mosaic /mō-zā′ĭk/
noun
- A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface.
Popular in the Ancient Roman world, Mosaics were used as floor and wall features, decorating private homes and public buildings. They represented everyday things such as food, tools, and local plants and animals. A large floor in Sepphoris (Gk – Zippori, Hb), given the name The Nile Mosaic, depicts the lighthouse of Alexandria, the Nilometer, which measured the rise of the Nile during the rainy season, as well as exotic animals, soldiers, and hunters.
Mosaics were meticulously crafted using small colored squares of marble, tile, glass, or stone. These pieces, often measuring one-half inch or smaller, were skillfully arranged to form intricate designs. The level of detail was astounding, with some designs incorporating pieces as small as one-hundredth of an inch, less than a 1-point computer font letter (the font in this description is 12-point). Another beautiful mosaic found at Sepphoris is of an attractive woman known today as the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee.” The large floor she is a part of includes one and a half million stones in 28 different colors.
Visualize Christ’s Church as a mosaic produced by centuries of believers, each so unique that no two pieces are the same. Imagine the beauty of this gigantic artwork. The grandeur is dependent on having each piece precisely in the location it is found. Move or remove even one piece, and the final magnificence is destroyed. Each of us has our exact place in God’s Kingdom. We are dependent on those on each side of us. Alone, our piece has little charm, but together, we create exactly what our Savior imagined we should be.
