106 philalethes • The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters W hen we think of the symbolism of Freemasonry, the irst examples that come to mind are usually the symbols that we handle: the Plumb, Square, Level, Compass, Gavel, and Rule. The Working Tools are symbols of the moral and philosophical teachings of Masonry put into practice. But our Craft contains images that are more abstract as well. Each Masonic degree includes a symbol of De- ity. In the irst degree, the Blazing Star is presented as an emblem of the Providence of God, and the Theological Ladder is described as a means for the initiate to ascend from the material world to the spiritual realm. In the second degree, the initiate is taught about the Letter G, a representation of the Name of God. And in the third degree, among a special class of symbols known as the “hiero- glyphical emblems,” the All-Seeing Eye represents an all-aware, all-present, moral God. In our degrees, the Great Architect—the source of all blessings, wisdom and Light—is the loftiest theme. This is demonstrated not just through symbolism but through dramatic moments in the ritual wherein each candidate’s faith in his Creator The All-Seeing Eye Symbol of the Great Architect, Part One Shawn Eyer on the cultural background and history of one of the most mysterious and ancient symbols of Craft Freemasonry Shawn Eyer, FPS, is the Junior Warden of The Lodge of the Nine Muses № 1776 in the District of Columbia, and the Editor of Philalethes. is evoked, remembered, and tested at crucial points during the initiatic experience. The All-Seeing Eye is the most striking of Freemasonry’s divine symbols. Yet, for all of its ubiquity, neither its cultural origins nor its histo- ry within Freemasonry are well understood. The All-Seeing Eye has ancient roots that antedate its inclusion in our Craft by millennia, and that is a context that must be explored in order to learn what our brethren of centuries past understood when they contemplated this beautiful emblem and included it among the symbols of the Craft. A Theme from the Great Light As pointed out by Bro∴ Alex Horne, fPs, in Sourc- es of Masonic Symbolism, the Bible is one of the most extensive wellsprings of our symbolism. 1 On consideration of this point, it is advantageous to stipulate that in certain cases biblical symbol- ism presents speciic elements already formed as distinct examples of “a symbol” (the compass, the ark of the covenant, the Temple pillars, etc.), while in other instances symbolism may appear that has not achieved a full crystallization. Both types are certainly symbols from the interpretive perspective of the scholar—but, in the latter case, a symbolic theme or idea has not yet coalesced into a more or less speciic icon, which might be