By Stephen A. Dafoe

Continued From Part Two

Perhaps the Schonfield theory of Sophia is much more than the simple Greek word for wisdom. If one looks at the Greek version of the Bible, Wisdom or Sophia is always spoken of in the feminine form. Could it be that to the Templars Baphomet or Sophia was akin to the divine Shekinah or Glory of God, that rested on the Mercy Seat of the Ark that resided in the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple? We may never know the answer.

The nineteenth century occultist and author, Eliphas Lévi, put forth the final theory we will look at in our examination of the etymology of Baphomet. According to Lévi. Baphomet was a condensed version of a Latin phrase. To Lévi the letters TEM OHP AB, which is Baphomet spelled backwards was the short form of "Templi Omnivm Hominum Pacis Abbas" This phrase translates in English as "The Father Of The Temple Of Peace Of All Men." Eliphas Lévi sincerely believed that this was an allusion to the Temple of Solomon, which he felt had the sole purpose of unifying all of mankind regardless of religious or political background.

While this is certainly a romantic notion and would lend credibility to a connection with the Templars, since they were in fact named for the Temple of Solomon, it is no more likely to be correct than any of the other theories presented in this article.

The simple fact of the matter is that we will probably never know the true enigma of the Baphomet, if it was anything more than a tool of the inquisitors to extract a verdict of guilty. A verdict that would allow those, with avarice eyes, to gain control of the wealth of the order.

However, Lévi's theory on the etymology of Baphomet, was not to be his sole contribution to the Baphomet mythos. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, he created an illustration of the Baphomet (accompanying this article) which would go forth as the definitive representation of the idol alleged to be worshipped by the order during their time in the Levant.

It is this image of Baphomet that inspired Arthur Edward Waite's devil card in the Rider Waite Tarot and was the image "de jour" chosen by Karel Thole for his cover of Barbet's novel Baphomet's Meteor.

Lévi's Baphomet, while adopted by many Fundamentalists Christians, as the definitive representation of the devil is actually more a representation of Hermeticism than it is a representation of anything sinister, but symbols like art are in the eye of the beholder.

Contained within Lévi's Baphomet image are the dualistic attributes of life as well as the male and female aspects of creation. If one looks at the picture, one sees that one arm is masculine while the other is slender and feminine. The creature has the breasts of a female and a caduceus on the lap, which clearly represents the phallus. One arm points skyward, while the other points towards the earth. This is clearly a representation of the Hermetic axiom, "As above…So below." The arms are also pointing to a dark moon and a crescent moon, perhaps alluding to the waxing and waning phases of the moon, but may well represent the dichotomy of good Vs evil. On the right arm is written "Solve" Solution and on the Left "Coagula" Coagulation. These are references found in alchemy, a study that Lévi not only undertook but also wrote about in his books.

What troubles many people when they look at the image is the goat's head with a pentagram on it. While the goat's head can be easily connected to the witch's familiar referred to in the earlier paragraphs of this article, it should be noted that the goat as a symbol of evil comes to us largely from the Scapegoat of Judaism. During the days of atonement the priest would cast lots over two goats. One would be sacrificed to YHVH, while the other would be sent into the woods to be with the devil, carrying the sins of the people with him.

Much ado has been made over the years about the five-pointed star and witchcraft. It should be noted that at one time the point up star represented the five wounds of Christ suffered on the cross, when He, like the scapegoat of Judaism, carried the sins of mankind away with His crucifixion.

But my interpretation of Lévi's sketch is as much open to error as anyone's. What remains important is what the author had to say about it himself. The following is the preface to his book, "Dogma Et Rituel Haute Magie" published in 1861:

"The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of Hermeticism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The ugly beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi- circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences."

As can be seen in his explanation of the drawing, there is no reference to the Templars to be found. Yet to this day many Fundamentalist Christians, most notably Jack T. Chick, author of The Curse of the Baphomet, have used the Lévi image to bear false witness against the Templars and Freemasons of the world and in so doing break the very tenets of the faith. A faith that the Templars were sworn to defend.

At the end of the day we know no more about the Baphomet enigma than we did when the first Templar mouthed it under the crack of the inquisitors whip so many centuries ago. Perhaps we never will or perhaps someday some scholar will uncover this long-standing enigma at long last. For now we are left with a handful of theories as to the origins of the Baphomet, if it ever truly existed. Some of these theories are plausible and have found much credibility among Templars, while others remain as far-fetched as the science fiction of Pierre Barbet. I can only wonder which publisher will be the first to use Barbet's book as a basis for another theory on the matter?