B4 - Braided Essay Draft

A​ ​Mosaic​ ​of​ ​Mosaics

Danni​ ​Go Integrative​ ​Seminar​ ​1:​ ​Shift November​ ​29,​ ​2017

Go​ ​2 Shards​ ​of​ ​glass,​ ​scrap​ ​tiles,​ ​and​ ​broken​ ​teacups.​ ​As​ ​useless​ ​and​ ​unsightly​ ​as​ ​these​ ​may sound,​ ​simple​ ​manipulation​ ​can​ ​easily​ ​turn​ ​these​ ​materials​ ​into​ ​purposeful​ ​and​ ​beautiful.​ ​Mended together​ ​by​ ​the​ ​use​ ​grout,​ ​these​ ​fragments​ ​are​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​many​ ​possible​ ​components​ ​to comprise​ ​breathtaking​ ​mosaics.

Mosaics​ ​date​ ​back​ ​to​ ​as​ ​early​ ​as​ ​the​ ​third​ ​millennium,​ ​or​ ​the​ ​Mesopotamian​ ​period.1 Since​ ​then,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​been​ ​adapted​ ​throughout​ ​history,​ ​specifically​ ​during​ ​the​ ​Renaissance​ ​period.

According​ ​to​ ​Eric​ ​MacPhail’s​ ​“The​ ​Mosaic​ ​of​ ​Speech:​ ​A​ ​Classical​ ​Topos​ ​in​ ​Renaissance Aesthetics,”​ ​“The​ ​composite​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​mosaic​ ​appeals​ ​directly​ ​to​ ​the​ ​self-image​ ​of​ ​humanism​ ​as a​ ​painstaking​ ​recovery​ ​and​ ​rearrangement​ ​of​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​tradition.”2​ ​This​ ​correlates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​main goal​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Renaissance​ ​period​ ​which​ ​was​ ​to​ ​embody​ ​humanism.​ ​Back​ ​then,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​expected​ ​for people​ ​to​ ​exhibit​ ​human​ ​conduct,​ ​and​ ​empiricism,​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​one’s​ ​experiences​ ​to​ ​gain knowledge​ ​about​ ​history​ ​or,​ ​in​ ​MacPhail’s​ ​case,​ ​“tradition.”​ ​The​ ​need​ ​for​ ​people​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​and preserve​ ​classical​ ​antiquity​ ​was​ ​met​ ​through​ ​mosaics’​ ​narrative​ ​qualities.

MacPhail’s​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​a​ ​mosaic​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​its​ ​process​ ​of​ ​piecing​ ​together​ ​fragments​ ​of material​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​masterpiece​ ​to​ ​be​ ​analogous​ ​to​ ​the​ ​piecing​ ​together​ ​of​ ​a​ ​more​ ​personal masterpiece,​ ​otherwise​ ​ ​known​ ​as​ ​one’s​ ​“self-image”.​ ​This​ ​acknowledges​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​each person​ ​is​ ​shaped​ ​by​ ​what​ ​they​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​life.​ ​Each​ ​piece​ ​symbolizes​ ​a​ ​newly​ ​gained​ ​piece​ ​of information​ ​being​ ​added​ ​as​ ​a​ ​component​ ​to​ ​make​ ​up​ ​one’s​ ​essence,​ ​as​ ​everything​ ​an​ ​individual encounters​ ​eventually​ ​becomes​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she,​ ​or​ ​generally​ ​who​ ​they​ ​are​ ​as​ ​a​ ​person.

​ ​“Mosaic​ ​-​ ​Ancient​ ​History​ ​Encyclopedia,”​ ​Ancient​ ​History​ ​Encyclopedia,​ ​last​ ​modified April​ ​28,​ ​2011,​ ​https://www.ancient.eu/Mosaic/.

2 ​ ​Eric​ ​MacPhail,​ ​“The​ ​Mosaic​ ​of​ ​Speech:​ ​A​ ​Classical​ ​Topos​ ​in​ ​Renaissance​ ​Aesthetics,” Journal​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Warburg​ ​and​ ​Courtauld​ ​Institutes​ ​66​ ​(2003):​ ​249-64.

