# What were the Oculists? · Copiale cipher > Four answers have been proposed. The Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree… leads, with… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:57:07+00:00 --- **0** # What were the Oculists? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·Part of [Is the 2011 decipherment of the Copiale cipher correct?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFHD600F6/is-the-2011-decipherment-of-the-copiale-cipher-correct)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: the Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. The Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree… leads, with evidence 1 for: supported by its tests. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The plaintext describes a society with eye imagery, eye tests in its ritual and detailed knowledge of Masonic high degrees; what that society was is a historical question the cipher opened rather than closed⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFCRR40VH/the-secrets-of-the-copiale-cipher)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFDG61JM7/cracking-a-german-secret-societys-centuries-old-encrypted). ## Answers 4 [**The Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/answers/ANS0CYVFPS26A0D/the-oculists-were-a-masonic-or-para-masonic-order-at) Supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/answers/ANS0CYVFR7Y1AX0/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**The Oculists watched Freemasonry from inside, as rivals or informants, which the cat-and-mouse insignia hints…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/answers/ANS0CYVFQ8P1559/the-oculists-watched-freemasonry-from-inside-as-rivals-or) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for Still possible [**The Oculists were a fraternity with a genuine interest in eyes and eye surgery whose imagery was literal.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/answers/ANS0CYVFQRA6CH7/the-oculists-were-a-fraternity-with-a-genuine-interest-in) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 against Disputed ## History 1. 2011[University of Southern California puts forward: the Oculists were a fraternity with a genuine interest in eyes and eye surgery whose imagery was literal.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFD8C6ET8/usc-scientist-cracks-mysterious-copiale-cipher) 1. 2011[University of Southern California: the rituals show an interest in eye surgery and ophthalmology, though the members apparently were not eye…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFD8C6ET8/usc-scientist-cracks-mysterious-copiale-cipher)Against: The Oculists were a fraternity with a genuine interest in eyes and eye surgery whose imagery was literal. 1. 2012[Knight et al. puts forward: the Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFCRR40VH/the-secrets-of-the-copiale-cipher) 1. 2012[Schultz puts forward: the Oculists watched Freemasonry from inside, as rivals or informants, which the cat-and-mouse insignia hints…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFDG61JM7/cracking-a-german-secret-societys-centuries-old-encrypted) 1. 2012[Schultz: from page 27 the text describes rituals of the highest Masonic degrees.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFDG61JM7/cracking-a-german-secret-societys-centuries-old-encrypted)For: The Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree… 1. 2012[Schultz: önnerfors read the insignia of cats watching mice as a joke or a sign of surveillance.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYVFDG61JM7/cracking-a-german-secret-societys-centuries-old-encrypted)For: The Oculists watched Freemasonry from inside, as rivals or informants, which the cat-and-mouse insignia hints… 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFJ4M6TJP/what-were-the-oculists%23add-source) Where it fits Copiale cipher [**Is the 2011 decipherment of the Copiale cipher correct?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFHD600F6/is-the-2011-decipherment-of-the-copiale-cipher-correct)Key question · The manuscript is a homophonic substitution cipher for eighteenth-century German, with Roman letters as… **What were the Oculists?** You're here · the Oculists were a Masonic or para-Masonic order at Wolfenbüttel that recorded and practised high-degree… [When was the manuscript written and by whom?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/copiale-cipher/questions/QST0CYVFHWT74XG/when-was-the-manuscript-written-and-by-whom)Most likely · the manuscript was written between about 1760 and 1780, as the paper analysis suggests [ Ask a question under this one ]