Mosaic: "Parting of Lot and Abraham"

Paper Summary:

This paper hypothesizes that the mosaic "The Parting of Lot and Abraham" not only represents an important event in history but also explores the symbolism of the division between good and evil. The author first summarizes the biblical accounting to get a deeper appreciative of the figures involved in this event. The paper relates that the very direct and powerful composition of the mosaic is dominated by the foreground figures Lot and Abraham placed with a considerable gap between them, which emphasizes the irreversible decision for them to part: Abraham on the left moving towards Canaan and Lot in the opposite way, towards Sodom with his two daughters.

From the Paper:

"The mass behind the two figures which are placed in foreground is shown using dark contrasting colors and tones which have faded considerably over time. In fact, the mass of heads in the background is a common Roman art device suggesting that the division is not only between Lot and Abraham, but between two peoples, and ultimately, two moral categories, i.e. good and evil. The shading also gives a three dimensional effect to the mosaic, this being a highly characteristic quality of Roman art. Nonetheless, the illusion of spatial depth is reduced by the strong outline of the figures."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Augustine, Saint. The City of God. Trans. Marcus D. D. Dods. New York: Modern Library, 1950: 543.
• Fortner, Dan. "The Strife between Abraham and Lot John 4:26." <http://grace-for-today.com/1772.htm>
• "The Esoteric Explanation of Lot's Parting from Abraham." Sacred texts. <http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/zdm/zdm098.htm>
• Touitou, Elazar. "Basic Jewish Studies Unit." 2004. Bar-Ilan University. The Faculty of Jewish Studies. <http://www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/lekh/lech1.html>

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