1

Go​ ​3 However,​ ​with​ ​all​ ​the​ ​information​ ​one​ ​can​ ​possibly​ ​be​ ​exposed​ ​to,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​argued​ ​that not​ ​everything​ ​one​ ​acquires​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​useful​ ​in​ ​relation​ ​to​ ​the​ ​other​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​information already​ ​learned.​ ​One​ ​may​ ​think​ ​that​ ​certain​ ​things​ ​may​ ​not​ ​have​ ​any​ ​connection​ ​to​ ​another,​ ​when in​ ​reality,​ ​they​ ​possibly​ ​do.​ ​Human​ ​rights​ ​and​ ​civil​ ​liberties​ ​attorney​ ​Jameer​ ​Jaffer​ ​disputes​ ​the mosaic​ ​theory,​ ​in​ ​which​ ​“seemingly​ ​insignificant​ ​information​ ​may​ ​become​ ​significant​ ​when combined​ ​with​ ​other​ ​information.”3​ ​Though​ ​bits​ ​of​ ​information​ ​may​ ​not​ ​seem​ ​like​ ​they​ ​make sense​ ​on​ ​their​ ​own,​ ​it​ ​does​ ​not​ ​mean​ ​they​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​have​ ​no​ ​meaning​ ​when​ ​combined​ ​with other​ ​nonsense​ ​information.​ ​In​ ​other​ ​words,​ ​combined​ ​nonsense​ ​makes​ ​sense.

Jaffer​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​how​ ​“innocuous​ ​information​ ​can​ ​be​ ​analyzed​ ​and​ ​fitted​ ​into place​ ​to​ ​reveal​ ​with​ ​startling​ ​clarity​ ​how​ ​the​ ​unseen​ ​whole​ ​must​ ​operate.”4​ ​In​ ​a​ ​sense,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​like​ ​a puzzle.​ ​Just​ ​like​ ​a​ ​puzzle,​ ​a​ ​mosaic​ ​is​ ​made​ ​up​ ​of​ ​smaller​ ​pieces​ ​that​ ​are​ ​formed​ ​together​ ​to create​ ​a​ ​bigger​ ​picture.​ ​Each​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​the​ ​puzzle​ ​or​ ​the​ ​mosaic​ ​is​ ​“analyzed”​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​figure out​ ​its​ ​best​ ​placement​ ​for​ ​it​ ​to​ ​be​ ​“fitted​ ​into​ ​place”​ ​to​ ​reveal​ ​the​ ​magnum​ ​opus.​ ​At​ ​first,​ ​the pieces​ ​may​ ​not​ ​make​ ​any​ ​sense,​ ​but​ ​not​ ​until​ ​it​ ​is​ ​combined​ ​and​ ​interacted​ ​with​ ​other​ ​pieces.

Then,​ ​it​ ​will​ ​start​ ​to​ ​flow​ ​together​ ​as​ ​a​ ​whole​ ​to​ ​unveil​ ​a​ ​bigger​ ​and​ ​deeper​ ​meaning.​ ​Ultimately, this​ ​theory​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​an​ ​argument​ ​to​ ​justify​ ​certain​ ​situations​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​arrive​ ​at​ ​an​ ​agreement that​ ​is​ ​not​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​be​ ​disproven.5 The​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​can​ ​be​ ​said​ ​to​ ​work​ ​almost​ ​like​ ​the​ ​mosaic​ ​theory.​ ​According​ ​to American​ ​theologian​ ​Matthew​ ​Levering,​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​entails​ ​using​ ​Moses’​ ​wisdom​ ​and teachings​ ​gives​ ​access​ ​to​ ​truly​ ​understanding​ ​the​ ​life​ ​of​ ​Christ.6​ ​It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​thought​ ​of​ ​as​ ​Moses’

3

​ ​Jameel​

​Jaffer,​ ​"The​ ​Mosaic​ ​Theory."​ ​Social​ ​Research​ ​77,​ ​no.​ ​3​ ​(2010):​ ​873-82.

​ ​Ibid. ​ ​Ibid.

6 ​ ​Matthew​ ​Levering,​ ​"THE​ ​MOSAIC​ ​LAW."​ ​In​ ​Paul​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Summa​ ​Theologiae​,​ ​109-52.

4 5

Go​ ​4 knowledge​ ​as​ ​the​ ​puzzle​ ​pieces​ ​to​ ​reveal​ ​Christ.​ ​This​ ​then​ ​models​ ​Jaffer’s​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​piecing together​ ​information​ ​to​ ​arrive​ ​at​ ​a​ ​more​ ​meaningful​ ​and​ ​substantial​ ​answer.

