Background pre-Christian Masonry

Mesopotamia

-From Adam to the flood (about 3000 BC), Satan and his legion of demons led humanity to sin and corruption. Why they were punished with extermination except for Noah and his family.

-the Sumerians, not Semites, inhabit the region between the Tigris and Euphrates, built the first walled cities (Nippur, Uruk, Ur, Kish, Lagash, Akad), whose archaeological remains are being studied for a century.

-The urbanite civilization originates polytheistic religions whose main gods are: the sun (light), the moon, love (fertility), nature (mother goddess), etc.

-the invention of pictographic and cuneiform writing engraved on clay tablet have left us testimony about the birth of religions, sects and political power, controlled by priestly caste.

Towards 2000 BC, God commanded Abraham who lived in the corrupt city of Ur, migrate west. Nomadic tribes of the Hebrews settled in southern Canaan that was promised by God to Moses on Mount Sinai for the future kingdom of Israel.

-Sodoma and most cities were destroyed by God with fire because of serious crimes against natural law., Especially infanticide and sin "nefarious" of homosexuality (sodomy).

-The King Hammurabi of Babylon (around 1700 BC) built a temple to the sun god (Babel) and Ishtar (Astarte) goddess of love, Aphrodite precedent (Venus) ...

-the cult of Mithras, god of light Aryan, was started around 1500 BC by a Chaldean sect of magicians who spread esotericism (mystery cult) among ambitious minority power.

-the Hebrew people, a descendant of Jacob's sons, had multiplied in Egypt for about 700 years thanks to the promise of God to Abraham. By 1250 BC Moses began an exodus of 40 years into the promised land of Canaan. At Mount Sinai he received the Tablets of the Law (10 Commandments) while the people contaminated by the Egyptian gods, worshiped a golden calf.

Israel

David founded the kingdom of Israel around 1000 BC and his son Solomon acquired great wealth by trading with Tire, Damascus, Saba, Gades, etc ... built the temple in Jerusalem on Mount Zion with a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant and tables of the law. The close relations with the Phoenicians worshipers Astarté, malignant seed left in the Jewish people.

When there was the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, the secret cult of Mithras pushed the Pharisees to demand the condemnation of Christ on the cross of monte Calvario.

-the sect of the Essenes we have recently known by the "Dead Sea Papers" reveal Satan's action against the religion of the people of Israel.

-A death and resurrection of Christ, Jews and all sects are fighting the gospel.Heresies proliferate pagan Gnosticism based on originating Arianism, assimilated by the barbarians who destroyed the Roman Empire converted to Christianity.

India

-From the flood there are remains of Neolithic cultures in the Indus River.

Towards 2000 BC appear parallel to the Sumerians of Mesopotamia of cultures. At this time it is dated an image of Lord Shiva in yoga posture.

Towards 1500 BC Aryan peoples of Indo-European language migrating from northwestern India to the Ganges River valley to the west.

Towards 1000 BC is written "Rigveda" (more than 1000 hymns) Sanskrit origin of Indo-European languages, which mentions Mitra (light), Indra (the war), Soma (orgies) gods. This religion is based on metempsychosis or transmigration of souls at the time of death.

-In the second Vedic period (to 600 BC) Aryan penetrate to Delhi.

-Buddha "illuminated" (560-480 BC) predicated by self-improvement "nirvana" or extinction of releasing direction until death by incarnation.

-In 700 AD Hinduism displaces Buddhist.

Persia (Irán)

-the empire of Cyrus stretched from the Indus River to the Bosphorus Strait, dominating Lydia, Ionia and the Sea Peoples (Cyprus).

-Zaratustra preached (600 BC) the religion of good and evil transmitted by the "Avesta", which had great influence in Greece and Rome (Manichaeism St. Augustine).

Greece

Homero diffuses in the eighth century BC aristocratic Religion of the gods of Olympus:

Zeus: the sky.

-Poseidón: the sea.

Ares: the war.

-Apolo: light (knowledge).

Artemis: hunting, modesty and innocence.

-Hermes: thieves and merchants, luck and wealth.

-Atenea: work, wisdom and letters.

-The Orphic, Pythagorean and mystery cults (Eleusis) ensure initiates a life after death.

-the Temple of Apollo at Delphi town at the foot of Mount Parnassos, it was a center of political power controlled by a priestly caste announcing his oracles by the "witch" (priestess). For centuries it was visited by the Greeks to meet their future.

-In the seventh century the cult of Dionysus and the fourth century of Asclepius, god of healing art begins.

-The secret sect of priests-magicians Mitra pressured to condemn Athenian Radical Party (murder) Socrates (400 BC) for the crime of impiety by not recognizing the pagan gods.

-the Hellenistic religion was characterized by syncretism, followed by atheism and return to the old cults of Baal, Isis and Cybele.

-In originates Phrygia (200 BC) the cult of Cybele "magna mater" or "mother goddess", recovered today by the "New Age".

Rome

-The foundations of the Roman state are religious, the will of the gods marks the boundary between lawful and unlawful (nefarious). Religion is animistic.

Jupiter, Juno and Minerva: -from 500 BC by Etruscan influence, the Republican was under a triad of gods begins. Other popular gods are: Mars (war), Jano (January), Dionysus (orgies), Vulcano (fire), Mercury (trade), Vesta (herds and home) and Ceres (agriculture).

-during the imperial era is also venerated the sovereign and the ancient cult of Mithras spreads. Pope presides up the execution of the rites of the different priestly castes who enjoy great power. Vestal (virgin) guarding the sacred fire, the augurs scrutinize the divine will by the flight of birds and arúspides predict the future by liver ritual victims.

Towards 400 BC, the Celts Upper Danube move westward (France, Spain, England) and set in the Italian Po River Valley have military superiority to possess weapons of iron. The maximum power of the tribes in the hands of the priestly caste of the druids, which has a monopoly of ritual slaughter. In 387 BC, the Celts burned Rome.

-The Hispanic Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD) conquered Dacia (Romania), Syria, Egypt, Armenia, Mesopotamia and Parthia (Persia), is influenced by some secret sects.

His heir Adriano is pacifist, preaches good and corrupted with old vices (sodomy) during his long stay in the East.

The Emperor Commodus (180 AD), son of neo-Platonic philosopher Marco Aurelio, adopted the belief in reincarnation influence of the cult of Mithras.