Describes the origin of the Druze people, a group of approximately 300,000 people living mainly in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. The secret Druze religion, often mistaken for Moslems, is characterized in the contemporary customs displayed by the Druzes of Israel. (JDH)

An attempt is made in this bibliography to cover the literary production concerning Palestinian archaeology for the purpose of supplementing college courses in Old Testament studies. A separate section covers methodology on field work in archaeology. (Author/JN)

In two decades of Ba'thist rule, Syria has evolved into a centralized, one-party, secular, authoritarian nation-state, which may be destabilized in the 1980s as a result of the conflict in Lebanon and internal Islamic opposition. (RM)

The historical roots of vocational theory have been traced back only as far as late Renaissance Spain and southern Europe. This article discusses notably modern concepts found in the 10th-century Iraqi text Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa wa-Khillan al-Wafa (Treatises of the Brothers of Purity) by Ikhwan al-Safa. (CC)

The history of the "Fihrist al-'Ulum" ("The Index of the Sciences"), the first comprehensive and detailed Arabic bibliography, is traced from the work's completion in A.D. 987/988 to the discovery and translation of surviving manuscripts in modern times. The bibliography's content, classification scheme, and author are…

The article concludes that the whole question of sexual life in ancient Mesopotamia is difficult to reconstruct and fraught with many uncertainties. Nevertheless, it seems certain that the ancient Mesopotamians had fewer prohibitions against sex than our own civilization, and regarded as acceptable many practices which later societies condemned.…

Cyprus would be paradise on earth if it weren't for its history and geography. At the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it has a history of hate and war. Today it's a nation divided by force, with thousands of Greek Cypriots missing or barred from their homes. Turkey's continuing occupation of Cyprus is a cause of war between Greece and…

Writing appears to have originated from a modest system of counters or tokens used to keep track of economic goods and transactions. This system of recording appeared in 8000 B. C. in Mesopotamia, or what is now Iraq. The tokens' consistency in shape and size during the next 4,000 years attests to the stability of the agricultural economy and way…

To aid secondary-level students in understanding the Palestinian Arab-Israeli dispute, learning activities are suggested. (RM)

Presents the Israeli plan for establishing an autonomous region in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza District for Palestinian Arabs. The author describes problems which have obstructed efforts to solve the Palestinian issue. (AM)

Analyzes the effects of the altered Middle East situation on a community of Iraqi immigrants living in the Detroit metropolitan area. (Author)

Discusses the history and conceptual, cultic, and communal aspects of the Islamic religion. Explores the duties of Muslims, which are referred to as the "pillars of Islam." Describes Muhammed's place in the Islamic faith as its primary prophet and model of behavior. Identifies an approach to the study of Islam that is equally applicable…

The roots of Cyprus' ethnic antagonisms and the issues in the currently stalemated negotiations are described. (RM)

Traces the evolution of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and assesses the effectiveness of the rhetoric of terrorism as a strategy. Applies concepts derived from protest rhetoric of the 1960s to the Palestine movement, noting that current "terrorist" rhetoric is similar to the New Left's confrontational strategies. (MM)

Through its symbolism, law, and toponyms, the Bible exerts a strong influence on Western society. Consequently, geography of the Bible--a study of how people responded to God in such a geographic setting and how people responded to the challenge of an adverse environment--constitutes a legitimate academic field. Such a study has the specific…