The Middle East and Freemasonry

By: Alexander Towey

 1

When looking at the various Western mystery tradition schools that initially formed in

Europe and migrated to North America, it is plain to see that there is a Middle Eastern influence

within the various organizations of Western esotericism. The one organization included in this

research is the fraternity of Freemasonry. Freemasonry is an institution that formally was

created in 1717 in London. One might argue that this organization is Orientalist in nature and

utilizes Middle Eastern culture for the promotion of Western society. In addition, the argument

could be made that this organization displays a contorted or a misrepresentation of the Middle

East. Yet, there is a different approach to this idea of viewing the Middle East that can be

discussed and considered as benign in nature.

As one shall see, a more gentle and positive approach to the Middle East is taken by

Freemasonry. Various documents that have been written by early founders and members of this

group give a glimpse into the way that the Middle East has shaped and formed their mode of

thought and operation. Knowingly or not, the Middle East played a pivotal role in the ontological

and epistemological foundation of Freemasonry.

Methodology

This work takes a thematic approach to the research and views of the institution, and their

ritual at various times in history. The sections are divided into a short introduction to the most

apparent Orientalist society, the Shiners, followed by an extensive section of Freemasonry’s

symbolism that shares traits from the Middle Eastern imagery of the feminine, lastly ending with

a view of the Egyptian and Sufi heritage within Freemasonry. The primary sources used for this

research are the documents of both rite and first-hand accounts from various founders, members,

and intellectuals within each organization. The rituals of the first, second and third degree of
 2

Freemasonry, as used by most of the Masonic lodges in the United States, will be examined.

Thomas Smith Webb, who was a printer in the late eighteenth century, was the author of

Freemason’s Monitor or Illustrations of Masonry. This book had a particularly significant

influence on the development of Masonic ritual in the United States, including the York Rite

body of Freemasonry.1 Each state has their own governing body or Grand Lodge that governs the

affairs, including ritual, of their own state.

The ritual, rules, and guidelines can, and do, vary from state to state. That being said, one

Freemason from California could easily attend a lodge meeting or degree in Florida or Minnesota

and still comprehend the ritual. The differences are minute and the meaning is not lost. The three

degrees and principle teachings, modes of recognition, words, grips, tokens, and symbolism are

all similar. Since Thomas Webb’s version widely influenced the ritual of the various states, a

foundational structure is present within the various rituals of the Grand Lodges of the United

States. Knowing this, this research will view the works of various versions and rituals that are

contained within the United States.

Versions of ritual from Europe and elsewhere around the globe will not be considered,

for this research is concerned solely with the rituals and publications by Freemasons within the

United States. Accordingly, the rituals and secondary sources concerning the appendant bodies

of Freemasonry in the United States will be considered. These include the Ancient Arabic Order

of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, York Rite, and the Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted

Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction. These three bodies are sovereign unto themselves and do not

relate to one another except through the stipulation that one must be Master Mason in order to

join or belong to each appendant body.

1
Mark A. Tabbert, American Freemasons, (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2005), 51-53.
 3

Lastly, since Freemasonry deals heavily with symbolism and imagery, some symbols,

pictures, and paintings will be displayed. Freemasonry utilizes imagery for both contemplation

and reflection. Symbols and pictures hold numerous meanings and interpretations for the

discerning eye. In addition, the architecture of various Masonic buildings will be examined.

Various temples, lodges, and meeting places adopt Middle Eastern style and form. These are

added for consideration to the reader for better illustrating that there is a benign approach to the

Middle East that underpins these institutions. This work aims to look at the historical context to

which the Middle East became an influence on the Western mystery tradition in general, and

Freemasonry in particular, within the United States.

Literature Review

The historiography of Freemasonry has been various. For Freemasonry, much has been

written about the history of its inception and formulation in the United States. More has been

written about the philosophical approaches to Freemasonry and the esoteric teachings contained

within the rituals and teachings of the institution. Publishing-wise, more books have been written

within the past two decades about each subject compared to the past 200 years preceding it. A

revival of interpreting and understanding the rites of Freemasonry has been seen as a popular

trend amongst both historians and non-historians alike. Members and non-members of

Freemasonry are interested in examining not only the historical understanding but the

philosophical underpinnings that permeate the group.

