Southern Hospitality

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

During a recent visit to New Orleans, I had the privilege of attending a third degree at Perfect Union No. 1.  Perfect Union is the oldest lodge in Louisiana.  According to some research I did, Perfect Union was chartered March 30, 1794 by the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, as Parfaite Union No. 29.  It’s work, was originally conducted in French and later in English, later it came under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana after the grand lodge formation.

My friend, brother Michael Poll, owner of Cornerstone Publishing and the Editor of the Journal of the Masonic Society, picked me up and gave me a quick tour of downtown New Orleans.  We drove by the former grand lodge building, which is now a Hilton Hotel and other buildings with a masonic connection.   I inquired, about the damage done by hurricane Katrina a few years back and Mike was able to describe the devastation the entire region suffered.  Many of the areas have come back and others have not.

We arrived at Perfect Union Lodge, which meets in the lodge building of Germania Lodge No. 46, as do several other masonic lodges.  This lodge building suffered damage as a result of Katrina, and has been restored and updated.   The ground level is a dining room and the lodge room is on the upper level.

Wonderful smells were flowing out of the kitchen as we entered the dining room, and as I expected, the brethren were serving a traditional southern dish of red beans and rice.   Though I had never meet any of these brethren prior (other than Mike and his two sons), I was greeted like an old friend.   The food and conversation was fantastic.

This being my first visit to Perfect Union, I met with an investigation committee so that I might be properly examined and thus proving myself to be a Master Mason.  

Upon entering the lodge room on the second floor, I immediately noticed some differences to the lodge rooms I am familiar with in Illinois.  In particular, the secretary and the treasurer desks appeared to be backwards.  Each desk had a symbol on the front of that particular office, and this is how I knew they appeared to be reversed.   But this is one of the unique differences of freemasonry in Louisiana.  

There are a number of lodges, that work under the Scottish Rite blue lodge ritual.   These lodges, were formed prior to the adoption of the current Louisiana Blue Lodge ritual and were permitted to keep their historical rituals.  Thus, some of the officer stations, are in different locations than in what is referred to locally, in the York Rite lodges.  Perfect Union Lodge, works the current Louisiana ritual and the third degree that I was to see, would be conducted in this manner.   

One of the unique artifacts in the lodge, was a statue of King Solomon.   This statue used to be on the grand lodge building in downtown New Orleans, but was removed and kept after this building was sold.  I have never seen anything quite like it.

The candidate being raised that night, was the nephew of the DDGM.    Brother Poll and his sons were all members of the degree cast.  Present in the room were a Past Grand Master of Louisiana, and DDGM’s from several neighboring districts. 

The work differed from the Illinois ritual I am accustomed to, yet the words were familiar.   The degree was performed with great precision and the candidate was raised in due form.

Visiting other lodges and jurisdictions, is truly one of the greatest privileges of being a freemason.  If you are taking a business trip or a vacation, I encourage you to see if there is a local lodge that may be meeting.   You will make new friends, and enjoy the fraternal comradery that our great organization is founded upon.

My thanks to Brother Poll and the other brothers of Perfect Union Lodge No. 1, for allowing me to visit and witness a third degree.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.  

The Craftsmen's Journey

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Long ago King Solomon sent three craftsmen on a journey to apprehend and return three criminals for trial. Their mission took them to the seacoast near Joppa where they found a wayfaring man. The wayfaring man told the craftsmen he had seen the men they sought. He said the ne'er-do-wells had gone toward the hill country of Judea. The craftsmen took that news to the King, who sent them to complete their mission. Soon they found themselves on the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah. There, they discovered a grave and heard the voices of the men they sought. The craftsmen captured the three men and returned them to King Solomon. The fugitives admitted to a murder and King Solomon had them executed.

In other words, the craftsmen's journey took them from the Temple 1 to Joppa, back to the Temple, to the Judean hill country, to a place near Mt. Moriah, then back to the Temple — all on foot. Did they go on a wild goose chase to Judea before finding the fugitives near Mt. Moriah? Was the information from the wayfaring man wrong... or did the craftsmen ignore what he told them? A closer look at their journey reveals what really happened.

Joppa is not to be found on present-day maps. Today, its name is Jaffa, or Yafo. It is the oldest section of Tel-Aviv, located approximately 40 miles northwest of the likely site of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. There is, in fact, a seacoast nearby. The Mediterranean Sea shore is about 200 yards away from the traditional town border. 2

The three ruffians and the craftsmen in pursuit would have had a relatively easy journey 3 from the Temple to Joppa. The elevation at Jerusalem, where the quest began, is about 2,600 feet, while Joppa is near sea-level. In other words, it's almost all downhill. The craftsmen, however, on their return trip to report to Solomon, would have had an arduous climb.

After completing the 80-mile round trip to Joppa, at King Solomon's command, the three craftsmen set out again. A look at the second part of their expedition requires a review of some history and geography, with a little tradition thrown in.

