Where did Freemasonry come from? From the ancient mysteries of antiquity or from the mystical teachers of Egypt? The origin of Freemasonry is one of the most interesting topics to this day. There are different versions about the origin of the Freemasons - "Freemasons": from the builders of Ancient Greece and Rome; medieval stonemasons who erected cathedrals in Europe; knights - Templars, who managed to escape to Scotland from Pope Clement V and King of France Philip the Fair. Some scholars attribute modern Freemasonry to the supporters of Pythagoras, since some of the reflections of this philosopher related to the origin of numbers are found in the esoteric doctrines taught in Masonic lodges. Thomas Paine and his supporters were called the founders of Druidic Freemasonry, because they worshiped the Sun, Moon and stars. According to one version,The "genealogy" of Masons goes back to the biblical Temple of Solomon and its builder - Hiram of Tire.
Over the past decade, scientists have been able to decipher many ancient inscriptions on the walls of ancient temples in cities in Africa, Asia, North, Central and South America. They provided clues to ancient mysteries and helped establish the origins of Masonic signs, symbols and rituals. The search led researchers to the culture of Ancient Egypt, where Freemasonry originated.
Researchers of the history of Ancient Egypt believe that the founder of the creation of the "Free Masons" group was the architect Imhotep. The ancient Egyptian historian and priest Manetho attributed to Imhotep, the first architect and scientist known in world history, the invention of the stone architecture of Egypt. Imhotep built the first Masonic temple at Edfu and the first stepped Egyptian pyramid at Saqqara - the tomb of Pharaoh Djoser.
For the construction of the pyramid, the best masons of Egypt were involved. Retaining belonging to the ancient Greek gods, the "Free Masons" worshiped a single god, who was called the "Great Architect of the Universe."
Gradually, the symbolism of Imhotep's "Free Masons" was born: a bricklayer's apron, a stone, a hammer, a pyramid with an all-seeing eye, Phoenix, Sphinx, numbers 3, 7, 13, 33 (the number of people forming a certain circle of power) and others. The sign of the pentagram, a five-pointed star, which became popular with the Freemasons, was one of the symbols of the Freemasons. In ancient Egypt, a star in a circle denoted the kingdom of Duat, as the kingdom of reincarnation of human souls. The generally accepted symbol of the Freemasons is a triangle, inside which is depicted an open eye - "Radiant Delta" - the eye of the ancient Egyptian God Horus.
One of the very first temples of the ancient Masonic brotherhood was built in Edfu by the priests of the star cult, who supplanted the ancient pagan cults of the primitive tribes who lived in the upper Nile. They came to the Nile Valley from the south, founded a secret society called the "followers of Horus" or "blacksmiths" and settled the city of Edfu, making it their center. Their descendants still live in the Nile Valley. These tribes are part of a secret brotherhood called "blacksmiths", their main deity is Horus from Edfu - Gor-Behutet - the Great God of the north and south - "The Great Master of Metalworking" - "The Great Leader of the Hammer". Having displaced the pygmies, the first Freemasons began to build temples for the Great Architect of the Universe throughout Egypt. In addition to the ancient Egyptian rituals existing at that time, the priests instituted seven mysteries based on astral mythology. Subsequently, their number increased to twelve.
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The Masonic brotherhood dates back to the ancient mystical teachers of Egypt. Evidence of this is found all over the world, where the people of the old star and solar cult lived. Many buildings, schematically depicting a single or double ax, are found everywhere. During the excavations of Knossos, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans discovered a temple in the form of a double square with three cubes standing on top of each other in the center. On each - an ideogram of an ax, conventionally depicting the Great United North - Horus, the Great United South - Set, the Great Single Equinox - Shu or the primary trinity. The Masonic square (cube) is depicted in many ancient temples and also on the Great Pyramid. In the Egyptian hall of the last judgment, Osiris sits on a cube and judges the dead. The building's corner stone cube was considered "the foundation of the Eternal Law in the Court of Divine Justice." The Egyptians believed that building from square stones meant building for centuries. The smoothly hewn cube symbolically signified the Truth - Maat.
The High Priest Manetho argued that the Great Pyramid “was built by the followers of Horus at the end of the reign of the gods and heroes … it reflected the architecture of the heavens, the course and times of heavenly bodies, the seasons, days of the year and the Great Year, measurements of time, distances to the Sun and the Moon, their rotation time …"
The architects of the pyramid embodied the fundamental principles of sacred geometry in stone. The ancient builders of Egypt erected monuments with perfect engineering precision and symmetry. The design of the Great Pyramid of Giza is based on the proportion Phi = 1.618.
For many years, the priests of Egypt did not admit foreigners to the sacred secrets of their mysteries. Only a few philosophers who were distinguished by their knowledge were admitted to the first and second stages. The initiators were: the philosopher Thales, who studied geometry and astronomy in Egypt, the founder of Zoroastrianism Zarathustra, the Eleusinian king Eumolus, who established the Eleusinian mysteries, the Greek poet Orpheus, the ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician and mystic Pythagoras.
As the historian and freemason writer Albert Churchward writes: “In the next ice age, Egypt will again become the center of civilization … After the ice period is over, what great Masonic temple will remain for the world? The first and greatest of all is the Great Pyramid of Egypt."
Author: Valentina Zhitanskaya