. The book of the chapter : or, Monitorial instructions, in the degrees of mark, past and most excellent master, and the holy Royal arch. ere generally sculptured with religious symbols, orthe heads of their deities. The sphynx and the sacred beetlewere favorite signets among the Egyptians. The formerwas adopted from that people by the Roman Emj^eror Au-gustus. The Babylonians followed the same custom, andmany of their signets, remaining to this day, exhibit beauti-fully sculptured images of BAAL-BERiTfr, and other Chal-dean deities. It was, perhaps, from the Babylonians thatZerubbabel learned
. The book of the chapter : or, Monitorial instructions, in the degrees of mark, past and most excellent master, and the holy Royal arch. ere generally sculptured with religious symbols, orthe heads of their deities. The sphynx and the sacred beetlewere favorite signets among the Egyptians. The formerwas adopted from that people by the Roman Emj^eror Au-gustus. The Babylonians followed the same custom, andmany of their signets, remaining to this day, exhibit beauti-fully sculptured images of BAAL-BERiTfr, and other Chal-dean deities. It was, perhaps, from the Babylonians thatZerubbabel learned the jDractice of Avearing one, for Hero-dotus tells us that every Babylonian had a signet. But the anti-idolatrous character of his faith must haveprevented the Jewish prince from using any of the Chal-dean objects of worship as a seal. May he not rather haveadopted the great religious symbol of the Hebrews, andinscribed upon his signet ring the tetragrammaton or om-nific name ? Whether he did or not, this would at least bea most appropriate representation in our chapters of theseal of the illustrious builder of the second Incense burns cbv and niglit on the altar of the Lord. ROYAL ARCH. 131 The burning of incense constituted an essential part ofthe service of the temple, and large quantities of it wereoffered twice a day, at the morning and the evening sacrifice. Impostors among the Workmen. The following passage of Scripture from the 4th chapterof Ezra, verses 1 to 5, although forming no part of theritual, may be read for a better understanding of the con-dition of affairs commemorated in this degree. Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heardthat the children of the captivity builded the temple untothe Lord God of Israel; then they came to Zerubbabel, andto the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us buildwith you: for we seek your God as ye do; and we do sacri-fice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon, king of Assur,which brought us up hither
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