Eye of Providence

The Eye of Providence (also Seeing Eye, Eye of God ) is a symbol that is usually regarded as the all -pervading secrets Seeing Eye of God interpreted and to remind the people of the eternal watchfulness of God.

Signified as one of a halo surrounded the eye and is usually enclosed by a triangle that points to the Trinity. This triangle also includes the aspects, which are said to have the number three, which was known as an approximation to the circle number from time immemorial and therefore was considered a sacred divine number.

Origin

The eye of the sun

In early Egyptian mythology, the sun Eye of Re was attached, for example at or above a picture of a false door facing east. This symbolism is used in the Book of Nut often. The sun god Re takes just before sunrise in the shape of a falcon. This slips into the role of Re " Horus in the horizon ".

The fact that Re is actually understood as Horus, showing the subsequent naming of Osiris as " his father ". The occurrence as " Horus in the horizon " is connected to the process of rebirth. After the performances based on the ancient Egyptian religion of the deceased walked through the false door in order to be reborn like Re every day.

In Indian mythology, the eye of the sun appears in the form of the deity Surya, in Zoroastrianism as the eye of Mithra.

The moon eye

In the Old Kingdom the moon god Thoth moved into second place behind Re, and is labeled "Vizier of Re", " clerk of Re" and " Child of Re" occupied. Thoth was given as the moon itself the secondary name "Silver Sun" and was also master of the moon eye.

Background for the role as " protector and savior of the moon eye " is the myth of Osiris: He found the missing injured eye again and cured it. Particularly clear its parallels in comparison as a cosmic beings are: " Thoth as light and moon god emerges from the dark chaos of Seth ". Symbolically, the moon eye is thus for regeneration, renewal and healing.

Zurvanismus

As early as the 4th century BC, were put in Zurvanismus about the two gods of the dualistic Zoroastrianism, a third, Almighty God: Zurvan was akarano God of time and space and the father of Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom and of Ahriman, the God of of evil. Zurvan was symbolized in a triangle by the so-called "Eye of Providence ", which visualizes the three multiform time in the form of past, present and future or of growth, fertility and aging.

Christianity

In the Bible the eye appears as a symbol of vigilance, omniscience and omnipresence of God behütenden. So it 's saying in Proverbs 15.3 based on the omnipresence of God and vigilance: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place behold, the wicked and the righteous. "

Inform the style for this symbol, the various illustrations were among the first total expenditure of the mystic Jakob Böhme plant in Holland, Germany and England in the second half of the 17th century. The proven earliest representation of the eye of God in a triangle can be found on a coin of Charles II of England from the year 1660. Again suspect authors such as Christopher Geissmar that the emergence of this coin could be related to the transfer of Jakob Boehme writings into English.

" 1677 meets the eye of God in the triangle with clouds ring then in the crown of the Holy Cross altar in the north transept chapel of the monastery Springborn (sculptor John Schmitt) in Rößel (Poland ); 1683 on the German ( Austrian ) medal at the first siege of Vienna; 1690 turn on an English coin of King William III. ( 1689-1702 ). As a result, the eye of God is with and without the ubiquitous triangle "

Especially in the founded by Joseph Kentenich Catholic Schoenstatt Movement is there described as a " father 's eye" Eye of Providence is a frequently used symbol and is mounted in all the Schoenstatt shrine distributed worldwide. Many Schoenstatt members carry a small "Father eye" on the lapel, typical of Schoenstatt " home sanctuary " (a kind Herrgottswinkel or " family altar ") is, according to the Schoenstatt Founder Kentenich not miss the Lord's eye.

After the " Eye of God" was also the chapel "Eye of God " named in the Seven Mountains. In Munich ( Giesing ) is a former monastery, showing an oversized eye on the portal.

Freemasonry

The Eye of Providence also appears as part of Masonic symbolism. In many lodges it glows in "east" on the throne of the Worshipful Master and occasionally plays also a role in the masters degree, but most importantly, it shows up in the Apprentice degree. Often, the Masonic Eye of Providence has a half- halo below the eye - often the lowest rays are extended downwards.

The open eye symbolizes the ever revealing truth, calls for wisdom and appeals to the conscience. About the causality of the cause -and-effect principle it represents the good, which is evil to defeat it. In particular, Christian Masonic lodges, use a quote from the Bible ( John 1:1 EU), to draw attention to the ambiguous concept of the Logos, which is equated with the Almighty Architect of the Universe and primarily represents the rational principle of the universe. Similarly, the eye is therefore replaced by a "G ", whose interpretation is just as diverse.

The eye is often enclosed by a triangle. It is the sign of fire and enlightening science and is used to measure the largest distances, but also the Trinity in Christianity. In this case, the triangle is here understood as a reference to the Masonic number three in numerology.

The first official mention of the Masonic symbol eye of providence was in 1772 in Scripture Illustrations of Masonry by William Preston ( 1742-1818 ).

Illuminati

Today's conspiracy theorists bring the symbol with secret societies in conjunction, especially with the Ingolstadt founded by Professor Adam Weishaupt in 1776 the Bavarian Illuminati.

A connection between the seal of the United States and the Illuminati can not be proved. Until they were banned in 1784 by the Bavarian Elector Karl Theodor of the Illuminati included a maximum of 2500 members and recruited them mostly from German Masonic lodges. Many were arrested, all under the pretext that they were " notorious free-thinker ". Under the Masonic Johann Joachim Christoph Bode found in 1785 the religious activities in the Weimar Minervalkirche end.

USA

1782 Eye of Providence was presented part of the symbolism on the reverse side of the Seal of the United States and was the original design committee of 1776. The idea of ​​using the All-Seeing Eye (still without the triangle, with rays) goes back to a suggestion of the artistic consultant Pierre Eugène du Simitière. The pyramid (without the all-seeing eye) comes from Francis Hopkinson, who originally designed this in 1778 for a 50 - dollar bill, which officially was at that time in circulation. William Barton finally melted in 1782 these two symbols to the Eye of Providence above the pyramid together.

The coat of arms is used on official documents of the United States. Also there is the Eye of Providence on the back of each one - dollar bill.

Gallery

Woodcut of alchemy with the All-Seeing Eye

Eye of Providence on the French Declaration of Human and Civil Rights in 1789

Eye of Providence on the grave stone Franz Anton Mesmer