REL 228: History and
Culture of the Ancient Near East, Spring 2004. SYLLABUS
RJDKnauth
Class MWF 12:45-1:50 in B309.
Office hours MWF 3:00-5:00, T/Th 9:30-11:30 in D-320.
Tel: 321-4298(gayt), home: 326-3822; email: knauth@lycoming.edu,
web http://www.lycoming.edu/~knauth
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the history and culture
of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine
(the “fertile crescent”), with emphasis on its cultural legacy - both as the
cultural context for the birth of the Judaeo-Christian religious tradition and
as highly influential to modern society more generally.
Considerable attention will be given to primary sources (Kramer,
Arnold and others) and archaeological contributions (with slide illustrations).
Most weeks will include short student presentations and discussion. Weekly quizzes and
assignments will provide extra incentive to do the reading, so as to be prepared
to participate actively in the discussion sessions.
Texts:
Ancient Near Eastern History
and Culture, William Stiebing
Readings
from the Ancient Near East, ed. Arnold & Beyer
History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-nine Firsts in Recorded History, Samuel Kramer
Course Requirements:
1)
Attendance and informed participation (readings having been completed) at all
class sessions will be expected (worth 10% of the final grade).
The attendance policy for this course is that there are no excused
absences without a written note from a doctor or parent/guardian regarding a
serious family or medical emergency (e.g. requiring hospitalization). Each set
of 3 absences lowers your grade by 1%.
2) Quizzes on assigned readings (16 quizzes, worth 15% of the final grade, lowest
score dropped) will
take place at the beginning of class as listed in this syllabus,
covering assigned readings for that week.
3) Period Outline Summaries from the assigned chapters of Stiebing (1-2 pages typed*) will be collected on the following periods (12 total, worth 25% of the final grade):
Mesopotamia: 1 Sumerian Early Dynastic (Stiebing pp. 29-58)
2 Akkadian <+Gutean> (Stiebing pp. 65-75)
3 Ur III
Neo-Sumerian (Stiebing pp. 75-79)
4 MB Worksheet:
Isin/Larsa, Old Assyrian, Mari,
Old Babylonian <+Hurrian, Kassite>
5 Hittite (Stiebing pp. 193-205, 213-14, 229)
(Stiebing pp. 85-99, 215)
6 Neo-Assyrian (Stiebing pp. 215, 223-4, 263-279)
7 Neo-Babylonian (Stiebing pp. 279-286)
8 Persian
(Stiebing pp. 293-320)
Egypt:
9 Early Dynastic
(Stiebing pp. 103-123)
10 Old Kingdom <+1st Int> (Stiebing pp. 123-143)
11 Middle Kingdom <+2nd Int> (Stiebing pp. 143-158)
12 New Kingdom <+3rd Int, Saite> (Stiebing ch. 7 + pp. 195, 205-12, 215, 225-7)
For each of these, include the following:
A. Specify Period/Culture/Nation with date range and geographical
designation.
B. Outline its history with major historical events, noting capital
cities, giving brief biographical descriptions for the main rulers/characters
that stand out, and noting the dynamics of the rise and fall of the culture.
C. Briefly describe major primary sources - their nature,
significance, difficulties of
interpretation.
D.
Briefly characterize the period
culture and its major innovations, and comment
on any other issues that stand out as important or interesting.
<+For additional bracketed cultures do not do a separate outline but give a
brief characterization with separate date range and geographical designation
along with anything else that seems important, as a brief addendum to the
primary outline.>
4) Written Assignments and Oral Presentation (15 total, 1-2 pages typed;* worth 15% of final grade) on primary texts and major issues will be collected in class, and will be the basis for class discussion. Students may expect to be called upon at random. For Kramer readings and other primary texts, note genre of literature, historical context, historical significance, biblical or modern parallels, cultural heritage, and issues of bias/reliability. Each student will give a brief oral presentation on an assigned chapter of Kramer (sign up on instructor's door beginning Fri 1/16 at noon; presentations begin Wed 1/21).
5)
There will be two Midterms
(Fri-2/27 and Fri-4/16, each worth 10% of the grade) and a Final
(2 hours, cumulative, essay format, worth 15% of grade). Review sheets will be handed out in advance.
*For
written work, please type using 12-pt Times New Roman font with
1-inch margins all around.
Schedule
of Readings:
Week
1: Introductions and Mesopotamian
Pre-Dynastic Period; Development of Writing & Cities
Read Stiebing ch. 1 + pp.
29-39 (in ch. 2) for Wed; read Kramer Intro, Appendix B, ch. 1-3 for Fri.
M (Jan. 12): Intro. Overview
of History, Politics & Ecology of “the fertile crescent,” influence on
Religion.
W (Jan. 14)- Major methodological issues, Mesopotamian Pre-Dynastic Period (Stiebing
pp. 29-39).
*Quiz
1.
F (Jan. 16)- Discuss the invention of writing, schools, and
juvenile delinquency (Kramer).