A vast majority of secondary sources have been written recently and they will be

considered for this research. The progenitors of the current stream of the influence of studying

the symbolism and history of the organization can be traced to both Manly P. Hall and Albert
 4

Pike. Albert Pike, in relation to Freemasonry, assembled and composed the current ritual that is

utilized by the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite in the United States. The Southern

Jurisdiction is the largest governing body of the Scottish Rite in the United States compared to its

counterpart that is the Northern Jurisdiction. Albert Pike was an American attorney, Confederate

soldier, and Freemason. He became the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite’s

Southern Jurisdiction in 1859.2 While in office for thirty-two years, he devoted a majority of his

time to developing the current ritual.

Manly P. Hall wrote about the symbolism and meanings of Freemasonry before obtaining

membership into the fraternity and although there is some information that has been

misconstrued or false, his research into the philosophical meaning to Freemasonry is still of

praiseworthy admiration today. Manly P. Hall is considered important due to his ability to

distinguish himself away from the various charlatans that he took notice to during his time, and

who tried to sell fake ancient wisdom and knowledge for monetary profit. Hall was invited to

and held various lectures at Masonic lodges and is well accepted among Freemasons today.

As far as what has been written about this particular subject, it is to be found lacking. The

only topic discussed, academically, is the influence of the current state of Freemasonry in the

Middle East. Jacob Landau discusses the Muslim opposition to Freemasonry in the Middle East

during the nineteenth and twentieth century.3 Other scholars like Danny Kaplan have looked at

the ethnographical study of Jewish-Arab relations within Freemasonry in Israel as well.4 Lastly,

2
John H. Eicher and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press,
2001), 429.
3
Jacob Landau, "Muslim Opposition to Freemasonry," Die Welt Des Islams 36, no. 2 (July
1996): , accessed April 29, 2018, doi:10.1163/1570060962597481.
4
Danny Kaplan, "Jewish-Arab Relations in Israeli Freemasonry: Between Civil Society and
Nationalism," The Middle East Journal68, no. 3 (Summer 2014): , accessed April 28, 2018,
doi:10.3751/68.3.13.
 5

some scholars have looked at the relationship between Freemasonry and Egypt but only from the

expedition of Bonaparte in 1798 to the demise of Idris Ragheb in 1922.5 The efforts to

understand the historical and cultural aspect of Freemasonry, as it exists currently in the Middle

East, is complex but an understanding of the historical aspect to which the Middle East played as

a role on the foundational aspects of the organization has not been done academically. Therefore,

the literature that exists relating to this particular subject falls into the realm of Freemasons and

researchers of the Western Mystery Tradition who study the connections to the Middle East

solely. The primary documents, which are products of written analysis by Freemasons, are

examined. Since these members have been through the initiations and can view the traditions of

the Middle East for analysis and comparison, they are taken as credible sources so far as their

knowledge can ascertain.

Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine

The most pressing and apparent connection to the Middle East, through Freemasonry, is

through the appendant body known as the Shrine. Even fraternal organizations like the Shriners

or otherwise known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine

(A.A.O.N.M.S.), takes heavily from Arabic and Islamic culture. From the usage of the fez to the

ritual, the Shrine is without doubt paying homage to the Middle East.6 The Shrines, where

Shriners meet and conduct business, uses Middle Eastern architecture in their style. The Al Bahr

Shrine in San Diego and Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles are built to imitate a Middle Eastern

palace as a façade on the front of the building.

5
Karim Wissa, "Freemasonry in Egypt 1798–1921: A Study in Cultural and Political Encounters," British
Society for Middle Eastern Studies. Bulletin 16, no. 2 (1989): , accessed April 28, 2018,
doi:10.1080/13530198908705494.
6
Jonathan Curiel, Al' America: Travels Through America's Arab and Islamic Roots, (New York: The New
Press, 2008), 92.
 6

Figure 1 Front of Al Malaikah Shrine in Los Angeles

Even the symbol of the Shriners utilizes the scimitar, two claws, the Sphinx, and the star.

