huji2015/16

Description: Where do we draw the line between history and entertainment? Can the retelling of popular tales be a religious duty? This course will explore popular attitudes to religion, history and entertainment in the medieval Middle East through the close reading of primary sources in translation. Starting from stories that appear in the Qur’ān (such as King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba), we will see how themes and motifs connecting history to religion for enjoyment and benefit appear and reappear in such varied works as al-Tabarī’s History, al-Tha’ālibī’s Tales of the Prophets, Ferdowsī’s Shāh-nāmeh, Farīd al-Dīn ‘Attār’s Conference of the Birds and the Thousand and One Nights.

Requirements: Participation 15% (in-class reflections 7%), oral presentation 25%, final paper 60% (annotated bibliography – 20%, write-up of oral presentation – 40%). The presentation and its write-up will study one of a list of religious figures (prophets, heroes, rulers) not discussed in class, and the development of its portrayal in various genres over time.