Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry

282."An oath taken with the face toward the east was deemed more solemn and binding than when taken with the face toward any other cardinal point. Oaths were variously confirmed by lifting up the hands to heaven, by placing them on the altar, or on a stone, or in the hands of the person administering the oath; and a most solemn method of confirming an ^[147] oath was by placing a drawn sword across* the throat of the person to whom it was administered, and invoking heaven, earth and sea to witness the ratification.

283."It was the custom to add a solemn imprecation to their oaths, either for the satisfaction of the person by whom the oath was imposed, or to lay a more inviolable obligation on themselves, lest they should at any time repent of their purpose and take contrary measures to what they then resolved upon. The person who took the oath in some of the mysterious rites was to be upon his bare knees, with a naked sword pointed to his throat."*

284."The right hand has in all ages been deemed an emblem of fidelity and the Ancients worshipped Deity under the name Fides, or Fidelity, which was sometimes represented by two right hands joined and sometimes by two human figures holding each other by the right hand. "* *

285."Valerius Maximus tells us that the Ancients had a moral Deity whom they called Fides. Her temple was first consecrated by Numa. Fides was a Goddess of honesty and fidelity; and the writer adds, when they promised anything of old they gave the right hand to pledge it, as we do, and therefore she is represented as giving her hand and sometimes her two hands conjoining. Chartarius more fully describes this by observing that the proper residence of ^[148] faith or fidelity was thought by the Ancients to be in the right hand. And therefore this Deity was sometimes represented by two right hands joined together; sometimes by two little images shaking each other's right hand, so that the right hand was by them held sacred, and was symbolically made use of in a solemn manner to denote fidelity.

286." In the Scriptures we find frequent references to the use of the right hand, either in confirmation of an agreement or as an emblem of truth and fidelity. Thus St. Paul says: ' When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.' In Psalms it is said, ' Their right hand is a right hand of falsehood,' that is to say, they lift up their right hand to swear to what is not true.

287."This lifting up the right hand was, in fact, the universal mode adopted among both Jews and Pagans (and is still at the present time) in taking an oath. The custom is certainly older than the days of Abram, who said to the king of Sodom, 'I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take anything that is thine. ' The mode of expression shows that the uplifting of the right hand was a familiar emblem, and recognized as an evidence of truth. "*

^[149] 288. "The Rite of Illumination is a very Ancient ceremony, and constitutes an important feature in all the mysteries of the early ages. In the Egyptian, Cabirian, Sidonian, Eleusinian, Scandinavian and Druidical rituals it held a prominent place, and in them all represented the same ideas. It marked the termination of the Mystic pilgrimage through gloom and night, and was emblematical of the moral and intellectual light, which pours its Divine radiance on the mind after it has conquered the prejudice, and passions, and ignorance,* with which it has so long been struggling."**