The Symbol has no esoteric meaning built into its usage in the organization, but rather it is an

explanation of the Shrine’s hierarchal system, as well as explaining the charitable aspect of the

Shrine.7 The organization is not philosophically based nor does it adhere to any type of esoteric

meaning by any means, but rather it is an appendant body of Freemasonry that was meant for

more social applications, like fraternization and socializing.8 Eventually, the Shrine would take

on a more philanthropic aspect to their tradition by opening and fund several children’s hospitals

which offer free health care and help for anyone under the age of eighteen across the United

States, by which Los Angeles has one of the biggest hospitals available.

The ritual for initiation into the Shrine is a perfect example of Orientalism. The

candidates are dressed in robes and turbans and led through a play that is similar to a scene found

in the Arabian Nights. Two initiation rituals called the cold and hot sands are conferred by which

only one, the cold sands initiation, is necessary to be made a “Noble” or member of the

organization. At its formation, the Shrine’s main ethos in the 1870s was strictly for a place of

selective Freemasons to socialize and drink together in unity. That tradition has changed and any

Freemason, who can pay the initiation fees as well as the annual dues, are allowed to be initiated

7
Medinah Shriners, "Shriners." Accessed March 25, 2014. http://medinah.org/shriners.htm.
8
Shriners International, "History." Accessed March 25, 2014.
http://www.shrinersinternational.org/en/Shriners/History/Beginnings.
 7

into the organization.9 Regardless of the social aspect or nature of this body, the plain usage and

symbolism of the Middle East are seen and used.

Freemasonry’s Homage to the Matriarch

There exists a deeper connection to the Middle East, and in particular Egypt, through the

comparison and likeness of the ancient cult of Isis and that of the Blue Lodge degrees. There

exists a usage of feminine worship or acceptance of the feminine as well. The main benefactor

for this argument comes through the imagery, symbols, and terms within various areas of the rite.

For example, the letter “G” suspended in the East of a lodge room and center to the square and

compasses is used to describe the feminine nature of the Earth. The letter “G”, to the

Freemasons, stands for God and geometry. Geometry is essential enough in Freemasonry that it

shares the same spot with the divine to help them explain nature. Nature, therefore, is

pronounced with the term “her” as it is read in Masonic ritual, “By geometry, we may curiously

trace nature through her various windings, to her most concealed recesses”.10

2. The Four Cardinal Virtues

3. First Degree Modern Tracing Board by

9
Curiel, Al’ America, 92. Gregory Stewart
10
Daniel Sickles, General Ahiman Rezon and Freemasons Guide (1868), (Whitefish, MT: Kessinger
Publishing, 1998), 155.
 8

It appears that there is without a doubt a reverence for the feminine built into the ethos of

the Craft. In addition, the three principal virtues of a Freemason are faith, hope, and charity.

These three principles are usually depicted as women in Masonic art and symbolism. In addition,

temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice are the four cardinal virtues of a Freemason and are

depicted as female as well. At no point is there ever a justification that Freemasonry is solely

dedicated to a patriarch or male dominant diety, but rather there is this notion that both the male

and the female are equal and no hierarchal system, based on gender, exists.

To add onto this, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite uses plenty of ritual based on

the Middle East and in this case, Isis. The Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Albert Pike,

who authored the book Morals and Dogma, wrote extensively about the relationship between

Isis, her cult, and the degrees contained within the Scottish Rite. One can notice what is said

about Isis of Egypt by Albert Pike in the following passage: “I am, says Isis, Nature; parent of all

things, the sovereign of the Elements”.11 Freemasonry has its own ritual defining that through

geometry one may understand nature. Albert Pike explains that through the connection of the

Egyptian worship of the cult of Isis that they observed her as nature herself; one can see a

connection between Freemasonry and the divine usage of Isis by those who worshiped her in

Ancient Egypt. Both societies have an affinity or pay homage to nature through either a deity or

a symbol.

