The Knights Templar were the most powerful military order that played part in the Crusades. The Knights Templar were formed from several groups of knights for the express purpose of protecting Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. The incorporation of these groups of knights created a powerful military force which formed the nucleus of the Crusading Army. The order adopted a monastic way of life based on that of St. Benedict. This dual identity brought about the famous description of them as “fiercer than lions and gentler than lambs.” The monastic life of the Knights Templar granted them the peace of mind and soul to fulfill their prescribed mission. The successes of the Knights Templar were numerous, especially in the Third Crusade. The Knights Templar fought fiercely against Saracen encroachment into territory held by the Latin Kingdoms of Palestine, but were driven into Cyprus when Acre fell in 1291. From Cyprus, the Knights Templar achieved financial success which in turn brought them the wrath of King Philip IV of France. The order was persecuted from 1308-1314 and destroyed with the death of the last Grandmaster, Jaques de Molay. An eaxample of a Knights Templar ring can be found at Fox Jewelry where many other Masonic rings can also be found.
Although the primary mission of the Order was military, few members of the Knights Templar were actually combatants. Most Knights Templar’s acted in support positions to assist the knights and to manage the financial infrastructure. The Templar Order, though its members were sworn to individual poverty, was given control of wealth beyond direct donations. A nobleman who was interested in participating in the Crusades might place all his assets under Templar management while he was away. Accumulating wealth in this manner, the Order in 1150 began generating letters of credit for pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land: pilgrims deposited their valuables with a local Templar preceptor before embarking, received a document indicating the value of their deposit, then used that document upon arrival in the Holy Land to retrieve their funds. This practice was an early form of banking, and may have been the first formal system to support the use of checks. This system improved the safety of those journeying to the Holy Land by making them less attractive targets for thieves, and also contributed immensely to the Templar coffers. They acquired large tracts of land, both in Europe and the Middle East; bought and managed farms and vineyards; built churches and castles; and were involved in manufacturing, import and export. The Templar’s had their own fleet of ships. Based on these types of donations and business dealings, the Templar’s established financial networks across much of Europe and the Middle East. An example of a Knights Templar Ring can be found amongst the many Masonic Rings illustrated at Fox Jewelry.
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Fox Jewelry has some great alternatives to gold Masonic rings and other types of fraternal rings. Check out their selection of stainless steel masonic rings and sterling silver Masonic rings.
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What is the proper way to wear a Masonic Ring? Should the points of the compass be toward or away from the body?
There are many opinions on this subject. To the best of my knowledge the Grand Lodges have not made any regulation on this subject.
“If you were hanging the American flag, would you put the stars down? The same holds true of the ring. It should look right side up to him. Rings are therefore worn with the points of the compass toward the wearer.”
Another opinion is that “When the emblem of the square and compasses is displayed on a building, pennant, button, watch charm etc., universal custom requires the points of the compass point downward. When displayed on the Altar they point away from the Master. As the Master from his station views the compass from the Altar of his lodge, the points are from, not towards him. As the wearer of a compass watch charm views it, the points are down and away from his eyes. In a similar way as he views the emblem on his ring the points should be down or away from his eyes.
The square is the symbol of earthly, the compass of heavenly perfection. As a combined emblem the ends of the square point up as a symbol of man’s aspirations toward God; the points of the compass are down to represent heavenly qualities coming down from God to earth. Therefore it would seem that the proper way to wear a ring would be that is which its symbolism is best expressed; namely, that in which, when the hand is held in its usual position the points of the compass are towards the earth and away from the wearer’s eyes.
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George Washington became a Mason at age 20 in 1752 in the Lodge at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The first entry is thus: “Nov. 4th. 1752. This evening Mr. George Washington was initiated as an Entered Apprentice,” receipt of the entrance fec, amounting to £23s., was acknowledged, F.C. and M.M. March 3 and August 4, 1753. He may have attended about 9 lodge meetings during the remaining 46 years of his life, and probably never presided over any lodge.
However, George Washington wrote letters in which he said he was happy to be a Mason, and also, in 1791, describing Masonry as being “founded in justice and benevolence,” and “the grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race.”
But, when he was asked more specifically about Freemasonry in 1798, he wrote, “. . . So far as I am acquainted with the principles and Doctrines of Free Masonry, I conceive them to be founded on benevolence and to be exercised for the good of mankind. It is not know whether George Washington wore a Masonic Ring. Examples of Masonic Rings can be found at: Fox Jewelry.
An implement of Operative Masonry, which has been adopted by Speculative Freemasons as the peculiar working-tool of the Master’s Degree. By this implement, and its use in Operative Masonry to spread the cement which binds all the parts of the building into one common mass, we are taught to spread the cement of affection and kindness, which unites all the members of the Masonic family, wheresoever dispersed over the globe, into one companionship of Brotherly Love and an old custom in an Oxford Lodge, England, gave it prominence as a jewel, and as a symbol it goes back to the practice of the Ancient.
Today this implement is considered the appropriate working-tool of a Master Mason, because, in Operative Masonry, while the Apprentice is engaged in preparing the rude materials, which require only the Gage and Gavel to give them their proper shape. the Fellow Craft places them in their proper position by means of the Plumb, Level, and Square; but the Master Mason alone, having examined their correctness and proved them true and trusty, secures them permanently in their place by spreading, with the trowel, the cement that irrevocably binds them
together. The Trowel has also been adopted as the jewel of the Select Master.
But its uses in this Degree are not symbolical. They are simply connected with
the historical legend of the Degree. An example of the trowel can be found on most of the Master Mason Rings
– Source: Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry
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