From ca. 3000 to 1600 BCE the Ancient Near East was the stage upon which parts were played by a variety of peoples and because of their great achievements, this area has often been called the "Cradle of Civilization." This course provides a broad perspective of the major events and developments, as well as a more intensive examination of specific topics: political ideology, religion, literature, and law. Such matters as the city-states of the early Sumerians, the rise of Semitic nation-states, and the famous law collection of Hammurabi of Babylon will be examined making use of both textual and archaeological evidence. The reading of original sources in translation is stressed.