11
Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, (Richmond,
VA: D.H. Jenkins inc., 1923), 279.
 9

To further 4. Isis Behind Her Woven Veil explain this connection

we see that there exists a connection between

the ancient mystery schools of past and the modern day organization. As Albert Pike explains

further, that the ritual changes, the symbols might look different, the setting can be altered too,

but the message and esoteric teachings are never lost or altered. There is an alliance that exists, at

least in symbolic interpretation, between the two societies. The symbols are the mysteries and

what was spoken, the ritual is to explain them. Symbols are used for the purpose of enforcing

sublime and ultimate truths.12

The Egyptian rites of initiation share very similar characteristics with Freemasonry, and

in particular the third degree. The lead figure of the initiation in Egypt is Isis who is gathering up

the parts, limbs, and pieces of Osiris after he was murdered by Thypon in which he was torn into

fourteen pieces. After she finds all of his pieces, except one, she buries him and erects to his

memory a statue.13 This is similar to the legend of Hiram Abiff in the third degree, for twelve

fellowcraft are sent out by King Solomon to find the Grand Master Hiram Abiff. Once he is

found and exhumed, his body is moved to a particular place and there a marble monument is

12
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 371-372.
13
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 375.
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erected to his honor, similar to Osiris. Even though Hiram Abiff is the central character in this

degree, if it were not for the fellowcraft, he would have not been found and therefore exhumed

like Isis did with Osiris. Isis was not alone in her search either. Two others helped in her search,

Sirius, and Nephte.14 In addition, there is not only just one fellowcraft looking for Hiram Abiff’s

grave either. The fellowcraft is accompanied by two others in his search for the body of Hiram

Abiff.

To further expound the connection between the initiation rites of the Egyptians and Isis

one must look at another particular that is seen. When Isis finds Osiris, it is by the help of a

tamarisk shrub that lay nearby his temporary grave. When the fellowcraft discovers Hiram

Abiff’s grave, they are aided by the help of an acacia plant planted near the head of the grave.15

Both mystery schools share this tradition. Yet, there exists another connection that is still shown

through the tale of Isis after Osiris’ burial and the marble monument erected to Hiram Abiff.

Pike informs us that:

“Blue Masonry, ignorant of its import, still retains among its

emblems one of a woman weeping over a broken column, holding

in her hand a branch of acacia, myrtle, or tamarisk, while Time, we

are told, stands behind her combing out the ringlets of her hair. We

need not repeat the vapid and trivial explanation there given, of

this representation of Isis, weeping at Byblos, over the column torn

from the palace of the King that contained the body of Osiris,

while Horus, the God of Time, pours ambrosia on her hair”.16

14
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 378.
15
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 376.
16
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 379.
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5. Masonic Monument
Isis is so important to the Egyptians as an example of

her governance and as a symbol of nature. All religions and faiths give nature a high regard for

we live harmoniously and in agreeable terms to her. Isis was so important for her connection to

the Nile and the flooding of the same. Their agriculture relied upon the flooding of the Nile and

Isis played a significant role in that process. Who better to worship than the mother who feeds

your kingdom and its people.

The Egyptian and Sufi Heritage

Not only does there exist a connection between Isis and Freemasonry but a connection to

the gods and wisdom of Egypt. When one looks at the various aspects that inhabit Masonic

allegory, we can make a connection between the ancient Egyptian characters of Hermes or

Thoth. There is no definitive point in Masonic ritual that states that this is the Hermetic

philosophy being taught to you explicitly while advancing through the degrees. The only type of

direct communication seen about this connection comes through Albert Pike’s Morals & Dogma.
17

17
Greg Stewart. Freemason Information: A Web Magazine about Freemasonry, "Freemasonry and the
Hermetic Arts." Last modified December 01, 2013. Accessed April 22, 2014.
http://www.freemasoninformation.com/2013/12/freemasonry-and-hermetica.
 12

Pike argues that Hermes Trismegistus or Hermes the Thrice Great/Thrice Great Hermes

is a parallel and comparative figure to that of Hiram Abiff in the Masonic allegory of the third

degree or Master Mason.18 Hermes, Thoth to the Egyptians, was a type of messenger to the gods

and overseer of ritual. This is particularly important to Freemasons for ritual for it is the most

important aspect of the Craft. Accordingly, Thoth is represented in the 28th degree of the Scottish

Rite and is shown holding a crux ansata or ankh.19 This is a definitive and blatant use of

Hermes/Thoth in Masonic ritual.

