Tyrian Freemasons?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Robert Johnson 32°

      So, I found myself browsing Mackey's Masonic encyclopedia as I often do when I am looking for something interesting to research, when I came across an entry titled "Tyrian Freemasons". I immediately stopped to read the entry because I was intrigued by a couple words I saw in the paragraph, namely;  Dionysian and Solomon's Temple.

      So who were they? In short they are said to have been Freemasons who were Phoenician, from Tyre and members of a group called "The Society of Dionysian Artificers". The story goes that Hiram King of Tyre sent these Freemasons to help King Solomon build the Temple. These Tyrian Freemasons were masters in both operative and speculative masonry.

      According to this entry, the Freemasons in Jerusalem and those working on Solomon's Temple, were only masters in speculative Masonry having learned what they knew from Noah. Eventually these Tyrian Freemasons combined a system of operative and speculative both, which lasted for centuries.

     Whether true or not, I thought it was an interesting idea. Especially if you followed Bro. James E. Fry's series recently called "Son's of the East", where he dove into some of the interesting facets of the Phoenician designs used in the building of the Temple.









~RHJ

Bro. Robert Johnson, 32° is the editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog.  He is a Freemason out of the First North-East District of Illinois. He belongs to Waukegan Lodge No. 78. He is also a member of the York Rite bodies Royal Arch, Cryptic Council and Knights Templar, and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago.  Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts a weekly Podcast (internet radio program) Whence Came You? which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. In addition, he produces video shorts focusing on driving interest in the Fraternity and writes original Masonic papers from time to time. He is a husband and father of three. He works full time in the safety industry and is also a photographer on the side as well as an avid home brewer. He is also working on two books, one is of a Masonic nature.

Sons of the East Part 4 The Purpose of the Temple

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

James E. Frey 32°

Descending of the Holy Shekhinah

     The question I proposed and have sought an answer for is what is the purpose of the Temple of Solomon? Phoenician architects and builders built it in a Phoenician design, to a God that commended his people not to build any graven images to him. This is why the Tabernacle in the wilderness was to be erected.  It is clear Yahweh was first associated as a tribal war God that descended through the nomadic peoples of the Shasu, to the Midianites, and to the Israelites. But Solomon erected monuments to many Gods from foreign countries so why build a temple to Yahweh? 

Finally the mystery becomes clear if we look at Solomon’s motive from a political and economic standpoint. The Israelite people were in a period of transition from a nomadic people to establishing a Kingdom. From the wanderings of Moses, through the constant battles of the period of Judges, through the Conquests of Joshua and David, the Israelites now having established themselves as the Kingdom seek to evolve their culture, by doing so Solomon redefined the relationship between the people and God. 

It is my belief that the reason a Phoenician temple was built in Jerusalem was because Solomon was trying to incorporate Phoenician culture into Israelite culture. This is more because of economic and political reasons more then religious ones. Once the temple was complete it became the center of sacrifice for all of Judea. 

Under Moses, tradition tells us the culture was focused around the Torah, under Solomon the focus of culture was the Temple. This center of sacrifice was also the center for taxation of the people. The temple served to propagate the wealth of the state, not the wealth of the people. This was the standard system of taxation through out ancient civilizations. The people pay the priests to sacrifice their offerings in a ritualistic manner and to offer up prayers for their redemption. 

To achieve this integration of political structure it was necessary for Israel to culturally reinvent the God Yahweh from a nomadic tribal war God into a God that propagates a Kingdom cultural structure. So Solomon mimicked the success of Tyre as well as Egypt, which were known for their wealth. Solomon had them build a temple to create a system of taxation to support a kingdom. 

