Information in Religion from the Dossier Fragments in Egypt

Prompt: In the attached dossier are fragments of a cache of documents discovered in Egypt by archaeologists. The documents were written in Coptic and dated (tentatively) by the archaeologists to sometime in Late Antiquity (ranging from 200-400 CE). They were part of a codex, an ancient form of a modern book. The codex was found in an ancient garbage pile outside the modern city of Beni Suef, along the Nile River. The remains of the codex indicate that the writings were associated with a previously unknown author named Frontinus. As scholars tasked with interpreting this new discovery, you will familiarize yourself with Frontinus’ archive. Read through it several times and try to understand Frontinus’ theology, style, and argumentation. You’ll want to read the texts critically, asking the kinds of questions that we have asked this semester. Look for themes and ideas that appear throughout the archive. As your paper, you will write up your findings in the form of an analytic essay.

Your paper will require: 1) a clear and concise thesis; 2) a clear and well-developed argument that backs up your thesis; 3) citation of evidence directly from the sources in the dossier. Your thesis and argument can explore any theme, issue, or idea that you find within Frontinus’ archive.

Details: Papers should be double-spaced with a minimum of 1200 words. You will include the final word count at the end of the paper. What we are looking for is cogent and well-reasoned analysis based on your close reading of these ancient texts. We expect you to develop a thesis and to back up that thesis with a carefully-reasoned argument. Please do not consult any other secondary research, though you may make use of any materials that we have read this semester. Make sure that you specifically cite evidence for your argument from the text itself. You are obliged to adhere to the USC honor code as part of writing this paper.

A couple of tips:

1. Do not waste space in your introduction with broad discussions of Judaism, Christianity, the Bible, and/or western society. State your thesis and get into the details as quickly as possible.

2. Make sure that you are citing evidence from the text and discussing the details. Get specific! We expect you to cite the text as evidence in your papers. If you say something like "I believe..." that means you are not working with the details.

3. If your argument relies on “tone” or “feeling” as part of its thesis, think about how you might use a different concept to organize your thoughts. These things are too subjective and vague to allow you to use them to organize your analysis

4. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Read your paper over several times before you submit it. Check your spelling and your grammar. Have someone else look at it. Go to the Writing Center and ask them to read and comment on your paper. Take this as an exercise for when you send a memo to your boss at [Insert Corporation Name] and take care of grammatical errors and run-on sentences. If your paper has too many errors of grammar, spelling, or syntax, it may not be accepted and your grade will be affected.

Your paper will be evaluated based on:

1. Following guidelines (page length, formatting, use of sources)

2. A clear and specific thesis backed up by an organized argument

3. Evidence of a sustained, careful, and detailed use of the primary and secondary sources

4. Grammar, spelling, and proper citation of sources