thirty three

I am as old as the christ today.

Pythagorean Theorem

Recently, I digested the Complete Idiot's Guide To Freemasonry, by S. Brent Morris, in an attempt to fact-check my stacks and stacks of notes regarding a dream project that will never likely see the light of day. While I encountered nothing new therein, I did come to a realization of something which I can find no evidence anywhere else of ever having been noted down by anyone.

A long-standing rumor concerning the Masons deals with the extent of their involvement in the design of the Washington, DC street plan. Conspiracy loons love to believe that the plan incorporates an inverted pentagram inside of a pentagon. This is absolute hogwash of course, for two reasons. One is that no such completed designs exist in the District of Columbia roadways. If the craftsmen were so particular- then why would they have their symbols interrupted by parks and paths that simply do not meet? And two- there is simply no evidence whatsoever that either the pentagram or pentagon have ever held any special connection to Freemasonry, by any stretch of the imagination. Case closed.

However...

One bit of symbology that does hold dear meaning to Masons the world over is the Forty-Seventh Problem of Euclid. Euclid was the Greek mathematician whose 23 axioms comprise the basic dynamics for modern geometry. And we all know that the G in the compass is interchangeable as standing either for God or Geometry. Masons believe that Euclid even assisted Solomon in the design of his temple, so there you go. But why oh why would I bring up this centuries-dead math geek?

Because, the stated Forty-Seventh Problem of Euclid DOES exist within the street plans for Washington DC. And I have never seen mention of this obvious and undeniable fact anywhere. Not that I pay attention or anything.