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DEGREES OF THE COUNCIL OF
ROYAL AND SELECT MASONS
Royal Master Degree
This Degree takes us backward in time to a day prior to the death
of the builder, who is again the central character. He imparts sublime teachings of a useful labor on
earth to the candidate and gives him instruction as to the preservation of our valuable secrets. This degree
explains the articles contained in the Holy of Holies of the Temple. This knowledge is essential to those
who would fully understand thre preceeding degrees. Its lessons are so especially illustrative of the third
and seventh Degrees.
Select Master Degree
Historically, this Degree occurs also prior to the third Degree,
and deals with incidents that occurred at the building of the first Temple. It is closely connected with
the Royal Arch Degree and affords the explanation needed for its perfect understanding. It is highly
dramatic. The scene is in an underground vault which will complete the "Circle of Perfection" in Ancient
Craft Masonry. The historical object of the degree is to commemerate the deposits of an important secret
or treasure which, after the prelimanary preparations, is said to have been made by our three Grand Masters.
Super-Excellent Master Degree
The degree of Super-Excellent Master is not a degree of the Crypt.
It deals with a period of history following the destruction of the First Temple. The essence of the degree is
foretold in a lecture in the Royal Arch degree, when the Principle Sojourner refers to the Biblical reference
"Zedekiah was one and twenty days old when he began to reign, and did that which was evil in the sight of the
Lord".
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