Events
2026
December 2: Near Eastern Studies Lecture, Writing Elegantly in Both Syriac and Arabic: John bar Maʿdanī, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (1252–1263), Severus Roger Akhrass, Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. The lecture introduces the literary and intellectual personality of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch John bar Maʿdanī (1252–1263), a prominent thirteenth-century figure who combined ecclesiastical leadership with accomplished literary activity in both Syriac and Arabic. For virtual attendance, Zoom registration is required. NOTE: Meeting from 11:15-12:45 pm, Rubinstein Commons Room 1.
2027
NES seminars meeting from 12:15 to 1:45 pm, Rubinstein 1 room.
January 20: Near Eastern Studies Seminar, Topic to be announced, Mikhal Dekel, (IAS School of Historical Studies and City College of New York & the CUNY Graduate Center).
January 27: Near Eastern Studies Seminar, Topic to be announced, Chouki El Hamel, (IAS School of Historical Studies and Arizona State University).
February 3: Near Eastern Studies Seminar, Topic to be announced, Bruno Da Nicola, (IAS School of Historical Studies and Austrian Academy of Sciences).
March 3: Near Eastern Studies Seminar, Topic to be announced, Sahar Mor Bostock, (IAS School of Historical Studies).
March 10: Near Eastern Studies Seminar, Topic to be announced, Marta Domínguez Díaz, (IAS School of Historical Studies and University of St Gallen, Switzerland).
March 17: Near Eastern Studies Seminar. What the Cairo Geniza Can Tell Us about Transformations in Egypt during the Early Modern Era, Jane Hathaway, (Ohio State University). This presentation draws on my open-access book Ottoman-Era Documents from the Cairo Genizah (Cambridge Semitic Languages and Cultures/Open Book Publishers, 2026). I will begin with a brief introduction to the Cairo Geniza, the famous collection of documents related to Egypt’s Jewish community. The vast majority of these documents date from the 10th-13th centuries C.E. My research, like that of a small but growing number of scholars, focuses on the much smaller and far less studied corpus of documents from the late Mamluk and Ottoman eras (14th through 19th centuries). For virtual attendance, Zoom registration is required.