Inside, standing in front of the far wall, is the naos, the carved shrine for the statue of the god. This is a finely shaped and polished solid block of stone several yards high. But this naos at Edfu is curious, the rear of it is rough and unfinished; just as it was when it was taken from the quarry This combination of rough unfinished stone, out of which emerges the visible smoothed and highly polished structure suggests a parallel symbolism with the rough and the smooth ashlars present in every lodge.
In Freemasonry, the rough ashlar symbolizes the unrefined and ignorant man. The smooth ashlar represents the man who, by virtue of his Masonic progress, has become refined and perfected: able to support the harmony of society. It is reasonable to ask whether the ancient Egyptians at Edfu had in mind a similar symbolism of an initiate’s progression when they carved the naos for Horus.
For the Mysteries touched the very center and source of life itself, that too is Freemasonry’s aim if we take the Third Degree charge seriously. It would be very odd indeed if our symbolism did not carry some of those same hidden meanings which were most valued by the ancients.
Anon