Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.
repeated in the Golden Sickle of the Archdruid of Britain . We find a series of symbols similar to these noAv under our consideration , —the crescent ancl circle , the square and the point within a circle—on Phoenician coins Avhich were struck in honour of Astarte or
Isis , Avith a reference Avhich Ave proceed to explain . Dr . Brown refers the semicircle to the rainbow , and says : " Cabalistical heads Avho from that expression in Isaiah ( xxxiv ., 4 ) do make a book of heaven
and read therein the great concernments of earth , do literally play on this , and from the semicircular figure , resembling the Hebrew letter Caph whereby is signified the uncomfortable number 20 , at Avhich age Joseph was sold , which Jacob lived
under Laban , and at Avhich men Avere to go to Avar , do note a propriety in its signification , as thereby declaring the dismal time of the deluge . And christian conceits do seem to strain as high , while from the irradiation of the sun upon a cloud , they apprehend the mystery of the Sun of Righteousness in the obscurity of
the flesh , by the colours green ancl red , the tAvo destructions of the Avorld by fire and water , and by the colours of water and blood , the mysteries of Captism and the holy eucharist . " * This semicircle otherwise called a lunette crescentor half moon is the first symbol of
, the series , and it occurs " most frequently upon the coins of Egypt , especially upon those of Carrhce whicli was the Oharan or Haran of Moses . Under this semblance they worshipped the Seleuite deity as the mother of the Avhole world . The Emperor
Julian sacrificed to the moon at Carrhce . This deity was the same as Cybele , Jonah , Damater , the reputed parent of all that breathed ; this Avas a character whicli could not in any respect belong to the moon . The planet Avas only made use of as a
resemblance and type of the ark , and thence Avas called Mon and Moon as we may infer from the Hebrew . The name was at times differently expressed , but related to the genius of the ark , Avho Avas Avorshipped by the Canaanites under the title of Baal Maon , and Avhose temple Avas the Beth Meon of Jeremiah . This deit y Avas the
same as Isis and Rhea ; hence we find inscriptions in honour of the latter wherein she is mentioned as the mother of all beings . " * From hence Avas derived the same figure on the Roman standards which , " seem to
have generally consisted of a crescent of a disc of metal or circle , and a chaplet of olive and laurel , and frequently the square and cross . " The later Emperors , especially those of Constantinople , gave the characteristic name of Labarum . Sometimes
two or three lunettes and circles are found on the same standard . In the Hermesian hieroglyphics the united symbol embodied the doctrine of obedience to superiors and was hence of great importance in carrying out a system
Avhere everything Avas prescribed and no latitude of opinion allowed on any point connected with its secret observances . It may contain an imperfect attempt to portray the pomegranate Avhich was sacred to llhe and a symbol of fertility or plenty .
The pomegranate was an object of reli gious veneration to many ancient nations ; in Syria it Avas worshipped under the name of Rimmon , f and was the representative of that deity before Avhom Naaman had been accustomed to boAv before he Avas healed of his leprosy . ^
The genera ] estimation of the above symbol amongst the followers of Hermes , was , according to some authorities || on account of its reference to the ark of Noah Avhile floating on the abyss of waters , its abundance of seeds representing the
contents of that sacred vessel , as the rudiments of a future world . The mysterious properties of the pomegranite were of so mysterious and ineffable a nature that Pausanius , who had been fully instructed in hieroglyphical knowledge , declared
himself incapable i . f explaining them . There are also some reasons for believing that it might represent a Key , Avhich was an emblem of power and authority . It was frequently constructed by a right line with a lunette at each end and sometimes a circle in the middle . According to the testimony of Callimachus , Isis or Ceres was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Origin And References Of The Hermesian Spurious Freemasonry.
repeated in the Golden Sickle of the Archdruid of Britain . We find a series of symbols similar to these noAv under our consideration , —the crescent ancl circle , the square and the point within a circle—on Phoenician coins Avhich were struck in honour of Astarte or
Isis , Avith a reference Avhich Ave proceed to explain . Dr . Brown refers the semicircle to the rainbow , and says : " Cabalistical heads Avho from that expression in Isaiah ( xxxiv ., 4 ) do make a book of heaven
and read therein the great concernments of earth , do literally play on this , and from the semicircular figure , resembling the Hebrew letter Caph whereby is signified the uncomfortable number 20 , at Avhich age Joseph was sold , which Jacob lived
under Laban , and at Avhich men Avere to go to Avar , do note a propriety in its signification , as thereby declaring the dismal time of the deluge . And christian conceits do seem to strain as high , while from the irradiation of the sun upon a cloud , they apprehend the mystery of the Sun of Righteousness in the obscurity of
the flesh , by the colours green ancl red , the tAvo destructions of the Avorld by fire and water , and by the colours of water and blood , the mysteries of Captism and the holy eucharist . " * This semicircle otherwise called a lunette crescentor half moon is the first symbol of
, the series , and it occurs " most frequently upon the coins of Egypt , especially upon those of Carrhce whicli was the Oharan or Haran of Moses . Under this semblance they worshipped the Seleuite deity as the mother of the Avhole world . The Emperor
Julian sacrificed to the moon at Carrhce . This deity was the same as Cybele , Jonah , Damater , the reputed parent of all that breathed ; this Avas a character whicli could not in any respect belong to the moon . The planet Avas only made use of as a
resemblance and type of the ark , and thence Avas called Mon and Moon as we may infer from the Hebrew . The name was at times differently expressed , but related to the genius of the ark , Avho Avas Avorshipped by the Canaanites under the title of Baal Maon , and Avhose temple Avas the Beth Meon of Jeremiah . This deit y Avas the
same as Isis and Rhea ; hence we find inscriptions in honour of the latter wherein she is mentioned as the mother of all beings . " * From hence Avas derived the same figure on the Roman standards which , " seem to
have generally consisted of a crescent of a disc of metal or circle , and a chaplet of olive and laurel , and frequently the square and cross . " The later Emperors , especially those of Constantinople , gave the characteristic name of Labarum . Sometimes
two or three lunettes and circles are found on the same standard . In the Hermesian hieroglyphics the united symbol embodied the doctrine of obedience to superiors and was hence of great importance in carrying out a system
Avhere everything Avas prescribed and no latitude of opinion allowed on any point connected with its secret observances . It may contain an imperfect attempt to portray the pomegranate Avhich was sacred to llhe and a symbol of fertility or plenty .
The pomegranate was an object of reli gious veneration to many ancient nations ; in Syria it Avas worshipped under the name of Rimmon , f and was the representative of that deity before Avhom Naaman had been accustomed to boAv before he Avas healed of his leprosy . ^
The genera ] estimation of the above symbol amongst the followers of Hermes , was , according to some authorities || on account of its reference to the ark of Noah Avhile floating on the abyss of waters , its abundance of seeds representing the
contents of that sacred vessel , as the rudiments of a future world . The mysterious properties of the pomegranite were of so mysterious and ineffable a nature that Pausanius , who had been fully instructed in hieroglyphical knowledge , declared
himself incapable i . f explaining them . There are also some reasons for believing that it might represent a Key , Avhich was an emblem of power and authority . It was frequently constructed by a right line with a lunette at each end and sometimes a circle in the middle . According to the testimony of Callimachus , Isis or Ceres was