This course introduces students to laws, lawmaking, and the formation of legal cultures, theories, and procedures in the ancient world. The societies under consideration will be those of the Near East, Greece, and Rome, and the final stages of the course will extend to the later Roman empire and its legal corpora (most notably the Theodosian Code and Justinian?s Code). Key areas of study will be: violence and punishment; property, inheritance, and labor; variations in legal procedures; the roles of experts and non-experts; gender and sexuality; legal training; the relationship between Roman law and provincial legal systems. Focuses on the religious beliefs and practices of ancient Egypt and of the peoples of the ancient Near East (Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites, Canaanites, Israelites, and Persians), as well as the changes that took place during the period when this region came under the control of Greeks and Romans. The so-called "mystery religions" and early Christianity get some attention as well. Students look at a number of approaches to the study of religion. For majors and non-majors.