An important aspect of the story of the Royal Arch Degree and, in particular, the Excellent Master Degree, The Decree of Cyrus has historical significance much wider than our rituals. In this talk from the library of TED Talks (www.ted.com), Neil McGregor, Director of the British Museum, talks about a clay cylinder which has survived over 2,600 years and which describes how the circumstances descibed in the ritual of the Excellent Master Degree came about.