What is the connection between King Solomon’s Temple, the Egyptian Temple of Karnak, and the Masonic Lodge?

King Solomon's Temple serves as the archetype of the Lodge, acting as the symbol from which its Temple symbolism is derived 1.

In the Royal Arch and in the Scottish Rite, the symbolic framework draws on Mosaic symbolism 1. Moses incorporated Egyptian symbolic methods into his system following his education by the Egyptian priesthood, establishing a line of symbolic tradition later adopted by Solomon and preserved in Masonic practice 1.

Architecturally, the design of Solomon's Temple was derived through Phoenician architects who borrowed structural and decorative forms from Egypt and Assyria 2. However, Egyptian sites such as the Temple of Karnak were constructed angle-ways to the cardinal points rather than adhering to a strict east-west alignment 2.