Students will become familiar with the Mediterranean and Near Eastern history of angels and demons. Readings will emphasize Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Levantine, Greek, Roman, and Arabian textual and archaeological sources (from the second millennium BCE to the first millennium CE) underlying angelological and demonological systems in many ancient and modern religious systems. Discussions will explore anthropological and religious studies' theory as well as recurring themes like cultural anxieties, desires for personal protection, and the flexible social roles these `lesser' celestial beings seem to serve over time.