PhD Program Areas of Study: Ancient Egypt: The program in Egyptology centers on the study of Middle Egyptian language and scripts, and the history, archaeology, religion, and culture of ancient Egypt. Other phases of the Egyptian language are also covered. Ancient IsraelHebrew Bible: In this program the language, literature, history, and culture of Ancient Israel and its neighbors are investigated. In addition to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ugaritic courses, Mesopotamian languages, Greek, and Arabic can be elected. Arabic: The Arabic program leads to a degree in Arabic literature or Arabic linguistics. It is linked with offerings in Middle East studies and cooperates with other disciplinary unitsdepartments such as Comparative Literature and Linguistics. Armenian: All periods of Armenian language, literature, history and culture are taught in this program in the broader Middle East and former Soviet contexts. Courses in Western Armenian, literature, history and culture are taught regularly and Classical and Eastern Armenian in alternate years. Christianity in Late Antiquity: This program trains students to become teachers and scholars of Christianity in late antiquity (roughly the period from 300 to 700 C.E.). Hebrew: The modern Hebrew program educates students in modern Hebrew language and literature, and also in earlier periods of literature, including Aramaic texts. Iranian Studies: The Department of Middle East Studies (MES) has been active in the field of Iranian studies since its founding in 1948. Islamic Studies: Islamic studies specialists teach a wide range of courses in medieval and modern Middle Eastern history, pertaining to the rise and development of the Islamic religion, Islamic intellectual history and Muslim civilization. Mesopotamian and Ancient Middle East Studies: The focus of the program is on the languages, literatures, history, culture, and archaeology of Mesopotamia and on neighboring ancient states and cultures. Language courses in Sumerian and Akkadian are regularly scheduled, and offerings in Hittite and Egyptian are also available. Persian: The Department of Middle East Studies offers Persian language courses on all levels. At every level of our language program, we teach to enhance the cognitive abilities and intellectual curiosity of our students. Rabbinics; Jewish History of Late Antiquity: The program trains doctoral students in the literature, history, religion, and culture of ancient Judaism in the Roman and Byzantine periods. The curriculum embraces the full spectrum of written sources from the ancient world, archaeology, and art. Second Temple Judaism and Christian OriginsNew Testament: The Program trains graduate students as scholars and teachers in the field of Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins, covering all major literary corpora of the period (Old and New Testament, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, Apostolic Fathers, Jewish-Hellenistic Literature) with no distinction between the canonical and the non-canonical, the Jewish and the Christian. Turkish: This program trains students in Ottoman or modern Turkish language and culture. Supplemental instruction is given in related dialects of Azeri and Chagatay.
