This course is a survey of the Western world within the context of world civilization from ancient times to 1650. Emphasis is placed on the developments that have contributed to Western civilization today. Major topics include the following: the rise and fall of ancient civilizations; Greek and Roman culture; Judaism at the birth of Jesus; the rise of Christianity and Islam; the Middle Ages; exploration, conquest and colonization; the Renaissance; humanism; the Reformation; and the Puritan Revolution.