


NML441Y1
Ancient Egyptian Religious and Funerary Texts [26L]

Readings, analysis, and comparisons of selections from the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin Texts, and the New Kingdom mortuary literature; study of cultic, magical, and mythological texts relating to funerary and cultic beliefs and practices. All texts to be read in the original.
Prerequisite: NMC340Y1 (formerly NMC420Y1)

Hebrew


NML150Y1
Introductory Biblical Hebrew (formerly NMC230Y1) [78S]

An introduction to biblical Hebrew prose. Grammar and selected texts. For students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew.

Exclusion: Those who have completed Grade 8 Hebrew (or Grade 6 in Israel)/NMC230Y1


NML155H1
Elementary Modern Hebrew I (formerly NMC236H1) [39L, 26P]

Introduction to the fundamentals of Hebrew grammar and syntax through classroom and language laboratory practice. Emphasis on the development of oral and writing skills. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: Those who have completed Grade 4 Hebrew (or Grade 2 in Israel), NMC136Y/NMC236H1


NML156H1
Elementary Modern Hebrew II         (formerly NMC237H1) [39L, 26P]

Introduction to the fundamentals of Hebrew grammar and syntax through classroom and language laboratory practice. Emphasis on the development of oral and writing skills. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NML155H1/NMC236H1 or permission of instructor

Exclusion: Those who have completed Grade 4 Hebrew (or Grade 2 in Israel), NMC136Y/NMC237H1


NML250Y1
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew (formerly NMC330Y1) [78S]

Study of Hebrew grammar, providing a continuation of NMC230Y1/NML150Y1. Through extensive reading of Hebrew in the books of Joshua-2 Kings, grammar is reviewed and consolidated, and vocabulary expanded. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: OAC Hebrew/NMC230Y1/NML150Y1

Exclusion: NMC330Y1


NML251Y1
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew: Pentateuch (formerly NMC333Y1) [78S]

Study of Hebrew grammar, providing a continuation of NMC230Y1/NML150Y1. Through extensive reading of Hebrew in the books of Genesis-Deuteronomy, grammar is reviewed and consolidated, and vocabulary expanded. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: OAC Hebrew/NMC230Y1/NML150Y1

Exclusion: NMC333Y1


NML255Y1
Intermediate Modern Hebrew (formerly NMC236H1, NMC237H1/NMC336Y1) [78S]

Intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: Those who have completed Grade 8 Hebrew (or Ulpan level 2 in Israel), NMC236Y1 (up to 2000), NMC236H1/237H1 (2000-2004), NMC336Y1 (2004-2006)
Prerequisite: NMC136Y1/NML156H1


NML350H1
Wisdom Literature (formerly NML350Y1) [26L]

An examination of wisdom literature and themes in the Hebrew Bible and later Second Temple writing; primary emphasis on Hebrew texts but including comparison with themes from non-Hebrew texts such as the Greek Ecclesiasticus, the Wisdom of Solomon, and some early Christian writings.
Prerequisite: NML150Y1/NMC230Y1

Exclusion: NML350Y1


NML351H1
History Writings [26L]

This course examines ancient Israel’s history writers, focusing on the Deuteronomistic History and the Chronicler’s History. Attention will be given to linguistic forms, rhetorical style and goals, and comparison of national or ethnic self-perceptions.
Prerequisite: NMC230Y1/NML150Y1


NML352H1
Myth and Story [26L]

An investigation of two closely related types of ancient Hebrew narrative: myth and story. Focus will be equally on Hebrew language, rhetorical style and goals, and when appropriate, the comparative ancient near eastern backdrop for the Hebrew texts.
Prerequisite: NMC230Y1/NML150Y1


NML353H1
Jewish Apocalyptic Literature [26L]

This course provides an introduction to the study of the origin, form and function of ancient Jewish and related apocalyptic literature which flourished between 200 BCE and 200 CE, understood in its cultural and literary contexts.

Exclusion: RLG325H1
Prerequisite: NMC150H1/NMC151H1/280H1/280Y1


NML354H1
Law and Ritual [26S]

Law reflects the way in which society understands and organizes itself through common agreements and forms of restraint. This course examines the different ways religious and ritual legislation was generated in ancient Jewish communities and the different functions such legislation served in these communities. All texts to be read in the original.
Prerequisite: NML250Y1


NML355Y1
Advanced Modern Hebrew (formerly NMC336H1/337H1/434Y1) [52S]

Advanced intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC336Y1

Exclusion: OAC Hebrew, old numberings NMC336H1/337H1/434Y1


NML356Y1
Babylonian Talmud (formerly NMC334Y1) [52S]

Selections from a tractate in Babylonian Talmud in order to gain facility in the understanding of the dialogic structure of the legal discussions. Practice in the use of classical commentaries and critical aids to allow independent study of the text. (Conducted in Hebrew) (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: OAC Hebrew/NMC237H1/NMC230Y1/NML150Y1/NML156H1


NML357H1
Midrash Aggadah [26L]

The themes of Eros and Thanatos will be explored in Aggadic texts from Song of Songs Rabbah. This Midrashic text stands halfway in the tradition, both making use of earlier texts and being used by editors of later compilations. These interrelations will be the focus of our study as well as the relationship of work to Scripture.
Prerequisite: Intermediate Hebrew (Modern or Biblical)


NML358H1
Mishnah and Tosefta (formerly NMC331H1) [26L]

Introduction to Mishnah and Tosefta, two of the three foundational documents of Middle Hebrew. In addition to studying specific features of this level of Hebrew, examining these compositions independently, and analyzing their interaction, students will examine current scholarly literature on these documents and their relationship to each other. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Intermediate Hebrew (Modern or Biblical)

Exclusion: NMC331H1


NML359H1
Prophecy (formerly NML453H1) [13S]

An examination of different concepts of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible and in later Second Temple traditions, such as Dead Sea Scrolls, Hellenistic Jewish writings, and early Christian writings.

