century ▁Middle - E astern ▁scripts ▁as ▁being ▁identical ▁with ▁the ▁scripts ▁current ▁during ▁Jesus ' s ▁time , ▁and ▁thus ▁found ▁natural ▁to ▁represent ▁early ▁Christians ▁in ▁association ▁with ▁them : ▁" In ▁Renaissance ▁art , ▁pseudo - K uf ic ▁script ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁decor ate ▁the ▁cost umes ▁of ▁Old ▁Testament ▁hero es ▁like ▁David ". ▁Mack ▁states ▁another ▁hypothesis : ▁ ▁Oriental ▁car p ets ▁ ▁Car p ets ▁of ▁Middle - E astern ▁origin , ▁either ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁the ▁Lev ant ▁or ▁the ▁M aml uk ▁state ▁of ▁Egypt ▁or ▁Northern ▁Africa , ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁important ▁decor ative ▁features ▁in ▁paint ings ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁on wards , ▁and ▁especially ▁in ▁religious ▁painting , ▁starting ▁from ▁the ▁Med ieval ▁period ▁and ▁continu ing ▁into ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁period . ▁ ▁Such ▁car p ets ▁were ▁often ▁integrated ▁into ▁Christian ▁imag ery ▁as ▁symbols ▁of ▁lux ury ▁and ▁status ▁of ▁Middle - E astern ▁origin , ▁and ▁together ▁with ▁Pse udo - K uf ic ▁script ▁offer ▁an ▁interesting ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁integration ▁of ▁Eastern ▁elements ▁into ▁European ▁painting . ▁ ▁An atol ian ▁r ugs ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁Trans ylvan ia ▁as ▁decor ation ▁in ▁Evangel ical ▁churches . ▁ ▁Islam ic ▁cost umes ▁▁ ▁Islam ic ▁individuals ▁and ▁cost umes ▁often ▁provided ▁the ▁context ual ▁back drop ▁to ▁describe ▁an ▁evangel ical ▁scene . ▁This ▁was ▁particularly ▁visible ▁in ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁Ven et ian ▁paint ings ▁in ▁which