The Dollar Bill Part 2: The Number Thirteen and the Stolen Obelisks

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify the instances of the number 13 that appear on the Great Seal
• Explain how esoteric writers have connected the number 13 on the Great Seal to the Osiris myth of death and resurrection
• Describe the geometric pattern formed by the 13 stars above the eagle
• Explain what an obelisk is and its role in ancient Egyptian temple architecture
• Describe the connection between the Washington Monument and ancient Egyptian obelisk design
• Explain what happened to most of the world's surviving ancient Egyptian obelisks

Key Vocabulary

• The Osiris myth — An ancient Egyptian story in which the god Osiris is murdered and dismembered by his brother Set, then resurrected by his wife Isis; a foundational myth in Egyptian beliefs about death, resurrection, and the afterlife. [4]Plutarch. On Isis and Osiris (De Iside et Osiride), 18. In Moralia, vol. 5. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.[5]Mythopedia. "Osiris." mythopedia.com.[6]Religion Wiki, Fandom. "Myth of Osiris and Isis."
• Hexagram — A six-pointed star formed by two overlapping triangles; the pattern formed by the 13 stars above the eagle on the Great Seal. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[7]U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. The Great Seal of the United States. Washington, D.C., 2003.
• Obelisk — A tall, four-sided, tapering stone pillar topped with a pyramid-shaped point, first developed in ancient Egypt and traditionally placed in pairs at temple entrances to honor the sun god Ra. [8]National Park Service. "Washington Monument." nps.gov.[9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."
• Washington Monument — A 555-foot obelisk at the center of Washington, D.C., completed in 1884, architecturally modeled on ancient Egyptian obelisk design. [8]National Park Service. "Washington Monument." nps.gov.
• Repatriation — The return of an object, artifact, or monument to its country or culture of origin; a topic of ongoing debate regarding ancient Egyptian obelisks now standing in Rome, Paris, London, and New York. [9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."[10]Obelisks.org. "Obelisks of the World."[11]National Geographic. "The Obelisk Is an Ancient Egyptian Architectural Feat. So Why Are So Few in Egypt?" nationalgeographic.com.
• Heliopolis — An ancient Egyptian city, known as the "City of the Sun," a major center of worship for the sun god Ra and closely associated with obelisks and the Bennu bird. [9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."[11]National Geographic. "The Obelisk Is an Ancient Egyptian Architectural Feat. So Why Are So Few in Egypt?" nationalgeographic.com.

The Full Lesson

Part 1 — Start Counting

Beyond the pyramid and the eye, the number thirteen appears repeatedly across the Great Seal's design: thirteen stars above the eagle, thirteen stripes on its shield, thirteen arrows in one talon, and a pyramid built of thirteen layers. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[2]Wikipedia. "Great Seal of the United States."

The most immediate explanation is that thirteen represented the original thirteen colonies, and that reading is accurate and well documented. Writers within the Masonic esoteric tradition, however, have argued the number's significance runs deeper, rooted in a numerical symbolism that predates the founding of the United States by thousands of years. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[3]Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages. 1928.

"Thirteen stars above the eagle. Thirteen stripes on the shield. Thirteen arrows in the talon. Thirteen layers of the pyramid."

Part 2 — The Meaning of Thirteen

In his 1928 book The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Manly P. Hall described the Great Seal as carrying "a mass of occult and Masonic symbols." Writers in that esoteric tradition have connected the number thirteen to the Osiris myth, Egypt's great story of death and resurrection. [3]Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages. 1928.[4]Plutarch. On Isis and Osiris (De Iside et Osiride), 18. In Moralia, vol. 5. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.

This connects to the Osiris myth: after being murdered by his brother Set, Osiris's body was cut into fourteen pieces and scattered across Egypt. His wife Isis recovered thirteen of those fourteen pieces and used them to resurrect him, after which Osiris became ruler of the afterlife. [4]Plutarch. On Isis and Osiris (De Iside et Osiride), 18. In Moralia, vol. 5. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.[5]Mythopedia. "Osiris." mythopedia.com.[6]Religion Wiki, Fandom. "Myth of Osiris and Isis."

"In the Osiris myth, his body was cut into fourteen pieces. Isis recovered thirteen of them — and brought him back to life."

Part 3 — Not Just America's Capital

The thirteen stars above the Great Seal's eagle are arranged in a six-pointed star — a hexagram, two overlapping triangles. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[7]U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. The Great Seal of the United States. Washington, D.C., 2003.