Exclusion: NML453H1
Prerequisite: Advanced reading knowledge of Hebrew/Aramaic.


NML450H1
       Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar (formerly NML450Y1) [13S]

Advanced survey of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of ancient Hebrew. Introduction to the various methods used to investigate ancient Hebrew.
Prerequisite: NML350Y1

Exclusion: NML450Y1


NML451H1
Advanced Babylonian Talmud [13S]

Students will be introduced to the problems of text criticism involving variant readings and the redaction of Talmudic texts. Problems of transmission of the text, its relationship to the Palestinian Talmud, Tosefta and other texts will be explored. Use of Medieval Talmudic commentaries will be addressed.
Prerequisite: Intermediate Hebrew (Modern or Biblical)


NML452H1
Halakhic Midrashim (formerly NMC432H1) [26S]

This course familiarizes students with the methodology and terminology of the two midrashic systems: Devei R. Akiba and Devei R. Ishmael. Sections of all the midrashic halakha (Mekhiltot, Sifra and Sifre) are studied and compared to other Tannaitic materials. (Conducted in Hebrew) (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Intermediate Hebrew (Modern or Biblical)/ Permission of instructor

Exclusion: NMC432Y1/NMC432H1


NML454H1
Midrash Before the Rabbis [26L]

An examination of how the Bible was interpreted in the closing centuries BCE and the first century CE, beginning with the Book of Jubilees. This text will be read in combination with related material from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Biblical Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha.
Prerequisite: Two years of Biblical Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek; or permission of instructor


NML455H1
Modern Hebrew Poetry [13S]

A study of the poetic works of a major modern Hebrew poet. (Conducted in Hebrew) (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor


NML456H1
Modern Hebrew Prose [13S]

A study of an important modern writer of Hebrew fiction. (Conducted in Hebrew) (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor


NML457H1
Introduction to Comparative Semitics [26S]

Advanced language course placing ancient Hebrew within its geographic and typological context. Priority will be given to 1) methods used to reconstruct “proto-Semitic” and ancient Hebrew (versus the Tiberian Hebrew of the Hebrew Bible); 2) classifications of Semitic languages; 3) comparison of phoneme and lexical inventories, morphology and syntax; and 4) dialectal variation and dialect geography.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Recommended Preparation: NML150Y1, NML250Y1, and one NML 300-series course

Persian


NML260Y1
Introductory Persian (formerly NMC240Y1) [78S]

The fundamentals of modern standard Persian grammar, with emphasis on attaining fluency in reading and writing simple texts. Also serves as a basis for classical Persian. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: Native users/NMC240Y1. Priority enrollment will be given to declared NMC majors/specialists


NML360Y1
Intermediate Persian (formerly NMC340Y1) [78S]

Reading of a variety of modern prose texts on the intermediate level, with an emphasis on grammatical analysis and translation. Introduction to the classical language in the second term, with readings from selected authors. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC340Y/Native users. Priority enrollment will be given to declared NMC majors/specialists
Prerequisite: NMC240Y1/NML260Y1


NML460Y1
Classical Persian Literature (formerly NMC441Y1) [52S]

Introduction to classical Persian poetry, including the Persian national epic and the mystical tradition, and survey of the development of classical Persian prose, based on readings from selected authors. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC340Y1/NML360Y1 or adequate knowledge of Persian

Exclusion: NMC441Y1


NML461H1
Modern Persian Poetry (formerly NMC442H1) [13L]

A survey of modern Persian poetry using connected passages of Persian texts.
Prerequisite: NML360Y1/NMC340Y1 or adequate reading knowledge


NML462H1
Modern Persian Prose (formerly NMC443H1) [13L]

A survey of modern Persian prose using connected passages of Persian texts.
Prerequisite: NML360Y1/NMC340Y1 or adequate reading knowledge


NML463H1
Structural Development of Persian Language (formerly NML361H1) [13L]

Development of Old Persian (551 BC) to Middle Persian (331 BC) to Modern Persian (7th century) with emphasis on word formation and grammar. Discussion is based on texts written by historians, linguists and grammarians who see language as a system which is changed by internal and external factors like politics, religion, immigration, business, etc.
Prerequisite: NML360Y1/NMC340Y1 or permission of instructor

Exclusion: NML361H1

Turkish


NML270Y1
Introductory Turkish (formerly NMC245Y1) [78S]

The basic features of modern Turkish grammar. In the second term, Turkish prose and newspapers are studied, with some practice in writing simple Turkish. This course serves as a basis for the study of Ottoman Turkish. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: Native speakers/NMC245Y1


NMC370Y1
Intermediate Turkish (formerly NMC345Y1) [78S]

Modern texts literary, scholarly and journalistic. Turkish grammar and syntax; the nature of Turkish culture. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC245Y1/NML270Y1 or adequate reading knowledge of Turkish

Exclusion: NMC345Y1


NML470Y1
Advanced Turkish (formerly NMC445Y1) [26L]

Advanced Turkish language practice designed to enable students to pursue independent work in Turkish and Ottoman studies. Differences between modern Turkish and Ottoman grammar will be pointed out. Elements of Arabic and Persian grammar that occur in Ottoman will be presented.
Prerequisite: NML370Y or adequate knowledge of Turkish

Exclusion: NMC445Y1

Literature in Translation Courses


NMC150H1
Hebrew Bible and Ancient Jewish Literature in Translation (formerly (NMC280Y/280H1) [26L]

An introduction to the critical study of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and related literature of ancient Jewish communities (Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls). No prior work in biblical studies or knowledge of Hebrew is required.

Exclusion: NMC280H1/280Y1


NMC151H1
The Bible and Its Interpreters [26L]

Acquainting students with the principal parts of the Hebrew Bible and studying some of the different ways in which it has been read and interpreted in various periods, from antiquity to modern times, the course will concentrate on the central biblical figures whose stories will be examined in the ancient Israelite context, then compared with later elaborations by Jewish and Christian interpreters.


