Prerequisites: none

Description: An introduction to the history of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia and Egypt, but also including the Syro-Palestinian, Anatolian, and Aegean regions. Covers the history and culture of the world from circa 3000 to 300 B.C. that formed the backdrop to the Hebrew Bible and the Homeric epic tradition. Provides a background for further study of the ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern, or biblical worlds.