Freemasons trace much of themselves to the builders of the pyramids - and the temple of Solomon of also Knightly renown.

If you wonder at the intersect between building churches, monasteries, and castles, and the Knights Templar, well, there it is made obvious when stated so clearly as to be tautological.

Of course, as one wry wit noted, and I don't remember the exact quote, but something to the effect that one always finds masonry in archaeological findings to such an extent as to bankrupt credence until one considers that the finders are so often masons - the humorous implication more clear than I can make it here that they were seeing themselves retroregessively in that which they admire, and really quite more modern in origin from the latter part of the medieval-renaissance shift from guilds to universities and more informal, common law originating oxbridge patterns.

So do they have lineage they claim, whether Egypt's mystery stone ... engineers? How many really are Mayflower men as claim - my point being, lineage is seen - and not inaccurately, for it is a deep pool of memetic wealth - as the roots of power - and also foresight having fashioned a mirror from hindsight, such as in the modern, ancient and accepted cult of linear programming in finance.

I wonder what would be found if someone looked for high levels of masonic civil and commercial activity among membership, so much as to be somewhat publicly visible in the records, around the revolutions which moves arms to front and necessitates Martial plans and rule.

Remember that magic in Europe is/was most commonly alchemy and who then the alchemists are - they are not the masons quite, but their paths in time intersect and a common interest is forged in the hellfire of that keeper of the divine right - the Church and its red rod diplomacy - early science; alchemy is R and masonry is D. Dig? Templars too, but that story is yet to be told as needs be.

Part became of our technocracy has become atheistic, part remains occult in approach and design, both are generally socially Darwinian in orientation with corresponding accounting.

The chief proponents of WWI and WWII come from 'their' lodges.

If you want a group that carries a European indigenous cult, look to the Teutonic Knights and why/how they carved into Lithuania and beyond before having an accident with a smart man's wishing well. And take a look at Vril and Thule too.

Very few powers disappear in poofs of history. As witness, the Church publicly owns 15% of the Italian stock market and why should their money be but there? No reason. It's ubiquitous. Who handled this after the Templar exited stage?

That's a riddle.