NMC251H1
Ancient Egyptian Literary Texts [26L]

Explores a variety of different genres of ancient Egyptian literature, including wisdom literature, funerary texts, poetry, stories and other literary texts. Prior attendance of an introductory history and culture course such as NMC101Y1 may be helpful, but is not required.

Exclusion: NMC251Y1


NMC252H1
Ancient West Semitic Literature [26L]

Introduction to the epic, religious, and historical texts that provide the immediate religious, social, and political backdrop for ancient Israel and its most prominent textual product, the Bible. Texts will be studied in translation.
Recommended preparation: NMC 150Y.


NMC253H1
Ancient Egyptian Cultural Texts [26L]

Introduction to various genres of Egyptian texts, with a focus on those writings that provide information about aspects of funerary/religious beliefs and ritual, of history, politics and institutions, and of the Egyptian quest for knowledge of the world, as evinced in astronomical, medical, and mathematical sources. Literary texts will be treated in so far as they relate to the listed topics. No knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language(s) is required; all texts to be read in translation. Prior attendance in an introductory history and culture course such as NMC101Y1 may be helpful, but is not required.

Exclusion: NMC251Y1


NMC254H1
Modern Hebrew Literature in Translation [26L]

This course will survey Hebrew literature, primarily of the 19th and 20th centuries. After a brief overview of ancient and medieval Hebrew literature, the course will concentrate on the classics of the modern Hebrew revival, studying selected works by Bialik, Tchernikhovsky, Agnon, and Brenner. Students will also be introduced to contemporary Hebrew writers and poets such as Aharon Appelfeld, Yehuda Amichai, Amos Oz, and A.B. Yehoshua. All works will be studied in translation.


NMC255H1
Arabic Literature in Translation [26L]

Representative Arabic poems of the pre-Islamic period, followed by certain aspects of the Qur’an. Development of lyric poetry in the Islamic period and of prose, with emphasis on narrative prose. (Offered in alternate years)


NMC256Y1
Literature and Culture of Modern Israel [52L]

Introduces students to the culture of modern Israel through Israeli literature produced from 1948 - present. Focus will be primarily on selected short fiction, poems, plays, songs and films. Some themes explored are: tradition and modernity; traumas of war; the call of history; religion and secularism; and challenges of independence. In English translation. (Offered in alternate years)


NMC257H1
Introduction to the Literature of the Jewish Sages (formerly NMC257Y1) [26L]

A gateway course designed to introduce students to the variety of literary works produced by the Jewish sages who became known as the rabbis. These works are the classical texts of Judaism which, after the Bible, created normative Judaism. Sample reading in translation will acquaint students with these works. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC257Y1


NMC258H1
Tales from the Masnavi of Rumi (formerly NMC258Y1) [26L]

Introduces students to the greatest mystical poet of the Perso-Islamic tradition, Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273). Topics include divine love and mystical union, imagination, and esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an. Also introduces the main ideas of Sufism and the figurative language of Persian mystical poetry. In English translation. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC258Y1


NMC259H1
Armenian Literature in Translation [26L]

This course offers selected texts written between the 5th and the 19th centuries CE, including pre-Christian epic stories, the Armenian version of the Bible, hagiography, chronicles, translations from Syriac and Greek; poetry and secular literature of the early modern period. All works studied are in English translation.


NMC350H1
Syriac Literature in Translation [26L]

Selected texts from Syriac literature written between the 3rd and 13th centuries C.E., including versions of the Bible and prominent authors of biblical commentaries, hymns, acts of martyrs, liturgical texts, historiography, grammatical and lexicographical works, as well as translations from Greek. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC352H1
Faith and Doubt in Modern Hebrew Poetry [26L]

An exploration of the relationship of modern Heberw poetry to the Jewish religious tradition. The focus of the course will be to discern whether modern Hebrew poetry constitutes a rebellion against that tradition, or whether it is a source of continuity and revitalization. (Offered in alternate years)

Archaeology Courses


NMC260Y1
The Archaeology of the Ancient Near East [78L]

A general introduction to the archaeology of the ancient Near East including prehistory, Syria-Palestine, and the high civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Organized chronologically to trace the historical development of agriculture, urbanism, and complex state-ordered societies in the region.


NMC261Y0
Field Archaeology (formerly NMC261H1) [TBA]

Participation for 4 - 7 weeks during the summer in an approved archaeological excavation in the eastern Mediterranean/Middle East. This experience is then critiqued in a previously assigned essay researched and written under guidance upon return. Departmental permission is required in December-February prior to the fieldwork.

Exclusion: NMC261H1


NMC360H1
Archaeology of the Biblical World I: The Bronze Age (formerly NMC361Y1) [26L]

The archaeology of Syria-Palestine from prehistoric times until the end of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1200 BCE), with a special emphasis on the development of complex society, and inter-relations with the neighboring regions of Egypt and Syro-Mesopotamia. Attention will also be given to the history of archaeological research in the region, current field techniques and methods of archaeological analysis, and the relationship between archaeological evidence and contemporary written records, including the Hebrew Bible. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1

Exclusion: NMC361Y1


NMC361H1
       The Archaeology of the Biblical World II: The Iron Age (formerly NMC361Y1) [26L]

The archaeology of Syria-Palestine from the collapse of the Late Bronze Age until the Persian Period, with a special emphasis on the emergence of Israel and the small territorial nation-states of the eastern Mediterranean seaboard. Particular attention will be given to the relationship between the archaeological evidence and contemporary written records, including the Hebrew Bible. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1

Exclusion: NMC361Y1


NMC362Y1
The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt [26L]

Architecture, formal arts, and decorative arts to the end of the Pharaonic period. Cultural evolution rather than art history. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1


NMC363H1
The Archaeology of Historical Mesopotamia I 3000-1600 BCE (formerly NMC363Y1) [52L]

