Spring 2026 - All Courses

NELC 5103 - Phoenician Grammar
The Phoenicians were master seafarers, merchants, and artisans whose trade networks spanned the Mediterranean, spreading goods, technologies, and ideas across cultures. By transmitting the alphabet and facilitating the circulation of Near Eastern knowledge, they helped lay the foundations upon which Greek culture and ultimately Hellenism could flourish. As intermediaries between Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians occupy a central place in understanding the interconnected world of the ancient Near East. In this course, we will read from the breadth of surviving genres in Phoenician and early Punic, including literary inscriptions, economic records, religious texts, administrative documents, and more.
Prereq: Students must have completed at least one semester of any Semitic language, ancient or modern. Graduate students without a background in a Semitic language may undertake a brief self-study in the basics of Phoenician over winter break, if they choose to join.
Professor: James Moore
Credit Hours: 3
Weds: 2:15 - 5:00 PM