Why are biblical characters like Noah and Moses included in Freemasonry?

Biblical figures like Noah and Moses are included because they serve as central symbols of spiritual instruction, the preservation of sacred knowledge, and the transmission of divine truth 2.

In early manuscript traditions and in the Craft, Noah represents the preservation of pure, uncorrupted knowledge through the Deluge 2. Masons have historically been termed "Noachidae" or sons of Noah to signify their role as guardians of this ancestral deposit of truth 2. Though recognized as symbolic legend rather than literal history, the Noachic narrative provides a foundation for teaching pure theism against moral corruption 2. In the Scottish Rite, this legacy is explicitly central to the Degree of Patriarch Noachite, which frames Noah's descendants as conservators of primitive Masonic truth 2.

Moses is incorporated as a bridge between ancient mystery traditions and sacred law 12. Educated by Egyptian priests in symbols, geometry, and science, Moses adapted Egyptian symbolical forms—such as the Ark of the Covenant and the High Priest's Breastplate—for the religious system of Israel 2. Walter Leslie Wilmshurst considers Moses's Egyptian training to have made him a Master Mason in spirit, qualifying him for his leadership and legislative role 1. In the Royal Arch, the ritual structure is framed around this Mosaic symbolism 2. In the Scottish Rite, Moses appears directly as the presiding officer in the Twenty-Fifth Degree, or Knight of the Brazen Serpent 2.