The Egyptian Rite of Misraim (also spelled "Mizraim") is believed to have been established in Milan, Italy, in 1805 before being introduced to France in 1814. However, it was never officially recognized by mainstream Freemasonry. In 1862, a separate and equally irregular order, the Rite of Memphis, emerged in the United States. This system, also referred to as the "Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry" or the "Oriental Order of Memphis," developed independently from the Misraim Rite.

On June 4, 1872, former Freemason John Yarker obtained authorization to establish the Memphis Rite in England. Under his leadership, the Memphis and Misraim Rites were merged, forming what came to be known as the Antient and Primitive Rite of Memphis and Misraim, or simply Memphis-Misraim.

Reportedly, on September 24, 1902, German occultist Theodor Reuss secured permission from Yarker to introduce both the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (AASR, 33 degrees) and the irregular Memphis-Misraim Rites (90 and 97 degrees) in Germany. However, Yarker had previously been expelled from regular Freemasonry by order of the Supreme Council following a ruling by a Sovereign Tribunal in Manchester on November 18, 1870.

Reuss later published what he claimed was a transcript of his charter in his private magazine, Oriflamme. The December 1902 issue referenced the 33rd, 90th, and 96th degrees, yet the original document only acknowledged degrees 30–33, without explicit mention of Memphis-Misraim. Despite this discrepancy, Reuss assumed the authority to initiate Freemasons through a synthesis of multiple orders. By 1917, he had incorporated select AASR and Memphis-Misraim degrees into the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), which he had founded in 1906.

The Memphis Rite was variously known as the "Antient and Primitive Rite of Masonry," the "Oriental Order of Memphis," and, on occasion, the "Oriental Templars." The precise affiliations of Reuss remain ambiguous, as do the interrelations between these esoteric bodies. Moreover, membership in the O.T.O. did not necessarily confer membership in the Memphis-Misraim Rite.

For further insights into Memphis-Misraim, often regarded as the progenitor of the O.T.O., readers may explore the following online texts.