Recounts the 1798 Egyptian campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose Scientific and Artistic Commission documented and described the glories of ancient Egypt. The expedition was a disaster by military standards, but the cultural legacies included the Rosetta Stone, and a chronicle entitled "Description de L'Egypte," which did much to…

Examines the ongoing search for Egypt's origins from the Predynastic Period (ca. 4000-3100 B.C.) through the first two dynasties of Archaic times by looking at evidence unearthed in excavations during 1985-86 at Hierakonpolis. Shows how and why Egypt became history's first politically centralized nation state. (LS)

Describes "Mystery in Progress," a traveling exhibit which traces the development of Predynastic Egypt. The exhibit provides a time line for Predynastic Egypt, depicts the history of the Hierakonpolis expedition, documents the formation of Egypt's first centralized nation state, and summarizes the emergence of a unified Egypt. (LS)

Describes the preparation of an edition of the Savery Codex, a fourth century Coptic manuscript which illuminates elements of early Coptic Christianity. Illustrates the value of the text in the study of the Coptic language. (LS)

Describes the historical premises behind a traveling exhibit of Egyptian Hellenistic art from the Ptolemic Period. Focuses on the uniquely Egyptian characteristics of this art, including religious symbolism, costume elements, and characteristics of craftsmanship. (LS)

Covers the cultural and aesthetic significance of Egyptian mummies, as explained in an exhibition at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The display, "Mummies & Magic: The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt," allowed for restoration work which did much to advance modern knowledge of Egyptian culture and funerary art. (LS)

Discusses the career and publications of Bernard Lewis, a noted scholar in the field of Middle-Eastern studies and Islamic history. Traces the history of Western-based Islamic historiography. Examines Lewis' interpretation of Islamic history, outlining his political and social views. (RW)

Covers the current revision of the "Encyclopedia of Islam," a major research tool in the study of Islamic civilization. Changes include the addition of new topics such as social and economic history, and new ideas such as freedom, constitutions, and agriculture. The revision includes more articles written by Middle Eastern and Indian scholars. (LS)

Considers the difficulties presented when studying the Islamic religion through the current approach to history of religions and offers reasons for this phenomena. Examines the academic methodology in studying the history of religion, and traces its evolution. Examines major scholarly figures in the study of religion field. (RW)

Traces Asian studies' infusion into the curriculum at Columbia University. Attributes the program's development to Wm. Theodore de Bary's influence, including his translating and editing of primary sources. States his work continues to serve as basic texts in Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Buddhist traditions. Discusses his views on scholarship,…

Describes a project cataloging some of the earliest writings of humankind found in the Yale Babylonian Collection. The clay tablets convey information from recipes to religious incantations to commercial transactions. Discusses the emergence and practice of early writing and the computerization of these records. (MJP)

History professor Lawrence W. Levine defends multicultural education and the concept of extending fields of study beyond the western canon. He notes that the very idea of western civilization is barely 50 years old. Includes a number of salient points concerning immigration, language, and culture. (MJP)