The All-Seeing-Eye In Greece And Christianity
Ancient Greek
In the Hymns of Orpheus, the hymn To The Sun describes it variously as thus; as an “eternal eye with broad survey” ;and compares it to being the “Father of ages” ;and as “Immortal Jove, all searching, bearing light” ;then later as the “Great eye of Nature and the starry skies” ;followed by “Faithful defender, and the eye of right”
So here we see in an ancient text of the western world similar representation of the sun like that presented in the ancient text of the east, the Rig Veda, as being an eye of the creator and an all-seeing never closing eye watching over and protecting the good.
“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Jesus in Matthew 6:22)
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry;” (Psalms 34:15)
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)
Pic1 Does the Talpiot tomb display an all seeing eye?
A possible first known use of the all-seeing eye symbol in Judeo-Christianity is the so-called “Jesus tomb” from 1st century AD discovered in 1980, which uses a similar symbol over the entrance to the tomb.
Regardless of whose tomb it is, could this be a first known or early use of the eye-pyramid symbol in the Judeo-Christian tradition?
In Christianity, the all-seeing eye or “Eye of Providence” or “Eye of God” has been used as a symbol from at least the 16th century as seen in the following painting below which depicts a scene from Luke 24: 13-32 where after his resurrection, Jesus has supper with two disciples.
Pic2 16th century Christian painting – dated 1525 by Italian artist Pontormo (student of Da Vinci), called Supper in Emmaus – depicts Luke 24: 13-32
The eye is inside a triangle, and surrounded by rays of light, with the triangle representing the holy trinity and the whole symbol meaning God’s omnipresence and all-seeing eye watching over creation.
Some claim that the eye in triangle symbol was added to the painting soon after the Council of Trent 1545- 1563, to conform with its canons and decrees but even if that is so that would still place its use in the 16th century.
In Alsace, France, the fresco painted below (pic3) the altar of the Abbey Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste (1763) shows a large example of the eye-in-pyramid symbol, with the rays of glory breaking through the clouds.
Another example is on the Aachen cathedral in Germany.
It was originally built in the late 8th century under the Emperor Charlemagne and then enlarged in the middle ages with various other changes and updates along the way.
It would seem the all-seeing eye symbol was placed on the cathedral in 1766 to mark the renovations done that year.Note that these first two examples pre-date the founding of the Bavarian Illuminati (1776) although Freemasonry already existed in England and Europe by this time.
Perhaps it was a masonic influence that saw these symbols used on these cathedrals yet it was not until about 1797 that masons are regarded as beginning to use the eye-in-pyramid symbol.
The eye-in-pyramid symbol also features prominently on the front facade of the Hartegbrugkerk Church in Leiden, the Netherlands, built in 1835-36.
The Latin words “Hic Domus Dei est et Porta Coeli” translates to “This is the House of God and the Gateway to Heaven.”
Pic3 An all-seeing eye in the St. Jean-Baptiste Abbey Church / Image credit: Ralph Hammann
Pic4 Aachen Cathedral all-seeing eye / Image credit: Trexer
Pic5 Another all-seeing eye atop Hartegbrugkerk Church, Netherlands / Image credit: Robbiedoes
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