There are conflicting reports as to whether archaeologists have found conclusive evidence of the location of Solomon's Temple. However, tradition and the Bible itself place it in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount, likely at the same location where we find the Dome of the Rock today — the same place where Solomon's father David built an altar to the Lord (2 Samuel 24:18); and also the place where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2-8, et. al.). This place is also known as Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1).

On their second quest, the craftsmen ultimately came to "the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah," and found a grave. There, they apprehended the fugitives. In other words, the ruffians were making their way back toward the Temple. 4  While almost certainly not "returning to the scene of the crime," it is likely they were beating a path to the safety and multitude of hiding places the foothills offered. They had, in fact, returned to the grave site of the man they had killed and buried earlier. The geography of the area confirms the closest hills (and fastest route) lie on a direct line between Joppa and the Temple.

So, if the outlaws were within a few miles of the Temple, what of the wayfaring man who said they were heading for the hill country of Judea?

Judea (also known as Judah) is a moving target — historically a region whose boundaries have remained fluid. Today it generally refers to the southern part of Israel or, by some accounts, a specific part of the West Bank region. In Solomon's time, however, the area called Judea was nearly congruent with the boundaries of Israel today, minus the southern region seacoast. That area, Philistia, included what today is the Gaza Strip. Its northern boundary was just beyond the outskirts of Joppa. In other words Joppa was in Philistia and the remainder of the region to the east, including Mt. Moriah was in Judea.

The hill country extends the entire length of present-day Israel. It includes the foothills of Mt. Moriah. In other words, when the craftsmen were at the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah, they were in an area that was at once in Judea, in the hill country and near the mountain.

There was no wild goose chase; and the information from the wayfaring man was correct. When the craftsmen apprehended the outlaws they were in fact in the hill country of Judea and at the brow of a hill near Mt. Moriah.

______________________________

The author thanks Carolyn Harrison and RWB Doug Reece for their contributions to this article.

1 The Temple, we are told, was nearly completed. Solomon may or may not have had his office there, depending on its level of completion; however, he was indeed at or very near the Temple as evidenced by his frequent meetings with the Grand Master.

2 Joppa did, however have access to a harbor.

3 Relatively easy, that is, if any 40-mile journey on foot on a dusty gravel road can be easy.

4 Depending on one's definition of the word "near." The foothills abruptly begin about 20 miles from the summit of Mount Moriah, so the fugitives would have to be no more than that distance from the Temple. On foot, however, 20 miles isn't exactly "near," and they may have been much closer.

Map: WordSearch, QuickVerse 10

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft, is available on amazon.com.

The Secret of Three : Is It Really A Secret?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Lary A. Saladin, Jr., M.P.S.

As Freemasons, we know of the number three. Your first step in Masonry includes three distinct knocks. In Blue Lodge there are three degrees, the last being that of Master Mason, which is the most important degree of all. There were three original Grand Masters and There are three top officers; Worshipful Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden. There are three greater lights in Freemasonry as well is the three lesser lights. We also know of these three words; Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. The highest degree in the Scottish Rite has two three’s.

Christians: There is the Holy Trinity; The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The number three is significant in many initiatory and spiritual traditions. There were two additional men that were crucified at the time of Jesus. He was crucified at the third hour, was on the cross for three hours and rose from his grave on the third day. There were three wise men that visited Jesus and left three gifts. Along with Christianity there are an additional two main Abrahamic religions; Judaism and Islam. In the bible, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times then later says he loves him three times. Both 666 and 777 consist of three digits. During his ministry, Jesus raised three people from the dead. Jesus also fulfilled the three offices of Prophet, Priest and King.

Life itself: Time is divided into three parts: past, present and future. Three is the first of four perfects numbers. Why does the number three seem so prominent in our existence? How does Christianity cross-reference with Freemasonry. Is there a connection between the two? We strongly emphasize that we are not a religious fraternal organization and at one point the Catholic Church slandered our craft.

Quite a few of our brethren have discussed with me that the number three is secret in Freemasonry. Is it really? Just in this brief amount of information, I’ve exposed that the number three is everywhere in our lives. It always has and always will be there. Aside from the Freemasons, quite a few other esoteric “groups” surround much of their ritual around this popular number.

~LAS

Lary A. Saladin, Jr., M.P.S. is a music producer, writer, small business owner and a Freemason from the Chicago area. His interests include: Masonic Studies, World History, Music, Mythology, Conspiracy Theories, Mental Health and Self-Improvement. Lary holds the title of Master Mason in Illinois at Riverside Lodge No. 862 under the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. He will shortly be starting his degrees in the York Rite and also joining the Scottish Rite. As an active member of The Masonic Society, The Scottish Rite Society (S.J.), The Philalethes Society and the Illinois Lodge of Research, Lary continues to educate himself as well as others on Masonic lineage and traditions. Lary recently published his short autobiography about his lifelong battle with depression. “My Struggle, My Battle, My Achievement” as well as a book on Mozart and Freemasonry, both are available on amazon.com by clicking their titles above.

Visit Lary’s official website at: www.larysaladin.com