In addition to this, the Hermetic tradition, based off of Hermes/Thoth, shares a common

characteristic with Freemasonry. The Hermetic tradition uses hieroglyphics and allegory to

convey knowledge and illumination to those who are duly and truly prepared, like in

Freemasonry.20 The figure of Hermes has been influential to many western tradition schools

including the alchemists of the Middle Ages. The image of Hiram Abiff is said to be a

representation of Hermes Trismegistus himself.21 If this is not enough evidence, one should

examine a piece of Masonic ritual that dates to the 1800s that mentions Hermes.

In a French Masonic ritual called “Zwei Hochgrad-Rituale des 18. Jarhundrets”, there

exists two degrees named Philosophical Knight of Hermes and Sage Knight of Hermes, in which

the candidate impersonates and takes on the role of Hermes while going through the degrees.22

The ritual states “Remember me. My true name is Mercurius for the Egyptians, Thoth for the

Phoenicians, Hermes Trismegistus for the Greeks, and all over the earth, I am Hiram, whose

wonderful story has amazed you.”23 This proof of a correlation is without a doubt a look into the
18
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 78.
19
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 290.
20
Timothy Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, (San Bernardino: LuLu, 2012), 47
21
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 48.
22
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 49.
23
Antione Faivre, The Eternal Hermes, From Greek God to Alchemical Magus, (Michigan: Phanes Press,
1995), 141.
 13

transmutation of one character into other organizations. The terms and names might change to

suit a particular group of people to which the organization originates but the meaning is not lost.

For instance, the character of Thoth was known by a variance of different names through

different nations and civilizations. In Freemasonry, Hiram Abiff can be seen as a substitute for

the ancient initiation schools of Egypt who bore the name Thoth or Hermes Trismegistus.

6. Fellowcraft Degree Painting Depicting the Pillars

One can also see the Hermetic axiom

of “as above so below” within the Masonic ritual. The two pillars that stand at the entrance to the

preparation room illustrate this maxim. On top of each pillar, there exists a terrestrial and

celestial globe. “As above” denotes the celestial globe on top of one pillar and “so below” is a

representation of the terrestrial globe which sits upon the opposite pillar.24 Hermes himself was

known to have found the two original pillars himself, which were made to withstand fire and

flood to protect the mysteries which lay inside them.25

24
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 59.
25
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 50.
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Manly P. Hall suggests that King Solomon understood the secret processes of Hermes by

means of multiplying metals, and that Hiram helped King Solomon build his temple because he

was able to understand the usage of alchemy and control the incorporeal essence, which allowed

him to acquire a massive amount of gold and silver for usage inside the building of the temple.26

In Masonic ritual, it states there was not heard the sound of any tool of iron while it was being

built either. Manly P. Hall makes the argument that King Solomon was an initiate of the mystery

schools of past and that the Temple, which he built, was a house of initiation which utilized

pagan symbols. Hall argues that the pomegranates, which adorn the pillars, the Babylonian

cherubim, and the several ways to which the draperies and chambers are arranged, are all similar

and patterned to those of the sanctuaries of Egypt.27

In addition, the doors of Freemasonry are linked closely to that of the Osirian initiations

that occurred. The progression towards illumination is a characteristic that is used and aimed for

by both organizations, in which both candidates are stationed at the doors to the temple and

questioned by a guardian.28 Accordingly, when the discovery was made of the Nag Hammadi

texts, a particular piece, Tractate 6 of Codex VI or The Discourse on the Eight and the Ninth,

explained a scheme or process that Hermeticists followed by which another connection can be

made between the two.29 A type of initiation is the topic of this Codex, in which the last step

called The Mystery of Hermes Trismegistus informs the candidate that he is now a man of the

spirit. Accordingly, he becomes more aware of the deeper part of his soul and in due form

illuminated to the source within himself, which is connected to deity.30

26
Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, (New York: Tarcher/Penguin, 2003), 577
27
Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, 575.
28
Robert Herd, The Initiatic Experience: Ancient Pathways that Led to your Initiation into Freemasonry, (Colorado
Springs: Starr Publishing, 2012), 34.
29
Herd, The Initiatic Experience, 71.
30
Herd, The Initiatic Experience, 73.
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Hermes’ Emerald Tablet, which gave instructions on how to produce the Philosopher’s

