Early Royal Arch Regalia
The Janitors Card and Setting the Scene
3 minutes
These two documents are for use in the ceremony of Exaltation. The Janitors card is to be read to the candidate by the Janitors and the Setting the Scene document to be read in the Chapter.
Early Royal Arch Regalia
In the short paper which might be considered as an alternative to EComp Hewitt’s other paper he considers the development of regalia from the middle of the eighteenth century through to the middle of the nineteenth century and in doing so explains the Robes, Aprons, Collars and Jewels worn by our ancestors.
Companions, whence come ye ?
By EComp John Hamill – 25 minutes
In this paper John Hamill considers a number of theories of the origins of the Royal Arch including that it was a mutilation of the Third Degree, that it was originally part of the Ceremony of Installation in the Craft and amongst others that it was descended from the Jerusalem Church.
He explains that identifying the origins are complicated by the lack of any contemporaneous documentation and that unlike the Craft the Royal Arch was not in the public eye.
He concludes by linking the development of the Royal Arch to what its underlying purpose is namely to focus on our relationship with the deity.
Royal Arch History 1
12 minutes
Entitled the Destruction of the Temple this is the first of a series of three papers which outline the historical background to the Royal Arch stories.it relates the disintegration of Jewish traditions after the death of Solomon as recounted in the Book of Chronicles leading to the invasion by King Nebuchadnezzar the destruction of the Temple and the exile in Babylon.