The archaeology, art and architecture of Iraq, North Syria and western Iran from ca. 3000 - 1600 BCE. The civilizations of Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia and Assyria, as well as their relationship to those of the surrounding areas. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC363Y1
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1


NMC364H1
The Archaeology of Historical Mesopotamia II        1600-330 BCE (formerly NMC363Y1) [52L]

The archaeology, art and architecture of Iraq, North Syria and western Iran from ca. 1600 B.C.E. to the Persian period. The civilizations of Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia and Assyria, as well as their relationship to those of the surrounding areas. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC363Y1
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1


NMC365Y1
Islamic Archaeology [52L]

A survey of Islamic archaeology, covering the rise of Islam from 7th century to the end of the Fatimid period in 1171, examining sites in the Middle East, North Africa and Andalusia through the archaeological record, artifacts evidencing history, art history, urbanism and socio-ecology of early Muslim communities.
Recommended preparation: NMC201Y1/NMC260Y1


NMC366Y1
The Islamic City [26L]

Architectural studies, historical sources and archaeological research are used to examine the physical and social morphology of the pre-industrial Islamic city from Central Asia to North Africa and Spain, from the 7th to the 17th centuries.


NMC368H1
Coptic Art & Archaeology [26L]

A survey of Coptic art, archaeology and architecture. The course will cover aspects of the religious, civil and daily life of the Copts: their houses, religious architecture, funerary monuments, art and artefacts
Recommended preparation: NMC260Y1 and/or an introductory course in archaeology


NMC369Y1
Archaeological Materials and Industries [26L]

Materials and technology help define the cultures and civilizations that use them, especially for archaeologists. Focusing on the Near and Middle East, this course is aimed at promoting understanding of the nature of materials used by the peoples of the region from the earliest prehistory until recent times. This course has a hands-on emphasis. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC260Y1

Exclusion: NMC369H1


NMC394H1
Later Islamic Art & Architecture [39L]

A continuation of NMC393H1, covering Islamic art and material culture in the years from the 13th century CE to the modern period. Workshop sessions with the Royal Ontario Museum collection.
Prerequisite: One course in either an Islamic field or Fine Art History.
Recommended Preparation: NMC393H1


NMC461Y1
Problems in the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East [52S]

Prerequisite: 1.5 courses from NMC361Y1/NMC362Y1/NMC363H1/NMC364H1/363Y/NMC465H1/NMC466H1; two courses from NMC370Y1/371Y1/372Y1/NMC343H1/NMC344H1/NMC346H1/NMC347H1


NMC462Y1
Polarized-light Microscopy in Archaeology (formerly NMC462H1) [13L, 39P]

The use of polarized-light microscopy in the examination of ceramics, stone, other materials, and microstratigraphy. Lectures in elementary optical mineralogy and case-studies are followed by lab sessions in which typical thin-sections of pottery, rocks, soils and other materials are studied. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC462H1
Prerequisite: NMC369H1/NMC369Y1


NMC463Y1
Landscapes of the Ancient Near East [26L/plus lab TBA]

Providing students with a solid understanding of the concepts and techniques used in landscape studies as applied to the Near East. The course uses a thematic approach, studying the theories and methodologies of landscape archaeology and case studies, and introduces students GIS and the use of remote sensing data. (One-time only)
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1 and an upper-level course in Near Eastern archaeology


NMC464H1
Mediaeval Middle Eastern Ceramics [13L, 26P]

An intense view of the basic corpus of pottery from the Middle East, ca. 700-1800 C.E. The identification of technology, form, and style of the main ceramic groups, enabling identification, dating and attribution of original provenance. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1


NMC465H1
Ceramic Analysis (formerly NMC364H1) [26S]

A survey of methods of classification and analysis (form, fabric and style) involved in the study of archaeological ceramics, and the use of ceramics to infer patterns of production, distribution, and social organization; linking research questions with appropriate analytical techniques.

Exclusion: NMC364H1
Prerequisite: ARH312Y1/NMC361Y1/369H1/NMC369Y1


NMC466H1
Near Eastern Ceramics (formerly NMC367H1) [26S]

An introduction to the basic corpus of Near Eastern ceramics, from the invention of pottery production in the Neolithic until the Persian period, utilizing existing collections at the University and in the Royal Ontario Museum.
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1, NMC465H1


NMC467H1
Archaeology of Ancient Egypt I: Predynastic Period to Middle Kingdom [26S]

The archaeology and material culture of ancient Egypt, with emphasis on the theoretical and methodological issues inherent in interpreting the archaeological record. Students will also work directly with artifactual material from the Egyptian collection of the ROM.
Prerequisite: NMC371Y1/NMC343H1 and NMC344H1


NMC468H1
Archaeology of Ancient Egypt II: Second Intermediate Period to Greco-Roman Period [26S]

The archaeology and material culture of ancient Egypt, with emphasis on the theoretical and methodological issues inherent in interpreting the archaeological record. Students will also work directly with artifactual material from the Egyptian collection of the ROM.
Prerequisite: NMC371Y1/NMC343H1 and NMC344H1
NMC 469Y1 Contextualizing Medieval Middle Eastern and Islamic Pottery [26L]
This course will use ceramics as the central core to study the material culture of the medieval Middle East and the central Islamic lands. As such they will be the running narrative, to which other materials will be referred, or in turn used to refer to other materials. The same motifs found on ceramics may be found in the contemporary buildings, textiles or woodwork; the same forms are found in metalwork and glass; illustrations on ceramics will survive better than contemporary manuscript paintings, and there are more illustrations of, for instance, medieval swords to be found on pottery than there are actual swords. The course will rely heavily on the collections of the ROM, and provide a thorough grounding on the technical production and typological variability of the various types of materials attested within their archaeological and cultural context.
Prerequisite: NMC260Y1, one other 300+ level course in archaeological materials

History Courses


NMC250H1
Dead Sea Scrolls (formerly NMC329H1) [26L]

An examination of the political context in which these scrolls were produced and preserved.; different theories of who produced these texts, e.g., Sadduccees, Zadokite Priests or Essenes; the way the scrolls use earlier biblical traditions. No Hebrew/Aramaic required; students with background in these languages will have opportunities to use them.