Stone, also gives a description of the sun, the moon, and their significance, by which

Freemasonry has a representation of. They are the Master and the two pillars of a lodge,

represented by the Senior and Junior Warden.31 Even the oaths that Freemasons take to hold

themselves bound to the fraternity strike a resemblance to the Hermetic teachings. Albert Pike

says:

“Among the sciences taught by Hermes, there were secrets which

he communicated to the initiates only upon the condition that they

should bind themselves, by a terrible oath, never to divulge them,

except to those who, after long trial, should be found worthy to

succeed them. The Kings even prohibited revelation of them on

pain of death. This secret was styled the Sacerdotal Art, and

included alchemy, astrology, magism, the science of spirits, etc. He

gave them the key to the Hieroglyphics of all these secret sciences,

which were regarded as sacred, and kept concealed in the most

secret places of the Temple.”32

The oath and penalties for a Freemason are graphic and can impress upon the

mind the most crucial task of protecting the secrets to which he was entrusted.

The more mystical approach to Islam offers up a lot of coincidences to the Freemason

who can see them. The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite devotes a degree to Sufism entitled,

Knight of the Brazen Serpent or the 25th degree. In this degree, the candidate is introduced to the

31
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 59.
32
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 365.
 16

esoteric teachings of Islam, Sufism, and its customs and philosophy.33It is also known as the

degree of Sufi Master as well. This is an apparent influence of Sufi teachings on Freemasonry

but there still exists more hidden parallels.

For instance, the three degrees or ceremonies of the Sufi ceremonies concentrate on the

opening of the heart, or kashf, and place emphasis on different parts of the body for each

ceremony. The first ceremony places importance upon the left breast, the second upon the right,

and the third upon the center of the body, which unites the two and brings about self-knowledge

or gnosis.34 This is strikingly familiar to the Freemason who has occasioned the three degrees of

the symbolic lodge, by which the candidate is received upon the exact same body parts when

entering the different lodge in the three degrees.

Sufis also have modes of recognition that have similar usages within Freemasonry. The

letters I, A, and O are made by hand gestures which signify a lesson of sacred geometry. The

letter “I” represents a point becoming a line, the “A” is a representation of the line becoming a

pair of compasses, and lastly the letter “O” is the compasses circumscribing a circle.35 This is

significant for sacred geometry plays a vital role to the Freemason and a particular lecture is

recited about a point becoming a line, and the compasses circumscribing the desires and keeping

the passions within due bounds. The Sufi rituals also incorporate a cable tow being tied around

the candidate’s waist and being led around the Tekke, or spiritual lodge, to signify the mystic

connection between the candidate and the brothers and sisters within Sufism.36 This is similar to

the usage of a cable tow being wrapped around the fellowcraft as he is led around the lodge

33
Brian D. Peace, "Comparative Religion: Sufism," Scottish Rite Journal of Freemasonry, Southern
Jurisdiction, USA, CXXII, no. 2 (2014): 9-10,
34
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 194.
35
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 200.
36
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 201.
 17

during the degree of Master Mason. In addition, the candidate is also informed that he is bound

to the fraternity by this cable tow as well.

Yet another occurrence is the usage of raising the Sufi candidate by a particular grip and

then presenting him/her with a red cord with three knots in it.37 Along with this, some

ceremonies incorporate the members approaching the East with the hands in the form of the

Good Sheppard and bowing to a lambskin. The lambskin apron is the most important badge of a

Freemason and the candidate receiving it is told to hold it with reverence, for it is ancient.