Italian-Dominican​ ​priest​ ​Thomas​ ​Aquinas​ ​believes​ ​this​ ​Law​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Christian community​ ​to​ ​prepare​ ​for​ ​the​ ​various​ ​forms​ ​Christ​ ​chooses​ ​to​ ​reveal​ ​Himself.​ ​With​ ​this,​ ​people are​ ​then​ ​encouraged​ ​to​ ​act​ ​in​ ​the​ ​goodness​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Lord​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​start​ ​their​ ​path​ ​towards salvation,​ ​or​ ​in​ ​other​ ​words,​ ​Heaven.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​where​ ​dispute​ ​arises.

Reformist​ ​Martin​ ​Luther​ ​reasons​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​removes​ ​the​ ​sheer​ ​goodness​ ​of one’s​ ​actions.7​ ​Instead​ ​of​ ​naturally​ ​and​ ​genuinely​ ​acting​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​kindness​ ​of​ ​their​ ​hearts, people​ ​are​ ​simply​ ​doing​ ​such​ ​acts​ ​because​ ​they​ ​are​ ​motivated​ ​and​ ​convinced​ ​that​ ​it​ ​will guarantee​ ​them​ ​a​ ​place​ ​in​ ​Heaven.​ ​To​ ​Luther,​ ​that​ ​should​ ​not​ ​be​ ​the​ ​case.​ ​People​ ​should​ ​be performing​ ​selfless,​ ​kind​ ​acts,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reward​ ​that​ ​comes​ ​with​ ​doing​ ​so.​ ​Luther​ ​was known​ ​to​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​achieving​ ​salvation​ ​was​ ​done​ ​independently​ ​and​ ​for​ ​personal​ ​sake,​ ​not​ ​to fulfill​ ​one’s​ ​desire​ ​to​ ​acquire​ ​salvation.​ ​Though​ ​he​ ​believes​ ​actions​ ​can​ ​be​ ​done​ ​towards​ ​one’s salvation,​ ​he​ ​believes​ ​in​ ​predestination,​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​even​ ​before​ ​birth,​ ​our​ ​ultimate​ ​destiny​ ​is already​ ​predetermined.​ ​In​ ​short,​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​one​ ​ends​ ​up​ ​in​ ​Heaven​ ​or​ ​Hell​ ​has​ ​already​ ​been decided.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​now​ ​just​ ​a​ ​matter​ ​of​ ​acting​ ​in​ ​the​ ​image​ ​and​ ​likeness​ ​of​ ​God. On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​Levering​ ​claims​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​being​ ​“an​ ​imperfectly​ ​good​ ​law”.8 With​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law,​ ​“it​ ​does​ ​not​ ​overcome​ ​our​ ​concupiscence.”9​ ​What​ ​this​ ​means​ ​is​ ​that​ ​the idea​ ​of​ ​using​ ​Moses’​ ​teachings​ ​as​ ​a​ ​stepping​ ​stone​ ​does​ ​not​ ​completely​ ​overshadow​ ​an

Washington,​ ​D.C.:​ ​Catholic​ ​University​ ​of​ ​America​ ​Press,​ ​2014. ​ ​Ibid. ​ ​Ibid.

9 ​ ​Ibid.

7 8

Go​ ​5 individual’s​ ​desire​ ​for​ ​salvation.​ ​To​ ​Levering,​ ​practicing​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​does​ ​not​ ​extract​ ​the goodness​ ​out​ ​of​ ​one’s​ ​actions,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​what​ ​Luther​ ​believes.​ ​Levering​ ​says,​ ​“God’s​ ​grace enables​ ​us​ ​to​ ​fulfill​ ​God’s​ ​law,​ ​and​ ​so​ ​the​ ​grace​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Holy​ ​Spirit,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​conferred​ ​by​ ​Christ Jesus,​ ​perfects​ ​and​ ​fulfills​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law.”10​ ​As​ ​long​ ​as​ ​our​ ​actions​ ​are​ ​signaled​ ​by​ ​God’s blessings,​ ​then​ ​it​ ​is​ ​safe​ ​to​ ​say​ ​that​ ​they​ ​are​ ​acting​ ​with​ ​genuine​ ​intention,​ ​and​ ​not​ ​to​ ​simply​ ​gain salvation.

