Masonic History & Symbolism: The Point Within a Circle
Ancient Usage
The Point Within a Circle has been a symbol used by many cultures since before the days of King Solomon and is widely seen today within many Masonic Lodges. The earliest depictions of this symbol and its meaning can be found on various ancient Egyptian monuments and artifacts.
Although the Egyptians did not use the exact Point Within a Circle symbol that Masons use today but rather their own “Alpha and Omega”, there is no doubt that the meaning is identical. The Egyptian’s Alpha and Omega was meant to depict God’s existence and man’s moral obligations to live within those bounds.
Masonic History
The Point Within a Circle in Masonry has been made to represent St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, celebrated on June 24th and December 27th respectively.
St. John the Baptist was a direct descendant of the son of Abraham and was also the man to Baptize Jesus, calling him the Lamb of God. St. John the Evangelist, also known in Christianity as John the Apostle is accredited for writing the Gospel Book of John in the Bible, along with the Book of Revelations.
The Lodge of St. John, located in Jerusalem, is the earliest Mother Lodge known to Freemasons and was initially dedicated to St. John the Baptist and later dedicated to both Saints John. Now being called The Lodge of the Holy Saints John.
Meaning
Along with being Patron Saints, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist are also represented in the Point Within a Circle as the left line and the right line respectively, recognizing our Mother Lodge in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, the point represents the individual brother, while the circle depicts his duty to God and man and reminds us that we should never allow our passions or prejudices to travel beyond this boundary.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this ancient symbol can be thought of as the bases for what Masonry teaches its members, in that we all must live a virtuous life to please our fellow man and more importantly, God.
Thank you for taking the time to read about the history of the Masonic Point Within a Circle, we hope you enjoyed the reading as much as we did researching and writing it!
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Sources: The Masonic Point Within A Circle | Freemasons Community
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