Even the hats, called fezes, which adorn the heads of members, represent the Islamic

tombstone to which it is said that they symbolically represent their death and raising to a higher

level of spiritual awakening beyond this world. They are told during the ceremony that they must

die before they can give birth to a Master.38 This is particularly similar to the third degree of

Freemasonry, for a ritualistic death and rebirth are performed upon the candidate and which

consequently makes him a Master Mason.39

7. Mark Master Capstone

37
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 201.
38
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 201.
39
William Morgan. Sacred Texts, "Illustrations of Masonry." Accessed May 6, 2014. http://www.sacred-
texts.com/mas/morgan/morg12.htm.
 18

The Sufi after his initiation is also given a white stone, which resembles a tradition

brought about by those few who have overcome, as found in the Revelations of John.40 This

speaks clearly to the Mark Master degree, or the 4th Degree of the York Rite appendant body, in

which the Mark Master Mason degree is founded upon the finding of a white stone that is

revered as a special piece for the building of King Solomon’s Temple and given to the newly

made Mark Master Mason. Another closely related usage that both Sufis and Royal Arch

Masons, and symbolic blue lodge, is the practice of the usage of the chain of union, where the

members come together, link arms, and either sing, pray, or give up devotion to deity.

8. Entered 9. Fellowcraft 10. Master Mason

Apprentice Penal Lastly, the Penal signs that Penal Sufis

use are very common to those of the penal signs

within Freemasonry. The Sufis have a particular sign that involves the hand moving across the

neck while chanting “Sa, Sa, Sa” and is thereby called the “neck grip”. The second is called the

“chest grip” and is done by similar fashion to the first but the difference is the grabbing the left

breast and moving from left to right while chanting “So, So, So”. The third grip or “Master/belly

40
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 201.
 19

grip” is done by the similar occasion to the first two but instead, it is performed across the

stomach. 41 These signs are similar to those that are seen within Freemasonry.

Conclusion

The one question that remains though, is why? Why is it that Freemasonry decided to

obtain or be influenced by the Middle East and the sacred knowledge to which that area

contains? This topic is still researched, contested, and debated to this day. The theories range

from King Athelstan of England bringing Freemasonry to England in the 10th century to the

Knights Templar interacting with various groups and organizations of Middle Eastern sects of

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in times of peace during the crusades. One example alludes to

the interactions of the Druze with the Knights Templar in the Middle East.42 This is coupled with

the idea that the Knights Templar was one of the few groups that traveled from Cairo to Scotland

and thereby spread this newfound knowledge across Europe, which they acquired in the Middle

East. It is a good premise for what might be the causation for the origin of Western philosophy

and for the genesis of esoteric organizations in the West that continue the teachings of ancient

wisdom that is from the Middle East.43

The idea that Freemasonry is a descendant from the crusaders was first perpetuated by a

Scottish Freemason in the 18th century named Andrew Michael Ramsay, or Chevalier Ramsay.

Ramsay’s famous oration of 1737 is the first time a link is discussed between Freemasonry and

the Knights Templar. Ramsay, in his oration, states that Freemasonry is connected to the

crusaders of the Middle Ages, due to the merging and intimate connection of stonemasons with

41
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 206.
42
Herd, The Initiatic Experience, 82.
43
Herd, The Initiatic Experience, 84.
 20

the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and hence, that is why the Freemasons call their lodges, in

their ritual, the “Lodge of Holy St. John at Jerusalem”.44

Ramsay also makes a hint about Sufism, stating that the crusaders acknowledged several

signs and words that enabled them to be recognized by the Saracens.45 What is currently being

debated as a new theory relating Freemasonry to being a descendant of the Knights Templar is

not new at all but rather was discussed during the formation of the first Grand Lodge of the

world in the early eighteenth century. Much has been written about this topic recently and the

ideology perpetuated by novelists and filmmakers alike, who look for an audience to intrigue and

entertain as well. There are both positive and negative arguments to this theory but the truth shall

possibly remain hidden for there exists no particular document that states “We, the Order of the

Knights Templar, are now known from this day forward as the Freemasons.”