*Sign up for Kramer presentations (presentations start next Wednesday)!
Mesopotamian Early Bronze Age (3000 - 2000 BCE): Sumer, Akkad, Gut, Ur III; <-- Notes
Week 2: Sumerian Early Dynastic, Sargon's Akkadian Empire, and the fall of
Agade to the Gutians
Read Stiebing pp. 40-61 (ch. 2) + 65-75 (ch. 3); Arnold #12; Kramer 4-7, 22, 24,
Appendix A.
M (Jan. 19): Sumerian Early Dynastic (3000-2300). *Quiz
2 (Stiebing).
W (Jan. 21):
Discuss
Gilgamesh and Sumerian politics and legends. *Quiz
3 (Arnold and Kramer).
Asst. 1
(due Wed): Choose one Kramer chapter and reflect on Sumerian culture.
F (Jan. 23):
Lugalzagesi (set-up); Sargon’s Akkadian Empire
(2340/2300-2200/2150). Sargon/Moses birth.
Discuss Naram-Sin and the fall of Agade to the Gutians (2200-2100). Gudea the
Architect.
Asst. 2
(due Fri): Discuss the legend of the fall
of Agade in relation to actual history (Kramer Appendix A).
Week 3:
Ur III Dynasty - the Neo-Sumerian Renaissance (2100-2000)
Read Stiebing pp. 75-85 (ch. 3 cont.); Arnold #27, 90; plus noted Kramer
selections for Wed&Fri.
M (Jan. 26): Utu-Hegal set-up for Ur III, Ur-Nammu
& Shulgi. *Quiz 4 (Stiebing and Arnold).
For Wed: Read Kramer 8, 25, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36.
W (Jan. 28): Discuss Kramer. Abraham and the Ur III Dynasty (Ziggurat - cf Gen. 11).
Slides.
Asst. 3
(due Wed): Choose one Kramer chapter and reflect on the culture of the Ur
III dynasty.
For Fri: Read Kramer 28-29, 34, 37, 39.
Asst. 4
(due Fri): Choose one Kramer chapter and reflect on the fall of the Ur
III dynasty.
Week
4: Mesopotamian
Middle Bronze Age (2000–1550): Isin/Larsa,
O.Ass./O.B.
Read Stiebing pp. 85-99 (ch. 3 cont.)
M (Feb. 2): The Isin/Larsa period; Shamshi-Adad; the Old Assyrian
Trading Network. *Quiz 6 (Stiebing).
W (Feb. 4):
Mari and the Old
Babylonian Period. Slides. Hurrians and Kassites.
Discuss biblical origins and patriarchs (creation stories compared).
Week
5: Egypt to the End of the Old Kingdom.
Read Stiebing ch. 4;
M (Feb 9)- Egyptian Early Dynastic Period.
Sources for History.
W (Feb. 11)- Egyptian Old Kingdom - the Pyramid Age
(Dyn 3-6).
F (Feb. 13)- Early Egyptian religion,
society and culture.
Week
6: Rise and Fall of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom
(Middle Bronze Age)
Read Stiebing ch. 5; Arnold #18 (Sinuhe), #82 (Neferti/Nefer-Rohu).
M (Feb. 16)- Egyptian 1st Intermediate Period (2180-2040).
*Quiz 9.
W (Feb. 18)-
Week
7: Israel in Egypt, Review and Test
Sumer, Akkad, Gut, Ur III;
Isin/Larsa, Ass/O.B.!
M (Feb. 23)-
W (Feb. 25)- Review for
Midterm on Stiebing 1-5, Kramer/Arnold texts.
F (Feb. 27)- Midterm Exam (worth
10% of
final grade).
Spring
Break!!!
Feb. 28 – March 7. Enjoy your week!
Late Bronze Age (1600-1200), Iron Age (1200-539) and Persian Period (539-332)
Week
8: Era of Egyptian
Greatness: New Kingdom Dyn. 18 (1550-1479)
Read Stiebing 6; Arnold #55, 73; Psalm 104.
M (Mar. 8)- 18th Dynasty - Amose,
Hatshepsut, Tutmosis III. Slides.
*Quiz 10.
W (Mar. 10)- Egypt in Canaan. Amunhotep III. Slides.
F (Mar. 12)-
Amarna Period - discuss Akhenaten's heresy, and erasure from
history. King Tut. Slides.
Asst. 9 (for Fri.): Reflect on Akhenaten's
innovations & aftermath.
Week
9: End of the Bronze Age:
Hittites in Anatolia (1800-1200) & End of Egyptian
Power (1069)
Read Stiebing ch. 7; Arnold #23, 24,
50, 78;
Exodus 1-15.
M (Mar. 15):
Hittite Empire: Suppiluliuma, Mursili II, Muwatalli, Hattusili
III. *Quiz
11.
W (Mar. 17): Egyptian Ramesside Dynasties 19 & 20. Israelite Exodus in a New Kingdom
context.