These​ ​steps​ ​towards​ ​salvation​ ​goes​ ​hand-in-hand​ ​with​ ​“The​ ​Mosaic​ ​Theory​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Fourth Amendment”.​ ​Professor​ ​of​ ​law​ ​Orin​ ​S.​ ​Kerr​ ​talks​ ​about​ ​how​ ​the​ ​mosaic​ ​theory​ ​is​ ​used​ ​in accordance​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Fourth​ ​Amendment.​ ​The​ ​Fourth​ ​Amendment​ ​entails​ ​a​ ​person’s​ ​rights​ ​when it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​ownership​ ​and​ ​privacy.​ ​The​ ​mosaic​ ​theory​ ​states​ ​that,​ ​“…searches​ ​can​ ​be​ ​analyzed​ ​as a​ ​collective​ ​sequence​ ​of​ ​steps​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​as​ ​individual​ ​steps…​ ​Identifying​ ​Fourth​ ​Amendment searches​ ​requires​ ​analyzing​ ​police​ ​actions​ ​over​ ​time​ ​as​ ​a​ ​collective​ ​‘mosaic’​ ​of​ ​surveillance”11 With​ ​this,​ ​searching​ ​a​ ​person’s​ ​property​ ​is​ ​done​ ​in​ ​a​ ​multitude​ ​of​ ​steps​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​single​ ​steps.

This​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​the​ ​searches​ ​to​ ​be​ ​more​ ​productive,​ ​as​ ​it​ ​“[requires]​ ​courts​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​an​ ​extensive list​ ​of​ ​difficult​ ​and​ ​novel​ ​questions.”12 A​ ​sequence​ ​of​ ​steps​ ​is​ ​also​ ​taken​ ​when​ ​creating​ ​mosaic​ ​gold.​ ​By​ ​melting​ ​together​ ​tin, mercury,​ ​sal​ ​ammoniac,​ ​and​ ​sulphur,​ ​then​ ​baking​ ​the​ ​mixture​ ​with​ ​increasing​ ​heat,​ ​mosaic​ ​gold is​ ​created​ ​once​ ​golden​ ​sparkles​ ​appear.13​ ​Mosaic​ ​gold​ ​was​ ​its​ ​own​ ​entity.​ ​ ​It​ ​was​ ​“priced​ ​as​ ​a

​ ​Ibid. ​ ​Orin​ ​S.​ ​Kerr,​ ​"THE​ ​MOSAIC​ ​THEORY​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​FOURTH​ ​AMENDMENT." Michigan​ ​Law​ ​Review​ ​111,​ ​no.​ ​3​ ​(2012):​ ​311-54.

12 ​ ​Ibid.

13 ​ ​Janet​ ​L.​ ​Ross,​ ​"A​ ​Note​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Use​ ​of​ ​Mosaic​ ​Gold."​ ​Studies​ ​in​ ​Conservation​ ​18,​ ​no.​ ​4 (1973) 10 11

Go​ ​6 pigment​ ​for​ ​its​ ​own​ ​inherent​ ​properties.”14​ ​Its​ ​purpose​ ​was​ ​not​ ​to​ ​replace​ ​gold​ ​itself​ ​or​ ​to​ ​imitate it,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​be​ ​distinguished​ ​individually​ ​for​ ​its​ ​own​ ​facets.​ ​Mosaic​ ​gold​ ​was​ ​also​ ​used​ ​in​ ​reference to​ ​technical​ ​literature,​ ​which​ ​“[reflects]​ ​an​ ​enthusiasm​ ​for​ ​technological​ ​development​ ​rather​ ​than the​ ​belief​ ​that​ ​an​ ​inexpensive​ ​substitute​ ​for​ ​gold​ ​had​ ​been​ ​discovered.”15

​ ​Ibid. ​ ​Ibid.

14 15

Go​ ​7 Annotated​ ​Bibliography Carinemahy.​ ​"Mosaic."​ ​Ancient​ ​History​ ​Encyclopedia​.​ ​Last​ ​modified​ ​April​ ​28,​ ​2011. https://www.ancient.eu/Mosaic/​.

This​ ​source​ ​simply​ ​talks​ ​about​ ​the​ ​origins​ ​of​ ​a​ ​mosaic.​ ​It​ ​briefly​ ​mentions​ ​how​ ​mosaics are​ ​usually​ ​made​ ​with​ ​glass​ ​or​ ​stone.​ ​Mosaics​ ​were​ ​originally​ ​found​ ​during​ ​the​ ​3rd​ ​millennium, specifically​ ​the​ ​Mesopotamian​ ​period,​ ​at​ ​a​ ​temple​ ​in​ ​Ubaid,​ ​Mesopotamia.​ ​They​ ​consisted​ ​of ivory,​ ​colored​ ​stones,​ ​and​ ​shells.​ ​Mosaics​ ​continued​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used​ ​during​ ​the​ ​Macedonian​ ​period, Hellenistic​ ​period,​ ​and​ ​for​ ​Roman​ ​flooring.​ ​However,​ ​the​ ​most​ ​famous​ ​mosaics​ ​happen​ ​to​ ​be from​ ​Africa​ ​and​ ​Syria.