Exclusion: NMC329H1, NMC331H1, last offered in 2001-02 in Hebrew language


NMC270H1
History of Syriac Christianity [26L]

The birth of Christianity in Syria and Mesopotamia and the rise of the Monophysite and Nestorian Churches; their life under the Byzantines, Sassanians, Arabs, Mongols and Ottomans. The role of Syrian Christians in diplomacy, science, missions, and relations with other churches. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC271H1
Arabia Before Islam [26L]

Surveying conditions present in the region dominated by the Byzantine and Sasanian empires prior to the rise of Islam (6th-7th C.E.) in order to better understand the environment in which Islam was born, and the features which allowed for the birth of a new religion and a new civilization.


NMC272H1
Byzantines to Seljuks [26L]

Rather than being a survey of political history of the Byzantine Empire this course covers selected topics relating to institutions, society, economy, and culture of the era.


NMC273Y1
Islamic History to the Fall of Baghdad (1258) [52L]

Features of the pre-Islamic Middle East inherited by Islamic civilization, birth of Islam, life and times of Muhammad, formation of Islamic empire and civilization, political disintegration of the caliphate, emergence of autonomous dynasties, the fall of Baghdad to Mongols in 1258 and the rise of the Mamluks.


NMC274Y1
The Steppe Frontier in Islamic History (formerly NMC274H1) [26L]

Eurasian steppe nomads as slave-soldiers, conquerors, world-empire builders throughout pre-modern Islamic Middle East and Central Asia. Topics include pastoral nomadism, steppe politics and warfare, conversion, jihad. Provides basis for understanding past and present issues of lands, such as Iran, Afghanistan, India, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, where Turks and Mongols played decisive historical roles. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC274H1


NMC275H1
Muslims & Jews: The Medieval Encounter [26L]

An introduction to the encounter between Jews and Muslims in medieval times, when a majority of Jewish people subsisted under Muslim rule. An overview of religious/political/intellectual settings of the Judeo-Muslim experience is followed by exploring cultural cross-pollination, the Jews’ legal status under Islam, and interfaith politics. Source materials in translation.

Exclusion: NMC275Y1


NMC276Y1
Social Movements and Civil Society in the Middle East [52L]

This course examines the transformation of Middle Eastern societies form the perspective of non-state actors, especially the social and political movements of peasants, women, labour, students, and other social groups.


NMC277H1
Special Topics in Near & Middle Eastern History

Topics vary from year to year, depending on instructor.


NMC278H1
Introduction to the Modern Middle East (formerly NMC 278Y1) [26L]

Historical survey of the principal countries of the Middle East in the 19th and 20th centuries. Themes include the interplay of imperial and local interests, the emergence of national movements, and the formation of modern states.

Exclusion: NMC278Y1


NMC279H1
History of Armenian Christianity [26L]

A survey covering early Christianity in Greater Armenia – the role of Gregory the Illuminator; Christological controversies of the 5th century and Armenian Christianity; early Christian art and architecture; the life of the Armenians under the Sassanians and the Byzantines; and subsequently under the Abbasids, Saljuks, Mongols, Safavids and Ottomans.


NMC324H1
Greek Speaking Judaism of the Second Temple Period [26L]

A study of the Jewish community that produced the Greek Bible (Septuagint). Philosophical texts (Philo of Alexandria), historical narratives (Pseudo-Aristeas, Josephus), liturgical (Synagogue Prayers) and interpretive texts (Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Joseph and Asenath). No Greek/Hebrew required; students with background in these languages will have opportunities to use them.


NMC343H1
History of Ancient Egypt I: Predynastic Period to Middle Kingdom (formerly NMC371Y1) [26L]

The political and cultural history of Egypt from the later predynastic period through the Middle Kingdom; the use of both archaeological and literary evidence.

Exclusion: NMC101Y1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC371Y1
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC344H1
History of Ancient Egypt II: Second Intermediate Period to Greco-Roman Period (formerly NMC371Y1) [26L]

The political and cultural history of Egypt from the Second Intermediate Period through the Middle Greco-Roman Period; the use of both archaeological and literary evidence.

Exclusion: NMC101Y1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC371Y1
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC346H1
Ancient Mesopotamia I: Sumerians and Akkadians (formerly (NMC372Y1) [26L]

The political and cultural history of the peoples of ancient South-Western Asia from 3000BCE to the destruction of Babylon by the Hittites ca. 1600 BCE. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC101Y1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC372Y
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC347H1
Ancient Mesopotamia II:        Assyrians and Babylonians (formerly (NMC372Y1) [26L]

The political and cultural history of the peoples of ancient South-Western Asia from ca. 1600 BCE to the conquest of Babylon by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC101Y1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC372Y
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC348Y1
History of Iran from the Sasanians to the Safavids (formerly NMC375Y1, 348H1, 349H1) [52L]

The political history and cultural legacy of the Sasanian empire before the Arab conquests of Iran in the 7th-8th centuries, with a focus on the transmission of Persian concepts of kingship, administration, and social organization into Islamic civilization. The rise of native Iranian dynasties in the eastern Islamic world and the creation of the Perso-Islamic cultural synthesis under the Samanids in the 10th century. The history of greater Iran (including Central Asia and Afghanistan) under the rule of Turkic and Turko-Mongolian dynasties, such as the Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Ilkhanids, and Timurids, with special attention to the interaction between nomadic and sedentary cultures. The emergence of the Safavid state in the 16th century, a watershed in the political and religious history of Iran, to the early modern period in the 18th century.
Recommended Preparation: NMC273Y1/274H1/NMC274Y1

Exclusion: NMC375Y1/348H1/349H1


NMC355H1
The Ottoman Empire in the Age of Reform, 1808-1918 [26L]