F (Mar. 19): Hittite-Egyptian burnout; Sea Peoples & Israelites: end
of LB civilization.
Asst. 10 (for Fri.): Comment on the causes of the collapse of Late Bronze
civilization.
Week
10: Recovery and Transformation (1100-745)
Read Stiebing ch. 8; Arnold
#7, 19, 20, 51, 54, 59, 83; Judges, 2Samuel 5; skim 1Kings 1 – 2Kings 14.
M (Mar. 22): Syrian and Anatolian Kingdoms; Neo-Hittites, Aramaeans and
Phoenicians.
*Quiz 12.
W (Mar. 24): A bit of biblical history: exodus, conquest,
tribal league, Philistines,
early monarchy.
F (Mar. 26): Post-Empire Egypt - 3rd
Intermediate and Saite Periods.
3rd
Intermediate (1000-664): Libyan ("Tirhaqa") & Nubian/Napatan (Piye) rule; Sudanese Pyramids.
Saite Dyn 26 (664-525): Psammetichus, Necho, Apries/Amasis struggle (power
politics/strategies/alliances)
Asst. 11 (for Fri.): Comment on the journey of Wen-Amon, how it reflects
politics in post-empire Egypt.
Week
11: Mesopotamian Supremacy: Neo-Assyrian
(883-605) &
Neo-Babylonian Empires (615-539)
Read Stiebing ch. 9; Arnold #39-43, 47-49, 56, 60; 2Kings 15-25,
Daniel 1-6.
M (Mar. 29)-
Neo-Assyrian Empire.
W (Mar. 31)-
F (Apr. 2)-
Asst. 12 (for Fri): Write a short biographical sketch of Nebuchadnezar.
Week
12: Persian/Achaemenid
Empire (539-330).
Read Stiebing 10, Ezra 1-7, Esther.
M (Apr. 5): Cyrus and the Persian Empire. Israel in the Persian Period. Slides. *Quiz 14. *Review
sheet
Asst. 13 (for Mon): Discuss the nature of sources for Cyrus' takeover of Babylon
from Nabonidus.
Asst. 14 (for Wed): Discuss sources for Darius' takeover of Persia.
Was he an avenger or a usurper?
Week
13:
Review and Exam
Review Stiebing 6-10 and notes. Hittite, Kassite,
N.Ass,
N.B.; Persian, Alex in 333!
M (Apr. 12):
F (Apr. 16): 2nd Midterm (on 2nd half of the course - Stiebing 6-10 and ANE
texts).
Week
14: Cultural
Legacy
Read Stiebing 11;
Kramer 10-12, 15-18, 26, 32, 38.
M (Apr. 19):
Cultural Legacy. *Quiz 15 (Steibing).
*Review sheet for final.
W (Apr. 21): Kramer wrap-up - discuss
Mesopotamian science, literature. *Quiz 16
(Kramer).
Asst. 15
(due Wed): Choose a Kramer chapter and reflect on a related aspect of
Mesopotamian culture.
F (Apr. 23): Review for
final exam - major themes for
A two-hour Final Exam, essay format, on major themes from the entire course, will follow during Exam Period (15% of final grade).
Date Period Egypt Mesopotamia (song)
3300 Early Bronze
Old Kingdom
Sumer, Akkad, Gut, Ur III
>1st Intermediate
2000 Middle Bronze Middle Kingdom Isin/Larsa, O.Ass./O.B. (=OldAssyrian/OldBabylonian->1595)
>2nd Intermediate.
<1st Midterm
1550 Late Bronze New Kingdom
Hittite, Kassite,
1200 Iron Age >3rd Int./Post-Empire
N.Ass., N.B. (=NeoAssyrian,NeoBabylonian)
525 Persian Persian Persian, Alex in
333!
332 Hellenistic/Greek
<2nd Midterm
A
Note on Workload:
College courses require preparation – on average 2-3 hours of
preparation for every hour in class. So
plan on 8-9 hours of preparation time per week per
course, not including class time. This
is more than a full-time job! However,
given the high amount you pay for your education, you will not get out of it
what you deserve unless you put in the time and do the preparation.
A
Note on Academic Dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty is a serious offense at Lycoming College and in this
class. Academic Dishonesty includes
failing to give credit to sources used (otherwise known as Plagiarism).
This would include copying material from books, articles, web sites or
another student’s work without citing your source, whether on a formal paper
or a short assignment. You are
allowed to discuss assignments together, but when it comes to writing out your
answers, you must do your own work and use your own words.
If I receive two written assignments or period outline summaries
containing substantially identical wording, BOTH will receive an “F.” If I
receive assignments containing substantial amounts of material copied from any
source (other students’ papers, books, articles, web sites, etc.) without
proper citation and credit being given, that student will receive an “F” on
the assignment and will be reported to the Dean.
According to school policy, a second infraction of this type in any
course at Lycoming College may result in expulsion from the school.
If you do not clearly understand what this means or what plagiarism is,
please come and talk to me about it and I will be glad to explain.