The obelisk at the center of Washington, D.C. — the Washington Monument, completed in 1884 and standing 555 feet tall — is architecturally an obelisk, a monument form first developed in ancient Egypt and traditionally placed at temple entrances to honor the sun god Ra. [8]National Park Service. "Washington Monument." nps.gov.[9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."

"Now look at those 13 stars arranged together. They form a six-pointed star — two overlapping triangles."

Part 4 — The Global Theft

Ancient Egyptian obelisks were quarried, carved, and originally placed exclusively at Egyptian and Nubian temple sites. Beginning with the Roman conquest of Egypt, obelisks were removed and transported abroad; today, of the small number of ancient Egyptian obelisks that survive, the majority stand outside Egypt, with the largest concentration in Rome, and individual obelisks in Paris, London, and New York City. [9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."[10]Obelisks.org. "Obelisks of the World."[11]National Geographic. "The Obelisk Is an Ancient Egyptian Architectural Feat. So Why Are So Few in Egypt?" nationalgeographic.com.

Estimates of exactly how many ancient obelisks survive and where vary by source, generally ranging from about 29 to 42 total, with only a handful remaining in Egypt itself. Whatever the precise count, the documented pattern is clear: most of the ancient world's surviving obelisks were taken from Africa and now stand in the cities of the nations that took them. [9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."[10]Obelisks.org. "Obelisks of the World."[11]National Geographic. "The Obelisk Is an Ancient Egyptian Architectural Feat. So Why Are So Few in Egypt?" nationalgeographic.com.

"Of the ancient obelisks that survive, only a handful remain in Egypt. The Romans took them. The Europeans took them. Rome. Paris. London. New York. All taken from Africa. So the next time someone tells you Africa never contributed anything to civilization — pull out a dollar bill. Point to the pyramid. Point to the eye. Point to the 13. You have been carrying African history in your pocket every single day of your life. The knowledge was never lost. It was just stolen and renamed."

Critical Thinking Discussion Questions

1. The number 13 appears at least four times in the Great Seal's design — stars, stripes, arrows, and pyramid layers. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[2]Wikipedia. "Great Seal of the United States." Why might a number appearing this many times in one design be worth examining closely rather than dismissing as coincidence?
2. The "thirteen colonies" explanation for the number 13 is accurate and well documented, but writers in Manly P. Hall's esoteric tradition connected it to something else entirely. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[3]Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages. 1928.[4]Plutarch. On Isis and Osiris (De Iside et Osiride), 18. In Moralia, vol. 5. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936. Why can two different explanations for the same design choice both be worth taking seriously?
3. In the Osiris myth, Isis recovers thirteen of the fourteen scattered pieces of her husband's body. [4]Plutarch. On Isis and Osiris (De Iside et Osiride), 18. In Moralia, vol. 5. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.[5]Mythopedia. "Osiris." mythopedia.com.[6]Religion Wiki, Fandom. "Myth of Osiris and Isis." Why might a resurrection story built around a specific number matter to a culture's broader symbolic system?
4. The 13 stars above the eagle form a hexagram, a six-pointed star. [1]National Archives. "Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)." archives.gov.[7]U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. The Great Seal of the United States. Washington, D.C., 2003. What does a shared symbol appearing in different eras and cultures suggest, and what would it NOT prove on its own?
5. The Washington Monument is architecturally an obelisk, a form first developed in ancient Egypt. [8]National Park Service. "Washington Monument." nps.gov.[9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks." Why might a nation choose a foreign architectural form for its most prominent monument?
6. Most surviving ancient Egyptian obelisks now stand outside Africa. [9]Wikipedia. "Egyptian obelisks."[10]Obelisks.org. "Obelisks of the World."[11]National Geographic. "The Obelisk Is an Ancient Egyptian Architectural Feat. So Why Are So Few in Egypt?" nationalgeographic.com. What does the specific pattern of where these monuments ended up reveal about the history of conquest and collection?

Quiz — The Dollar Bill: Part 2: The Number Thirteen and the Stolen Obelisks

Part A: Select the best answer and check your work instantly. Part B: Write in complete sentences.

Part A — Multiple Choice

Part B — Short Answer

Extension Activity

Trace an Obelisk: Research the specific history of one relocated ancient Egyptian obelisk — for example, the Paris obelisk at Place de la Concorde, or one of the two "Cleopatra's Needles" in London or New York. Identify when it was taken, by whom, and whether Egypt has ever formally requested its return. Write two to three sentences on what you find.