Tag Archives: Biblical

Votive Altar

in the centre of the Tracing Board is a votive altar dedicated to friendship

And later:

Q. What does the altar signify, that is in the centre?
A. This altar signifies the sacred deposit of the virtues one obliges himself to follow when taking bis oath.

Thus says the Latomia document 175-t-e. This document is a translation of Cayers Maçonniques (National Library of Australia, MS 1097/44), which is the first volume of Maçonnerie des Hommes, the other five volumes are in the Kloss collection in Den Haag in the Netherlands.

The concerning degree is called “Apprentice Mason of Practice” and is the fourth degree presented in this volume (after Entered Apprentis, Fellowcraft and Master Mason).

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Divine Breath

in the East on the line from the East to the West is a radiating triangle, in the centre of which is the Holy Spirit. From its mouth cornes a kind of divine breath;

Thus says the Latomia document 175-t-e. This document is a translation of Cayers Maçonniques (National Library of Australia, MS 1097/44), which is the first volume of Maçonnerie des Hommes, the other five volumes are in the Kloss collection in Den Haag in the Netherlands.

The concerning degree is called “Apprentice Mason of Practice” and is the fourth degree presented in this volume (after Entered Apprentis, Fellowcraft and Master Mason).

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Hiram’s Grave

The Grave stone on which are carved the Hebrew letters (right to left): – Cheth, Vau, Resh, Mem; below these: – Alepth, Beth, Yod. Below this inscription is an equilateral Triangle enclosing the Hebrew letter Yod.

Often on third degree tracing boards, you see the letters H and A in Masonic cipher or M and B. The former refers to Hiram Abiff, the latter to the password of the third degree. Here we have Hebrew letters spelling: CVRM ABY, which -I suppose- stands for “Churam (Hiram) Aby (Abiff).

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Bible with Seals

In the Kloss / von Löwen collection there is a tracing board for the degree of “Philosophe Sublime, ou Cheval. de Occident”. You can see a Bible with seven seals. A Bible with seals of varying number appear in a number of degrees, “craft” or otherwise. The Bible with 7 seals appears to come from Revelation 5:1.

In Les Plus Secret Mysteres (1820) you can see a book with seven seals displayed on the Ark of the Covenant. It says:

The seven seals which belong to this book, signify the seven Degrees of Masonry; & the lamb laying down on it, which is the Shekhinah, shows us that, He alone is worthy to break the seals, it is only the true Rose Croix who enjoys the privilege of reading in the book that contains the complete doctrine of Masons, & of penetrating the most secret mysteries.

The 14th degree (‘Knight of the West’) of the Mirecourt collection explains every separate seal. Each has a symbol with a meaning.

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Showbread

Looking perhaps similar to the Ark of the Covenant, this is the table with Showbread a symbol from the 4rd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and probably some other systems and degrees.

Les Plus Secrets Mysteres (1820) says:

The altar which contains the shewbread, signifies the union which should reign between the brethern who participate in this banquet.

general AASR symbol. Year and designer unknown.

Cyrus Dream

The Dream of Cyrus as portrayed on a 6th degree tracing board in Manuel Maçonnique (1820).

In Les Plus Secret Mysteres (1778) the dream of Cyrus is connected to the degree of Knight of the Cross and the Sword (“Chevalier de l’Orient” or “Chevalier Maçon de Rose-Croix” the sixth of seven degrees in this text), which is now the 15th degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in some versions.

I thought I saw a roaring lion ready to pounce on me and devour me.The sight of it frightened me and made me flee to seek refuge from its fury, but at once I saw my predecessors, who served as a stepping stone to a Glory that Masons call the Great Architect of the Universe. Two words were heard heard; they came from the centre of the luminous Star I distinguished that they meant to give freedom to the freedom to the Captives, otherwise my crown would pass into foreign hands; I was dumbfounded and confused confused, the dream disappeared.

Can be found in Feddersen (Die Arbeitstafel in der Freimaurerei Band I (1982) F/44, P. 314). Image from Manuel Maçonnique (1820) / Maurerisches Handbuch 1821.