Friendly,​ ​Michael.​ ​"A​ ​Brief​ ​History​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​Display."​ ​Journal​ ​of​ ​Computational​ ​and Graphical​ ​Statistics​ ​11,​ ​no.​ ​1​ ​(2002):​ ​89-107.​ ​http://www.jstor.org/stable/1391129​.

From​ ​being​ ​used​ ​as​ ​narratives​ ​in​ ​Roman​ ​and​ ​Greek​ ​art​ ​to​ ​aestheticized​ ​architecture, mosaics​ ​have​ ​served​ ​multiple​ ​purposes​ ​beyond​ ​its​ ​beauty.​ ​Mosaics​ ​did​ ​not​ ​begin​ ​as​ ​a​ ​means​ ​of achieving​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​aesthetic.​ ​Rather,​ ​they​ ​were​ ​used​ ​for​ ​data​ ​visualization.​ ​With​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of rectangles,​ ​mosaics​ ​were​ ​used​ ​to​ ​present​ ​different​ ​types​ ​of​ ​information.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​almost​ ​used​ ​like today’s​ ​table​ ​graphs,​ ​where​ ​its​ ​rows​ ​and​ ​its​ ​columns​ ​are​ ​used​ ​to​ ​sort​ ​categorical​ ​data accordingly.​ ​This​ ​source​ ​can​ ​be​ ​useful​ ​is​ ​showing​ ​the​ ​functionality​ ​of​ ​mosaics​ ​besides​ ​their distractingly​ ​stunning​ ​appearances.

Jaffer,​ ​Jameel.​ ​"The​ ​Mosaic​ ​Theory."​ ​Social​ ​Research​ ​77,​ ​no.​ ​3​ ​(2010):​ ​873-82. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40972296​.

The​ ​mosaic​ ​theory​ ​is​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​what​ ​seemed​ ​like​ ​unimportant​ ​information​ ​becomes important​ ​when​ ​combined​ ​with​ ​other​ ​unimportant​ ​information.​ ​Just​ ​like​ ​a​ ​mosaic,​ ​the​ ​mosaic

Go​ ​8 theory​ ​embodies​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​piecing​ ​tiny​ ​bits​ ​of​ ​information​ ​together​ ​to​ ​create​ ​a​ ​bigger,​ ​more structured​ ​concept.​ ​The​ ​theory​ ​is​ ​mistaken​ ​for​ ​a​ ​description,​ ​when​ ​it​ ​is​ ​really​ ​an​ ​argument.​ ​It​ ​is used​ ​in​ ​justifying​ ​certain​ ​situations.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​a​ ​consensus,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​theory​ ​is​ ​designed​ ​to make​ ​disproving​ ​it​ ​impossible.​ ​This​ ​source​ ​shows​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​a​ ​“mosaic”​ ​in​ ​the​ ​argumentative aspect.

Kerr,​ ​Orin​ ​S.​ ​"THE​ ​MOSAIC​ ​THEORY​ ​OF​ ​THE​ ​FOURTH​ ​AMENDMENT."​ ​Michigan​ ​Law Review​ ​111,​ ​no.​ ​3​ ​(2012):​ ​311-54.​ ​http://www.jstor.org/stable/41703445​.

In​ ​regards​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Fourth​ ​Amendment,​ ​which​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​a​ ​person’s​ ​right​ ​to​ ​privacy​ ​and ownership,​ ​the​ ​mosaic​ ​theory​ ​proposes​ ​that​ ​searches​ ​can​ ​be​ ​observed​ ​as​ ​a​ ​collective​ ​of​ ​steps instead​ ​of​ ​individual​ ​steps.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​source,​ ​a​ ​mosaic​ ​is​ ​used​ ​as​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​carefully​ ​study​ ​and understand​ ​the​ ​Fourth​ ​Amendment​ ​and​ ​what​ ​it​ ​entails​ ​for​ ​a​ ​citizen.

Levering,​ ​Matthew.​ ​"THE​ ​MOSAIC​ ​LAW."​ ​In​ ​Paul​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Summa​ ​Theologiae​,​ ​109-52.

Washington,​ ​D.C.:​ ​Catholic​ ​University​ ​of​ ​America​ ​Press,​ ​2014. doi:10.2307/j.ctt7zswbz.8.

