Introduction course to the arts of the Ancient Near East, from the eighth millennium BCE until the Macedonian Conquest. In this course we will deal with visual arts from the great centers of Mesopotamia and Egypt and its connectivity with arts of the Levant, Anatolian and Cyprus. Discussion in each class will be based on the connection between society—mainly its power distribution—and the various kinds of art. The survey will include monumental art, wall paintings and frescos, statuary and figurines, amulets and seals, and pottery decorations. The final meeting of the course includes a tour to the Israel Museum.