MASONIC SYMBOLS : The Esoteric Meaning of the Twin Pillars: Boaz and Jachin

Since the dawn of civilization, the entrance of sacred and mysterious places have been guarded by two pillars. Whether in art or in architecture, twin pillars are archetypal symbols representing an important gateway or passage towards the unknown. In Freemasonry, the pillars are named Jachin and Boaz and represent one of the Brotherhood’s most recognizable symbol, prominently featured in Masonic art, documents and buildings. This article will look at the origins of this timeless symbol and its esoteric meaning.

The concept of twin pillars standing at the gates of sacred places can be traced back to ancient civilizations of Antiquity (some claim from Atlantis, the lost source of Hermetic knowledge).

A Gateway

The symbol of the twin pillars have, since time immemorial, guarded the gateways to holy places and mysterious realms. They mark the passage towards the unknown and the otherworldly. In ancient Greece, The Pillars of Hercules was the phrase that was applied to the promontories that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. The northern Pillar is the Rock of Gibraltar in the British territory of Gibraltar.

The Pillars of Hercules guarding the passage towards the unknown.

According to Plato’s account, the lost realm of Atlantis was situated beyond the Pillars of Hercules, in effect placing it in the realm of the Unknown. Renaissance tradition says the pillars bore the warning Nec plus ultra (also Non plus ultra, “nothing further beyond”), serving as a warning to sailors and navigators to go no further. Symbolically, going beyond the Pillars of Hercules can mean leaving the foulness of the material world to reach a higher realm of enlightenment.




In Freemasonry

The Masonic usage of the terms Jachin and Boaz originates from the Biblical account of King Solomon’s Temple. The master builder of the Temple of Solomon was Hiram Abiff, a prominent figure in Masonic ritual. The verses 1 Kings 6:1-38, 1 Kings Chapter 7, and Chapter 8 describe the dimensions, the construction and the dedication of the Temple under Solomon. One passage describes more specifically the twin pillars standing in front of King Solomon’s Temple.









– 1 Kings Chapter 7

An artist rendition of King Solomon’s Temple.

The account of Solomon’s Temple is of great importance in Freemasonry as each detail of the building holds an important esoteric meaning. The Twin pillars act as a “portal to the Mysteries” by standing on each side of the entrance to a sacred place.

“According to the ancient Rabbins, Solomon was an initiate of the Mystery schools and the temple which he built was actually a house of initiation containing amass of pagan philosophic and phallic emblems. The pomegranates, the palm-headed columns, the Pillars before the door, the Babylonian cherubim, and the arrangement of the chambers and draperies all indicate the temple to have been patterned after the sanctuaries of Egypt and Atlantis.” 2

For this reason, Jachin and Boaz are prominently featured on Masonic buildings, monuments and documents. Here is Albert Pike’s description of the pillars in a text intended for new Masons:



The word JACHIN, in Hebrew, probably pronounced Ya-kayan, and meant, as a verbal noun, He that strengthens; and thence, firm, stable, upright.

The word Boaz is Baaz which means Strong, Strength, Power, Might, Refuge, Source of Strength, a Fort. The prefix means “with” or “in,” and gives the word the force of the Latin gerund, roborando–Strengthening The former word also means he will establish, or plant in an erect position–from the verb Kun, he stood erect. It probably meant Active and Vivifying Energy and Force; and Boaz, Stability, Permanence, in the passive sense.” 3

The Twin Pillars on a Masonic Tracing Board

Inside a Masonic Lodge

Masonic monument in Israel featuring the twin pillars.

The High Priestress of the Tarot sitting between Boaz and Jachin.

Esoteric Meaning








The combining of the two oppsite forces of the twin pillars produce the center pillar: the perfected man.

Qabbalistic Meaning

In Qabbalistic teachings, Jachin and Boaz represent the two pillars of Sepiroth, the Tree of Life.



In Popular Culture and Architecture

Pillars are sometimes used in pop culture for reasons other than decorative purposes to take on an esoteric meaning. The act standing between or going through pilllars, symbolically representing transformation or initiation, can be found in instances such as:

The cover of the first book of the Harry Potter series, where he discovers he is a wizard. His “initation” is visually protrayed as him going through two pillars. The original title of the book is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Philosopher’s Stone an ancient alchemical concept representing Illumination.

Rapper Kanye West standing in the middle of twin pillars in the highly symbolic video Power.

Amongst the plethora of esoteric symbols found in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, the twin pillars stand on each side of the stage.

Two pillars standing in front of the IRS Building in Kansas. Also note the Masonic/dualistic black & white pattern and the hands pointing upwards, known as the “Hand of the Mysteries”.

Two immense pillars and one in the middle in Astana, Khazakhstan, a city whose architecture and layout contain numerous occult elements.

1. Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy

2. Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages

3. Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma

4. Hall, op. cit

5. Eliphas Levi, Dogme et Rituel

6. Corinne Heline, Old Testament Bible Interpretations & The Bible and the Tarot

7. Levi, op. cit.

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One thought on “MASONIC SYMBOLS : The Esoteric Meaning of the Twin Pillars: Boaz and Jachin

  1. twclark66 Eylül 11, 2013, 2:35 am Reply

    Reblogged this on NoWorksSalvationApocalypseNow and commented:
    The secret to the destruction of the Twin Towers lies in the symbolism of the Masonic twin pillars: Boaz and Jachin. When you see what the twin towers represented and the New Freedom Tower you understand the occult goal of the secret societies.

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