The last phase of the Ottoman empire has long been viewed by Orientalists and Middle East nationalists as a period of inevitable decline. More recently, cultural historians of the Middle East have framed the long 19th. century as a period of grand reforms - or Tanzimat. This course seeks to critically examine the notions of ‘reform of the state’ and ‘reform of the individual’ between Sultan Mahmud II’s accession and the defeat of the Ottoman empire in World War I. Focusing largely on Istanbul and the Ottoman capital’s political relations with the Arab provinces, we will relate economic, social and intellectual transformations to state laws and policies, Mediterranean capitalism and the rise of sectarianism and nationalism in the Middle East.
Recommended preparation: NMC276Y1/NMC278H1/NMC278Y1/353H1/377H1/NMC377Y1/NMC378H1/NMC378H1


NMC357H1
Communications Media of the Middle East (formerly NMC357Y1) [26L]

The Middle East and Far East are the birthplace of the world’s most important communication revolutions, writing and its mechanization, i.e., printing. However, the modern mass media including journalism, film, radio, and television as well as communication technologies such as telegraphy, telephony, photography, sound recording, photocopying, computers, satellites, facsimile and Internet originated in the West. These media are important actors in the social, cultural, and political life of the Middle East, and its diasporas in the West. This course deals with, among other topics, media, state and empire formation; the social and historical contexts of the rise of modern mass media; the formation of reading, listening and viewing publics; civil society, public spheres and democratisation; media and social movements; media, language and nation; satellite broadcasting; “high” and “popular” cultures; radio wars; the Internet; communication rights. Evaluation will be based on participation, weekly writing assignments, one major research paper or a final exam.

Exclusion: NMC357Y1
Prerequisite: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1 or permission of the instructor.
NMC 358H1 Mass Media, the Middle East, and the West (formerly NMC357Y1) [26L]
Mass media and popular culture play a prominent role in the ways in which Western societies understand the Middle East. This course examines a variety of academic approaches to the study of the world’s changing media environments in the context of relations between the West and the Middle East.

Exclusion: NMC357Y1
Prerequisite: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1 or permission of the instructor


NMC359H1
Iranian Constitutional Revolution (formerlyNMC359Y1) [26L]

Explores competing narratives of the Constitutional Revolution (1906–1911), particularly the transformation of public and private spheres and their corresponding modes of collective and personal self-presentation. Students explore revolutionary legacies, and the ways in which competing political, religious and ideological forces have attempted to shape the Revolution’s memory. (Offered in alternate years

Exclusion: NMC373H1 may not be taken in the same year; NMC359Y1
Recommended preparation: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1


NMC370H1
Ancient Israel (formerly NMC370Y1) [52L]

The political and cultural history of ancient Israel from the origin of the Hebrews to the exile and restoration in the Persian period. (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC101Y1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC370Y1
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC373H1
Turkey and Iran in the 20th Century (formerly NMC373Y1) [26L]

A survey of the social, cultural, and political transformations of Turkey and Iran in the context of Eurasian and international relations. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1

Exclusion: NMC359H1 may not be taken in the same year, NMC373Y1


NMC374H1
History of Islamic Egypt (formerly NMC374Y1) [26L]

A survey of the history of Egypt under Islamic rule from the Arab to the Ottoman conquest (1517 C.E.), including the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk dynasties. Issues treated thematically include conversion and inter-communal relations, relations with Syria, militarization of the political structure, including the military slave (mamluk) institution, religious currents, the impact of the Crusades and Mongol invasions, commercial and diplomatic relations, the emergence of Cairo as the centre of the later mediaeval western Islamic world. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC273Y1

Exclusion: NMC374Y1


NMC376H1
History of Islamic Spain and North Africa (640-1492) [26L]

Muslim conquest of North Africa and Spain, history of Spain under Muslim rule to 1492. Attention given to institutional and cultural development, Islamic Spain’s relations with the Islamic east and neighbours in Europe. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC273Y1


NMC377Y1
The Ottoman Empire to 1800 (formerly NMC377H1, 353H1) [26L]

History of the emergence of the Ottoman state and its evolution from a border principality in Asia Minor into an empire. Ottoman expansion into Europe, Asia and Africa. The empire at its height under Süleyman the Lawgiver. The development of important administrative and military institutions. First military and diplomatic setbacks.
Recommended preparation: NMC273Y1

Exclusion: NMC377H1


NMC378H1
Themes In Modern Arab History (formerly NMC378Y1) [26L]

A thematic treatment of the Arab lands of the Middle East and North Africa from 1700 onward, focusing on the Ottoman and colonial periods.
Recommended preparation: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1

Exclusion: NMC378Y1


NMC471H1
Topics in Early & Medieval Islamic History [13S]

A seminar organized around readings on a topic selected by the instructor. Possible topics might include authority and power in medieval Islamic society in the Middle East, slavery, women, taxation, landholding, iqta’ and payment of the military, waqf, etc. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor


NMC472H1
Theory & Method in Middle East Studies [13S]

Examines current theoretical and methodological trends in the study of the Near/Middle East. A seminar course, it consists of presentations, discussions, lectures, guest speakers, and documentaries. No previous knowledge of methodology required. Special attention will be paid to the politics, culture, political economy, gender, and ethics of various research practices.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor


NMC473H1
Intellectuals of the Modern Arab World (formerly NMC385Y1/NMC355H1) [13S]

The course is designed to re-examine the role of intellectuals in the Arab world and political events that shaped their thinking. It introduces the life and thought of some leading thinkers of the Arab world and relates their thought to the lived experience of political, social, economic and cultural change in the Middle East. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC276Y1/NMC278H1/NMC278Y1/377H1/NMC377Y1/NMC378H1/378Y1

Exclusion: NMC385Y1/NMC355H1 from 2005-06


NMC474H1
Contemporary Iraq [13S]

Although Iraq is the site of the earliest major revolutions in history (communication, agrarian and urban revolutions), this course is a survey of more recent history, i.e., the creation of the Iraqi state under British rule, its role in post-WWI colonial projects, the Cold War, and regional and international conflicts. Focus will be on the emergence of Iraqi nationalism, Kurdish nationalism, political Islam, social movements, as well as the Iraq-Iran war of 1980-88, the U.S. wars of 1991 and 2003, and the outcomes of these wars. Evaluation will be based on participation, weekly writing assignments, and one major research paper.
Prerequisites: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1 or NMC276Y1 or permission of the instructor.


