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Founded in 1883, the Department of Near Eastern Studies
of the Johns Hopkins
University was the first in the United States
to offer a Ph.D. The Department now offers programs of study leading to the
Ph.D. in five areas: Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures (including
Biblical Studies), Egyptology, Assyriology, Ancient Law, and Near Eastern
Archaeology.
Our approach is to study ancient Near Eastern
civilizations with modern tools of analysis (literary, legal,
anthropological, etc.), using the ancient written records and physical
evidence as our data. The study of language and script forms a major
part of our program, with an emphasis on gaining ability to access sources
in the original. The archaeology program also has a substantial language
requirement.
Written records and physical evidence can only be
understood in context, which includes their cultural and historical
background and their relationship with the surrounding cultures. Our
programs of study emphasize an integrated approach to the civilizations of
the region. They consist of a major area of concentration, a minor from
another area (usually a language), and a series of history seminars
covering all three principal sub-regions: Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and Syria-Palestine
Interdisciplinary efforts are a prominent feature of
academic life at Johns Hopkins. The Department's faculty members frequently
collaborate in joint teaching and research ventures among themselves and
with faculty from other disciplines. Students are encouraged to adopt the same
spirit of collaboration within the Department and, where relevant, to
participate in courses in other departments.
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