NMC380H1

Religion in the Ancient Near East

This course examines a variety of different sources of evidence for religion in the ancient Near East, especially in Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Anatolia, including original written sources, archaeological evidence and iconography. Where possible, the focus will be on reading primary Near Eastern texts, and interpreting them within their contemporary social and political context. We also will discuss links between ancient Near Eastern texts and material that later came to be incorporated into Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious texts.