Antiquities of the Orient Unveiled

About this book

Ancient temples, secret signs and stories of initiation are brought together in an ambitious attempt to locate the roots of modern fraternal orders. Moses Wolcott Redding searches the imagined East for a history of hidden knowledge.

The book reflects a period when Masonic writers often drew broad connections between Egyptian, Near Eastern and European traditions. Its claims require historical caution, especially where resemblance becomes evidence of direct descent. The illustrated material offers a revealing look at the symbols and legends that nineteenth-century readers believed might unlock the ancient world.