what is the historical background of the point within a circle in craft masonry and do preston and mackey agree on its interpretation

The historical background of the point within a circle traces back to ancient sun-worship and early astronomy, where it served as a symbol of the sun surrounded by the earth or universe 1. Albert Mackey connects its remote origins to ancient generative symbols, noting that astronomers adopted the figure to represent the sun as the central vivifying power within the surrounding universe 1. Within Masonic symbolism, Mackey links the point within the circle to the Master and Wardens representing the sun, while the surrounding Lodge typifies the universe 1. Ancient Egyptian monuments similarly featured a central emblem embordered by two perpendicular parallel serpents, representing the power and wisdom of the Creator 12.

In practical operative Masonry, the symbol has a geometric derivation rooted in checking the accuracy of wooden squares 2. By drawing a circle, placing a line through its center, and connecting any dot on the circumference to the endpoints of that central line, cathedral builders could reliably test for a perfect right angle 2. Historically, the two parallel lines bounding the circle came to represent the two Sts. John, denoting the winter and summer solstices as the outer calendar limits of the sun's circuit 1.

The supplied sources do not include William Preston's writings or detail his specific interpretation of the symbol, so a comparison between his view and Mackey's cannot be drawn from the library passages provided.

The tradition of associating parallel lines with the two Saints John originates historically in the adaptation of ancient solstice celebrations and the customs of medieval stonebuilding guilds 2. The Church in the third century established the feast days of St. John the Baptist on June 24 and St. John the Evangelist on December 27 to coincide with the summer and winter solstices 2. Medieval craft guilds routinely chose patron saints related to their trades; operative Masons adopted both Saints John, a heritage reflected in Comacine church dedications and the tradition of dedicating lodges to the Holy Saints John of Jerusalem 2.

The symbolic connection between these two figures and parallel lines was articulated in old ritual as one saint finishing by his learning what the other began by his zeal, thereby drawing a second line parallel to the former 2. Before taking on this Christian alignment, the symbol of two perpendicular parallel lines bordering a central emblem possessed ancient antecedents, such as early Egyptian monuments where two parallel serpents representing the Creator's Power and Wisdom bordered a divine symbol, as noted in research published on the website of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. This association with the two Saints John historically gave the ritual the name of Johannite Masonry, according to the same research.

Within formal Masonic literature, Albert Mackey notes that the parallel lines as a distinct symbol do not appear in printed instructions prior to William Preston, who referenced the parallelism of the two Saints John 1.