NMC475H1
Orientalism & Occidentalism [13S]

This course probes the contemporaneous formation of modern Oriental Studies in Europe and the emergence of discourses on Europe (Ifranj/Farang) in the Middle East from the eighteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be devoted to encounters between scholars in Western Europe, Iran, India, and the Ottoman Empire. This seminar-style course explains that Orientals gazed and returned the gaze, and in the process of “cultural looking,” they, like their Occidental counterparts, exoticized and eroticized the Farangi-Other. In the interplay of looks between Orientals and Occidentals, there was no steady position of spectatorship, no objective observer, and no “aperspectival” position.
Prerequisites: permission of the instructor.


NMC476H1
Violence and Civil Society in the Middle East (formerly NMC477Y1) [13S]

While the ideas and practices of civil society in the Middle East date back to the late nineteenth century, the region has emerged as an enduring war zone of the world. This course examines the dynamics of conflict and coexistence in the heterogenous societies of the region. Focus will be on Middle Eastern politics and practice of civil society, the nation-state system, and modernist forms of state and non-state violence such as massacre, genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing, linguicide, racism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia. Evaluation will be based on participation, weekly writing assignments, and one major research paper.

Exclusion: NMC477Y1
Prerequisite: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1 or permission of the instructor.


NMC477H1
Nationalist Movements in the Middle East (formerly NMC477Y1) [13S]

Although the Middle East is often viewed, in the West, as an ethnically and religiously homogeneous region (Arab, Islamic), it is one of the world’s diverse regions in language, culture, ethnicity, nationality, and religion. Nationalist movements, which emerged in the late nineteenth century, re-shaped the political, economic, linguistic and cultural make-up of the region. The course will focus on four state-nationalisms (Arab, Jewish, Persian, Turkish) and one non-state nationalism (Kurdish). Students are encouraged, in this seminar course, to study other nationalist movements. While course content is diverse, the approach to nationalism will be informed by the growing body of critical theories. Evaluation will be based on participation, weekly writing assignments, and one major research paper.

Exclusion: NMC477Y1
Prerequisite: NMC278H1/NMC278Y1 or permission of the instructor.
NMC 478H1 Readings in the Modern History of Arab Societies [13S]
A seminar built around thematic readings of social and economic history of the modern Arab world. Offered every other year.
Prerequisite: NMC378H1/378Y1


NMC479H1
Histories of Nationalism in the Arab World (formerly NMC479Y1) [52S]

A seminar organized around readings in selected topics. The topics are related to the instructor’s research interests. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: NMC378H1/NMC378Y1 or permission of instructor

Exclusion: NMC479Y1

Religion and Philosophy Courses


NMC185H1
Introduction to the Religion of Islam (formerly NMC185Y1) [26L]

The place of Islam in world history, its central beliefs and practices. The Islamic contribution to world civilization; the pluralistic community, learning and the arts. Islam and modernity.

Exclusion: RLG204Y1, NMC185Y1


NMC281H1
Prophets: Ancient Jewish Prophecy and Inspired Exegesis (formerly NMC252H1) [26L]

Practices and concepts of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple traditions such as Dead Sea Scrolls, Hellenistic Jewish writings, and early Christian writings. How did prophets, priests and scribes claim divine inspiration? How did they connect revelation and heavenly journey to textual authority and the production of Scripture?

Exclusion: NMC252H1


NMC282H1
The Politics of Prophecy in Biblical Narrative [26L]

A study of selected biblical narratives concerned with the early prophets and their relationship with the monarchs of ancient Israel: Samuel and Saul, Nathan and David, Elijah and Ahab, Isaiah and Hezekiah, etc. We will explore the historiography of the Bible and read several modern literary critics. In English.


NMC284H1
Judaism and Feminism [26S]

Explores the interaction between Jewish religious and secular movements and feminism. Investigates Jewish law (halakha) and the Jewish legal (halakhic) process in terms of feminist critique. Marriage, divorce, Torah study, bat mitzvah, other ceremonies, female rabbinic ordination and women’s prayer groups are some of the topics considered. (Offered in alternate years)


NMC285H1
The Qur’an: Spirit and Form (formerly NMC285Y1) [26L]

Concern is mainly with the sacred character of the Qur’an (koran), its preeminence in Islam. Topics include: the idea of the sacred book, the Qur’an and the Bible, the influence of the Qur’an on Islamic spirituality, literature, theology, law, philosophy, and the various apporaches taken in interpreting the Qur’an. Knowledge of Arabic is not required. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC185H1/185Y1/RLG204Y1

Exclusion: NMC285Y1/RLG351H1


NMC286H1
The Qur’an: Reading and Transformation [26L]

This course is a continuation of NMC285H1F. Students will be required to engage directly with the text in English or French translation, to discuss and write on major and minor quranic topics and themes and to study the works of other astute readers of the text. Arabic is not required or expected.
Recommended preparation: NMC285H1

Exclusion: NMC285Y1/RLG351H1
NMC 287H1 Mystical Dimensions of Islam and Judaism [26L]
The phenomenon of mysticism and the forms it took in the religions of Judaism and Islam. A survey of the main trends in each mystical tradition, with a focus on Sufism (Islamic mysticism) and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), both of which flourished during the mediaeval period. Parallel developments will be identified and possible mutual influences suggested. Readings in English translation include Attar’s Conference of the Birds, Ruzbihan Baqli’s Unveiling of Secrets, the Book Bahir, and the Zohar.

