Most of us are unaware of the fact that the symbolism of an ancient brotherhood is a part of our daily lives. The Great Seal of the United States on the back of the dollar bill is a symbol used by the Masons. The Masons began in England in 1717 and in Scotland in 1770. This Old World authority regulated the exchange of religious ideas. Wanting to break from the past, Masons sought ecumenism and religious tolerance. They didn’t agree with the sectarian divisions that have caused dissension among many organized faiths.
Introduction of the Great Seal
The Great Seal of the United States, which features an eye and a pyramid, was first introduced by Benjamin Franklin, who was a Mason. On July 4, 1776, the use of the seal was sanctioned by Congress. Fellow Masons, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, advocated for the use of the symbol. The government stamp appeared on all official business through 1935. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry A. Wallace were also Masons. During the Great Depression they ordered the Great Seal to appear on the back of the dollar bill.
Symbolic Meaning
The Latin sentence surrounding the unfinished pyramid states, Annuit Coeptis (Providence Has Favored Our Undertakings) and Novus Ordo Seclorium, (A New Order of the Ages). That symbolism correlated with Masonry ideals; the pyramid is a worldly achievement that’s incomplete without the blessing of Providence. During the Renaissance, occultists viewed ancient Egypt as the source of primal, ageless wisdom transcending nations and dogma. The eye and the pyramid sought to achieve that ideal.