Freemasonry has an identity crisis and an unknown genesis when it comes to her

founding. All current research shows are that the main influence for Masonic ritual is more

mystical in approach, containing to the various Abrahamic faiths that inhabit the Middle East.

That being said, Albert Pike does mention the Buddha as being the “first” Masonic legislator:

"The first Masonic Legislator, whose memory is preserved to us by

history, was Buddha, who, about a thousand years before the

Christian era, reformed the religion of Manous. He called to the

Priesthood all men, without distinction of caste, who felt

themselves inspired by God to instruct men. Those who so

44
Martin I. Mcgregor. Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry, “A Biographical Sketch of Chevalier Andrew
Michael Ramsay Including a Full Transcript of his Oration of 1737.” Last modified August 14, 2007.
Accessed May 05, 2014. http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/ramsay_biography_oration.html.
45
Hogan, Entering the Chain of Union, 200.
 21

associated themselves formed a Society of Prophets under the

name of Samaneans. They recognized the existence of a single

uncreated God, in whose bosom everything grows, is developed

and transformed.”46

There is a mention of Eastern religious practices but that doesn’t deter from the fact that

the vast majority of Masonic study is on the Middle East and that particular region of the world

heavily influenced a Western organization. Perhaps this is what makes studying and researching

this topic so interesting and intriguing to many Freemasons, for they have no definitive answer

and the imagination is allowed to extend far out and philosophize about where the rituals,

symbols, and traditions really originate from. There is without a doubt a connection to the

Middle East that expresses either an influence or direct descendant to Freemasonry. To conclude,

a quote by Albert Pike, in a letter written to another Freemason, Robert Freke Gould expresses

this:

“It began to shape itself to my intellectual vision into something

more imposing and majestic, solemnly mysterious and grand. It

seemed to me like the Pyramids in their loneliness, in whose yet

undiscovered chambers may be hidden, for the enlightenment of

coming generations, the sacred books of the Egyptians, so long lost

to the world; like the Sphynx half buried in the desert. In its

symbolism, which and its spirit of brotherhood are its essence,

Freemasonry is more ancient than any of the world's living

religions. It has the symbols and doctrines which, older than

46
Pike, Morals & Dogma, 278.
 22

himself, Zarathustra inculcated; and it seemed to me a spectacle

sublime, yet pitiful—the ancient Faith of our ancestors holding out

to the world its symbols once so eloquent, and mutely and in vain

asking for an interpreter. And so I came, at last, to see that the true

greatness and majesty of Freemasonry consist in its proprietorship

of these and it’s other symbols; and that its symbolism is its soul”47

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Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, 578.
 23

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Image Appendix

1. Artist unaccredited. Web. http://amshriners.com/history

2. Artist unaccredited. Reproduced from the frontispiece to an Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry

and Its Kindred Sciences, Vol. II, by Albert G. Mackey. The Masonic History Company,
New York: 1917. [5 cm x 14 cm.].
3. Stewart, Gregory. "First Degree Modern Masonic Tracing Board" Recorded 2009. Web,
http://freemasoninformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/freemasonry.jpg.
4. Knapp, John Augustus. “The Saitic Isis” The Secret Teachings of All Ages. New York:
Tarcher/Penguin, 2003.
 25

5. Cunningham, William. Craft Masonry; or, part first. Manual of the Ancient York Rite. New
York: D. B. Howell & Co., No. 434 Broadway, 1874. 164 p. list 6p. 12 cm x 29 cm. p.
75
6. Artist unaccredited. Web. http://www.eburgmasons.com/25gallery.htm
7. Artist unaccredited. Web. http://www.sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun05.htm
8. Morgan, William. “Illustrations of Freemasonry” 1827. Web. http://www.sacred-
texts.com/mas/morgan/morg16.htm
9. Morgan, William. “Illustrations of Freemasonry” 1827. Web. http://www.sacred-
texts.com/mas/morgan/morg17.htm
10. Morgan, William. “Illustrations of Freemasonry” 1827. Web. http://www.sacred-
texts.com/mas/morgan/morg18.htm

11. Templar Altar, Riverside, California. Personal Photograph by Author. March 29, 2014.