Exclusion: HUM199H1/Y1Y L0302 (2003-2006)


NMC380Y1
Religion and Myth in the Ancient Near East (formerly NMC380H1) [52L]

Religious belief and practice in Mesopotamia and Syria (Ugarit). (Offered in alternate years)

Exclusion: NMC380H1
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1


NMC381H1
Modern Islamic Thought (formerly NMC381Y1) [26L]

A survey of major intellectual trends in the Islamic religious tradition, particularly those identified with Middle Eastern Muslim thinkers, from the eighteenth century until the present.
Prerequisite: NMC185H1/NMC201Y1 or RLG204Y1

Exclusion: NMC381Y1, RLG250H1


NMC382Y1
Ancient Egyptian Religion (formerly NMC382H1 and 383H1) [52L]

Religious belief and practice in ancient Egypt. The course will focus on gods and mythology, which will be studied through primary sources in translation. (Offered in alternate years)
Recommended preparation: NMC101Y1

Exclusion: NMC382H1/NMC383H1


NMC384H1
Life Cycle and Personal Status in Judaism [26L]

Jewish attitudes to various personal status issues, such as the foetus, the minor, the pubescent child, and the mentally and physically challenged adult from biblical and rabbinic sources to modern Jewish positions. (Offered in alternate years)


NMC387H1
Islamic Mystical Tradition [26L]

Mysticism and spirituality in Islam: the Qur’an; doctrine; prayer;
Sufism; Irfan (Shi’i mysticism). Themes include love, knowledge, authority, being, interpretation.
Prerequisite: NMC185H1/185Y/RLG204Y1


NMC388H1
Shi’i Islam I (formerly NMC386H1) [26L]

Subjects covered include: the rise and development of the Shi’i version of Islamic “orthodoxy” from the mid-7th to the mid-13th centuries CE. Distinctive Shi’i interpretations of the Qur’an will be examined.
Prerequisite: NMC185H1/185Y1/RLG204Y1

Exclusion: NMC386H1


NMC389H1
Shi’i Islam II (formerly NMC386H1) [26L]

This course continues the study of Shi’ism from 1258 to the present day and will include the history and teachings of the various members of the Shi’i family of Islamic religion.
Prerequisite: NMC185H1/185Y/RLG204Y1

Exclusion: NMC386H1


NMC481H1
       Muslim Gnostics and Mystics [26L]

This course will present for study a different prominent figure each year: Hallaj, Ghazali, Suhrawardi, Ibn Arabi, Rumi, Mulla Sadra, and so on. Attention will be given to their respective social and historical milieux, their modes of expression and experience, an the nature of their literary productions.
There is no Prerequisite, but students must be advanced undergraduates in the Humanities.
Recommended preparation: NMC285H1/NMC286H1/RLG351H1


NMC482H1
All About Eve: The Image of the First Woman in Rabbinic, Christian, and Gnostic Sources [13S]

An examination of the biblical account of Eve’s creation and the sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2 and 3), and its afterlife in the
Pseudepigrapha of the Second Temple, the Church Fathers, Gnostic sources, and rabbinic midrashim. We will focus on the role of woman in ‘the Fall’, and discuss the dialectical relationship between body and spirit, seduction and free will, sin and return, and how these dynamics are cast in terms of gender in the different sources. Texts will be read in translation, as well as the original language (where feasible). No language requirement.


NMC484H1
Gender-related Topics in Law and Religion (formerly NMC484Y1) [26L]

Abortion, rape, family violence and similar topics from the perspective of historical and legal development, scientific theory, socio-ethical attitudes and anthropological comparison in the Bible and other ancient Near Eastern sources, through Jewish legal texts to modern responses. (Offered in alternate years)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Exclusion: NMC484Y1

Art and Material Culture Courses


NMC392H1
The Taj Mahal and Its Origins [26L]

Monumental architecture, whether for secular or religious purposes, played a special role in Muslim societies, particularly in major centres such as Isfahan, Samarkand and Delhi. Beginning with the Taj Mahal (1632) the best-known elements of Islamic architecture the double dome, the pointed arch, glazed tiles are traced retroactively in Iran, Central Asia, and India, and their social context is studied. (Offered every three years)
Prerequisite: NMC391H1, NMC394H1 or 2 courses in FAH


NMC393H1
Early Islamic Art & Architectures [26L]

A survey of the arts of the Islamic world from the 7th century to the Mongol conquest in the mid-13th century. Workshop sessions with the Royal Ontario Museum collection.
Prerequisite: One full course in Near Eastern/Islamic art & material culture
NMC394H1 Later Islamic Art & Architecture [26L]
A continuation of NMC393H1, covering Islamic art and material culture in the years from the 13th century CE to the modern period. Workshop sessions with the Royal Ontario Museum collection.
Prerequisite: One course in either an Islamic field or Fine Art History.
Recommended Preparation: NMC393H1


NMC396Y1
From Alexander to Muhammad        [52L]

An overview of late antique Greek, Arab and Persian material culture, as seen through the archaeological record of Syria, Iraq, and Iran.

Research Courses


NMC299Y1
Research Opportunity Program

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. See page 48 for details.


NMC398H0
Independent Experiential Study Project


NMC399Y0
Independent Experiential Study Project

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. See page 48 for details.


NMC495Y1
Independent Studies

Prerequisite: Permission of Department


NMC496H1
Independent Studies

Prerequisite: Permission of Department


NMC497H1
Independent Studies

Prerequisite: Permission of Department


NMC499Y1
Directed Reading

A course of study tailored to the individual needs or interests of advanced undergraduate students. A selection of readings chosen by the student, under the supervision of a faculty member on which the student may be examined serves as background preparation for the writing of a research paper.
Prerequisite: Permission of Department































































































Neuroscience: see Life Sciences: Human Biology