The Mystery of Mithra is short overview of Mithraism and its possible relationship to some of the more arcane aspects of Masonry by Bro. Harry Kenison from April 1961.
Of course, correspondence does not imply causation, but I’ll leave any interpretation to the viewer!
Very interesting video. Of course the 25th of December, which we celebrate as the birth of Christ, was originally the birthday of Mithras. I think I would be the only one of your correspondents who can say that I have been inside a temple of Mithras. In October 2013 I stayed for three days in Carlisle in Cumbria in order to traverse the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall to Wallsend near Newcastle. One of the Roman forts, near the wall, that I visited was Vindolanda, which is also the best preserved and most excavated. The Mithriac temple was quite deep into the ground and most of the roof had gone so it was easy to see it’s structure and particularly the altar. The cult of Mithras was apparently quite popular among the soldiers who built the wall. Vindolanda was occupied from about 85 AD and I also stood in the Commander’s quarters, where almost certainly, the emperor Hadrian stayed when he visited in 122 AD. The attached museum had several Mithriac artifacts that had been excavated. I collect coins of the Roman Empire, hence my interest.
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Thanks Joseph. I certainly envy your experience! In an earlier career I was a medievalist, and the sense of place and history you get from standing in places like Vindolanda is impossible to put into words. I remember standing in the middle of a recumbent stone circle in a farm paddock west of Aberdeen (in the mist of course) and the feeling was extraordinary. It’s stayed with me for over 40 years.
I found the Mithras lecture a bit short and sketchy, but it has certainly led me on to new areas of research and reading, which I guess is the point. I’m working on a much lengthier lecture, originally from 1971, “Our affinity with the Ancient Egyptians” for this week. It’s considerably more detailed and thorough in its scope and I’m finding it a very satisfactory read. I hope you enjoy it.
From the Quarries 
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