How does the 15th Degree relate to the concept of liberty in Freemasonry?

The dramatisation of the 15th Degree, Knight of the East, revolves around Zerubbabel obtaining liberty for the captives in Babylon and securing freedom to rebuild the Temple, emphasizing fidelity to obligation and integrity under trial, as the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction states. The degree's symbolism centers on themes of captivity, liberation, and freedom, featuring the trowel and the sword to symbolise the dual duties of building and fighting for liberty, an article on the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction's website notes.

Historical variations of the Knight of the East degree exist across different Masonic rites and codices. Arthur Edward Waite observed that under this title, certain historical workings diverged from the Temple rebuilding narrative, focusing instead on the later profanation of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes during the era of the Maccabees 1.