THE TWELVE ORIGINAL POINTS OF MASONRY

THE TWELVE POINTS WERE BASED UPON THE 12 SONS OF JACOB, AND SYMBOLIZED THE PATH OF THE CANDIDATE THROUGH HIS FIRST DEGREE.

1. OPENING OF THE LODGE:
   REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF REUBEN, THE FIRST BORN OF JACOB - THE BEGINNING OF HIS STRENGTH. WITHOUT THE OPENING, THERE WOULD BE NO LODGE.

2. PREPARATION OF THE CANDIDATE:
   WAS TO SYMBOLIZE THE TRIBE OF SIMEON, BECAUSE SIMEON PREPARED THE INSTRUMENTS FOR SLAUGHTER OF THE SHEMITES. IN PART, IT SYMBOLIZES THE MASONIC ABHORENCE TO CRUELTY, MANIFEST IN THAT EVENT. (BEING DIVESTED/DEVOID OF ALL METALLIC OBJECTS).

3. THE REPORT OF THE S.D.:
   REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF LEVI. LEGEND HAS IT THAT LEVI SIGNALED HIS BROTHER SIMEON IN THE EXECUTION OF THE SLAUGHTER OF THE SCHEMITES. MASONRY DENOUNCES CRUELTY TO A HELPLESS PEOPLE.

4. ENTRY OF THE CANDIDATE INTO THE LODGE:
   SYMBOLIZES THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, FOR THEY WERE THE FIRST TO CROSS THE RIVER JORDAN, AND ALLUDES TO THE PASSING OF THE CANDIDATE FROM THE WILDERNESS OF DARKNESS INTO THE LAND OF LIGHT AND LIBERTY.

5. THE PRAYER:
   SYMBOLIZES THE TRIBE OF ZEBULUN, BECAUSE THE PRAYERS AND BLESSING OF JACOB WERE GIVEN TO IN DEFERENCE TO HIS BROTHER ISSACHAR.

6. THE CIRCUMABULATION:
   REFERS TO THE THE TRIBE OF ISSACHAR. BEING SOMEWHAT SHIFTLESS IN CHARACTER, THIS TRIBE NEEDED A SPECIAL LEADER TO ADVANCE THEM TO AN ELEVATION EQUAL TO THE OTHER TRIBES.

7. ADVANCING TO THE ALTAR OF FREEMASONRY:
   SYMBOLIZES THE TRIBE OF DAN. IT SHOWS US THAT WE SHOULD ADVANCE TO TRUTH AND HOLINESS WITH SPEED, IN CONTRAST TO THE RAPID DECLINE OF DAN INTO IDOLATRY.

8. THE OBLIGATION:
   REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF GAD, AND ALLUDES TO THE SOLEMN VOW MADE BY JEPHTHAH, JUDGE OF ISRAEL, AND A MEMBER OF THIS TRIBE.

9. THE ENTRUSTING WITH THE MYSTERIES OF THE ORDER:
   WAS SYMBOLIZED BY THE TRIBE OF ASHER, FOR THIS TRIBE WAS PRESENTED WITH THE FULL FRUITS OF MASONIC KNOWLEDGE.

10. THE INVESTITURE OF THE LAMBSKIN:
    REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF NAPHTALI, FOR THIS TRIBE WAS INVESTED WITH A PECULIAR FREEDOM BY MOSES IN THE PROPHECY, "O NAPHTALI, SATISFIED WITH FAVOR AND FULL WITH BLESSINGS OF THE LORD, POSSESS THOU THE WEST AND SOUTH."

11. CEREMONY IN THE NORTH EAST CORNER:
    REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF JOSEPH, AND HIS TWO SONS EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH, HEADS OF TWO HALF TRIBES.

12. CLOSING OF THE LODGE:
    REFERS TO THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, THE YOUNGEST SON OF JACOB, THUS CLOSING HIS STRENGTH.