Eat, Pray, Tax: How the Middle East Shaped the World

Undergraduate / Graduate

Fundamental elements of today's world originate in the Middle East. The region saw the beginning of agriculture, the emergence of the first state, the invention of the alphabet and the codex, and the birth of the great monotheistic religions. This course explores these momentous developments. It traces their origins, effects, and interconnections through history, anthropology, and sociology as well as a range of excursions and hands-on activities designed to allow students to engage with the topics both intellectually and experientially.