Secret Sects Of Syria

Secret sects are deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Middle East, and a number are as powerful today as they were in the times of the Crusades. In the West, Freemasons claim that their rituals are derived from those practiced by the ancient sects, brought to the west by the Templars, and in this classic work Bernard Springett describes and analyzes the symbolism, ceremonies and religion of these secret sects to see if, and to what extent, Masonic tradition and ritual preserve ancient wisdom. Among the sects he examines are the Sabaeans, the Gnostics and Manicheans, the followers of Simon Magus, Sufism and the Dervish Orders, the Shiite Metawileh, the Essenes, the Ismaelis, the Assassins, the Nusairis and the Druses, concluding with chapters on the Syrian influences on the order of the Knights Templar and on modern freemasonry.