Ancient and Primitive Rite

The Ancient and Primitive Rite, also called the Order of the Ancient and Primitive Rite of Memphis-Mizraim, is a Masonic Rite first popularized by John Yarker and generally considered clandestine by Masonic organizations within the UGLE framework.[1]

History

Yarker's Rite

As promulgated by John Yarker, it was a combination of the Oriental Rite of Memphis (established 1814), and Rite of Mizraim (established 1813), both in France, and it never had more than 300 members. Yarker claimed a history going to Bonaparte's armies in Egypt, and traced the development of the Rite until his present day. He professed also that "Its Rituals embrace all Masonry, and are based on those of the Craft universal; they explain its symbols, develope [sic] its mystic philosophy, exemplify its morality, examine its legends, tracing them to their primitive source, and dealing fairly and truthfully with the historical features of Symbolical Masonry. They contain nothing in their teaching but what Mahommedan, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Brahmin, or Parsee may alike acknowledge." [2]

Degrees

The Rite of Memphis confers a set of degrees, numbered from 4° through 32°:[3]

First Series: Chapter

Class II: College

Class III: Chapter

Second Series: Senate

Class IV: Senate

Class V: Areopagus

Third Series: Sublime Council

Class VI: Consistory

Class VII: Council

Official

Grand Tribunal

References

  1. ↑ Howe, Ellic. Fringe Freemasonry in England 1870-75. Originally published in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 85 (1972). "In 1869 almost ten years had passed since Grand Lodge issued its warning that the Rite of Memphis was irregular."
  2. ↑ Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry. Accessed 13 August 2011.
  3. ↑ Sovereign Sanctuary, 33rd Degree, in and for Great Britain and Ireland. Manual of the Degrees of the Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry. 1881.

External links