How did Freemasonry come about?

1) Sons of Noah

Different Masonic authors trace the beginnings of the mythology surrounding the brotherhood to various points in religious history. Some even say that Adam was a Freemason! The most “accepted” thesis among them determines that the descendants of Noah (the one from the ark) were a type of «Ancestral Freemasons» because, like the Hebrews, they believed in a single creator God and in the immortality of the soul – two fundamental precepts of the group

2) Divided, we fall

Still according to Freemason belief, Noah’s heirs mixed with several other peoples in Babel tower. But, when it collapsed, the precepts of the brotherhood (called “mysteries”) spread to several other religions, which therefore began to practice “spurious Freemasonry”. The Hebrews continued with «pure Freemasonry»

3) Divine work

The great Masonic legendary moment is the construction of the Solomon’s Temple. It symbolizes the beginning of Freemasonry as we know it today because it briefly united the two divisions. The spurious, who viewed Freemasonry more as an engineering practice, were the builders; the pure, who saw it more as a religion, were the priests of King Solomon

4) Secrets that kill

The architect Hiram Abif had a bit of both groups: he organized the building of the temple and the creation of the rituals. That is, he knew all the secrets. Three greedy workers tried to extract this knowledge, failed and killed him. That betrayal and sacrifice of Abif to protect the brotherhood are considered, until today, the “big bang” of Freemasonry

5) Worker origin

Historians believe that traveling masons of the Middle Ages were the true forerunners of the order. Their exclusive knowledge of how to build large buildings, such as castles and churches, placed them in a privileged position: they had autonomy within the kingdoms, but they were also close to power, “sponsored” by kings and the clergy. group: “masonry”, in English, is the construction technique with bricks and mortar

6) Open the little shop!

In the 18th century, Freemasonry began to organize itself into Grand Lodges, which began to accept more and more people from different professions and social positions. The operative wisdom (of building temples and castles) gave way to speculative, philosophical wisdom. In the 19th century, two Grand Lodges became a reference: the Grand Orient of France and the United Grand Lodge of England

7) Made in America

If Europe was the birthplace of modern Freemasonry, the US was the ballroom. Since the colonial era there were already two great Lodges that did not quarrel. After the country’s independence, Freemasonry was formed from scratch, with independent Lodges from European ones, and even with its own gradation system. (the York Rite), which today is followed by 80% of the world’s Freemasons

8) The final brawl

Freemasonry went through many other divergences and subdivisions. The last relevant one was in 1877. The Grand Orient of France, more liberal, determined that belief in a monotheistic religion would no longer be a criterion for admitting new members. The United Lodge of England found it an affront. appeared to continental freemasonry (more liberal) and the regular (more conservative).

SOURCES Books Encyclopedia of Freemasoney and Its Kindred Sciences It is The Symbolism of Freemasonryby Albert G. Mackey; The Secret Book of Freemasonryby Otavio Cohen; Born in Blood – The Lost Secrets of Freemasonryby John Robinson; Three Distinct Knocksanonymous author; Masonry Dissectedby Samuel Prichard; The Brotherhoodby Stephen Knight; Morgan’s Exposure of Free Masonryby William Morgan; Handbook of Freemasonryby Richard Carlile; Duncan’s Masoic Ritual and Monitorby Malcom C. Duncan; Low Twelve: By Their Deeds Ye Shall Know Themby Edward S. Ellis; Pamphlets on Freemasons’Rituals and Practice in Brazil, from Princeton University; and General Ahiman Rezon, by Daniel Sickels. Articles Freemasonry: History and Historiography, by Celia M. Marinho de Azevedo; It is The Third Degree Tracing Board, by Terry Spalding-Martin. and websites The New York Times, Former Masons, airtight, freemasonry.bcy.ca It is freemasons-freemasonry.com