In​ ​the​ ​religious​ ​aspect,​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​takes​ ​into​ ​account​ ​Moses’​ ​knowledge​ ​and​ ​lessons as​ ​a​ ​means​ ​to​ ​truly​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​life​ ​of​ ​Jesus​ ​Christ.​ ​Italian-Dominican​ ​priest​ ​Thomas​ ​Aquinas believes​ ​this​ ​Law​ ​is​ ​for​ ​God’s​ ​people​ ​to​ ​prepare​ ​for​ ​His​ ​presence​ ​in​ ​the​ ​various​ ​forms​ ​He​ ​reveals Himself​ ​in.​ ​Besides​ ​Aquinas,​ ​other​ ​significant​ ​figures​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Martin​ ​Luther​ ​from​ ​the​ ​period​ ​of Reformation​ ​disputes​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Mosaic​ ​law​ ​extracts​ ​the​ ​goodness​ ​of​ ​one’s​ ​actions,​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are simply​ ​motivated​ ​by​ ​their​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​achieving​ ​salvation.​ ​With​ ​this,​ ​“mosaic”​ ​meets​ ​religion​ ​and where​ ​the​ ​line​ ​is​ ​drawn​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​understanding​ ​Christ’s​ ​life​ ​for​ ​the​ ​true​ ​desire​ ​to,​ ​or​ ​for the​ ​desire​ ​of​ ​making​ ​it​ ​to​ ​Heaven.

Go​ ​9 MacPhail,​ ​Eric.​ ​"The​ ​Mosaic​ ​of​ ​Speech:​ ​A​ ​Classical​ ​Topos​ ​in​ ​Renaissance​ ​Aesthetics."​ ​Journal of​ ​the​ ​Warburg​ ​and​ ​Courtauld​ ​Institutes​ ​66​ ​(2003):​ ​249-64. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40026317​.

During​ ​the​ ​Renaissance​ ​period,​ ​mosaics​ ​had​ ​the​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​retelling​ ​stories​ ​of​ ​classical antiquity.​ ​Back​ ​then,​ ​the​ ​goal​ ​was​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​and​ ​practice​ ​humanism,​ ​so​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​rearranging history​ ​resembles​ ​that​ ​of​ ​the​ ​physical​ ​process​ ​of​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​mosaic.​ ​On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​mosaics themselves​ ​had​ ​a​ ​voice.​ ​The​ ​images​ ​they​ ​displayed​ ​allowed​ ​them​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​to​ ​its​ ​viewers.​ ​This source​ ​touches​ ​on​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​mosaics​ ​as​ ​an​ ​interactive​ ​and​ ​informative​ ​tool​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​speech rather​ ​than​ ​visual​ ​material.

Ross,​ ​Janet​ ​L.​ ​"A​ ​Note​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Use​ ​of​ ​Mosaic​ ​Gold."​ ​Studies​ ​in​ ​Conservation​ ​18,​ ​no.​ ​4​ ​(1973): 174-76.​ ​doi:10.2307/1505713.

By​ ​taking​ ​different​ ​substances​ ​(being​ ​tin,​ ​mercury,​ ​sal​ ​ammoniac,​ ​and​ ​sulphur),​ ​mosaic gold​ ​is​ ​formed,​ ​after​ ​being​ ​mixed​ ​together​ ​in​ ​a​ ​jar​ ​and​ ​baked​ ​with​ ​increasing​ ​heat.​ ​The​ ​result​ ​is​ ​a sparkling​ ​gold​ ​pigment.​ ​Mosaic​ ​gold​ ​was​ ​not​ ​seen​ ​as​ ​a​ ​substitute​ ​for​ ​gold​ ​itself,​ ​but​ ​was​ ​seen simply​ ​for​ ​its​ ​beautiful​ ​facets.​ ​Besides​ ​its​ ​physicality,​ ​mosaic​ ​gold​ ​plays​ ​a​ ​role​ ​in​ ​literature​ ​as well.​ ​In​ ​literature,​ ​mosaic​ ​gold​ ​reflected​ ​the​ ​eagerness​ ​for​ ​development​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​being​ ​mistaken as​ ​a​ ​deception,​ ​or​ ​a​ ​“substitute”.​ ​This​ ​source​ ​shares​ ​the​ ​different​ ​uses​ ​of​ ​mosaic​ ​gold,​ ​in​ ​the physical​ ​sense​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​of​ ​literature.