Mackey Writes in the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry “hence we see there is an evident antagonism in the orthodox Hebrew mind between Jehovah and Baal… The latter was, however, worshipped by the Jews…and by all the Oriental and Shemitic people as Supreme Deity, representing the sun in some of his modifications as the ruler of the day. In Tyre, Baal was the sun, and Ashteroth the moon.” (P. 88)

So it is reasonable to see the purpose of this temple being for Solomon to merge the mythology of the characters of Ba’al and Yahweh, to create a new God character, which supports the nationalism and structure of the Kingdom. So Yahweh not Ba’al is now recognized as the sun, and Ashteroth, the moon.  This creates a new type of ritualistic ceremony for sacrifice, known as the Korban, a sacrifice is now given in place of a sin, rather then for victory in tribal war fare. Yahweh is then associated with the son, which is culturally necessary for a Kingdom, which is traditionally agriculturally based economically. This is because Judea needed a more regionally recognizable God to Ba’al so foreign traders could pay their sacrifice to the state or purposes of taxation. 

Canaanite God El

Even though rituals were seemingly based around Ba’al customs, the character of Yahweh changed drastically to resemble more the Canaanite god El, the Father of Ba’al. El was seen as the Father God the creator of mankind and existence itself. It is the first depiction we see of the image of God as an older man and Fatherly figure. Mackey continues “El, one of the Hebrew names of God, signifying the Mighty One. It is the root of many different names of Deity…” (P.235)  

Masonic tradition informs us that the True name of God YHVH was kept secret and was never to be uttered. So it became necessary to keep this true Identity of God a secret from the people because of its immense power. Thus Solomon sought to create a new image or aspect of God as a creative force similar to El, and established the deity of the temple, Elohim. Mackey writes Elohim “is an expression used throughout the first chapter of Genesis, as applied to God in the exercise of His creative power, and signifies the “Divine Omnipotence, the Source of all power, the power of powers,” which was in activity in the creation. After which the expression used for Deity was Jehovah, which implies the Providence of God, and which could not have been active until the world had been created by Elohim.” (P. 239) 

El also has a direct link to the creation of the Hebrew people. Shortly after Abram receives God’s calling to travel to the promised land and create the foundation to his people he is met a Priest King of El Elyon, or El most High, by the name of Melchizedek, who’s name translates to “my King is Righteousness”. He comes to bless Abram in the name of El and to establish his calling by the means of the first Eucharist.  It is following this ritual event that God makes the covenant with Abram, after this event would take the new name Abraham, to deliver the Promised Land unto the children of God.

“And Melchizadek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the most High God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.” (Genesis 14: 18)

So it is clear that is was El, not Yahweh, which made this covenant with Abraham. I find it interesting that Elohim is the plural version of El, this is why the Elyon is added to show the distinction of Most high, as opposed to Elohim which is a title for plural Gods. This is mostly a cultural difference I believe, but it would only be natural if you were building a temple to the Most High God to have worshipers of El to construct it. 

 It is El who created Ba’al the central figure to extract taxes through ritual sacrifice, and just as Elohim who acted to create Yahweh who now became a central figure to extract taxes through ritual sacrifice. Before our very eyes we see the cultural and spiritual evolution of a Deity. Culturally, Yahweh was no longer seen in a tribal perception. It was Yahweh that delivered the Israelites unto the Promised Land, so he still remained a God of national strength for Judea.  But it is clear that Yahweh took on new aspects Canaanite deities to become a multi-dimensional Deity who could embody both the aspects of a Father figure, El, to amend sins to, as well as a Sun God, Ba’al, to support the transition to a agricultural society, as well as a national God to direct all worship to for taxation purposes.  

So by now I hope you have come to the conclusion that cultural transitions is essential to how an individual can perceive Deity. This is because the individual will perceive abstract concepts from a cultural perspective. But these merging cultures of the region changed the way a culture perceived deity and changed their relation to divinity as a people. 

~JEF

James E Frey, 32° is a Past Sovereign Prince and current librarian of Valley of Danville AASR. Founder of the R.E.B.I.S Research Society he sits on two Blue Lodge Education committees as well as a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry. He is also a Member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, and Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He also works as a counselor with emotionally and behaviorally challenged children. 

Sons of the East Part 3 The Tabernacle of Yahweh

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

James E. Frey 32°

“And Solomon went after Ashtoreth goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites… Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the Abomination of the Mo’ab.,. in the hill that is before Jerusalem.” (1 Kings 11:5-7)

The question I propose is why would Solomon, King of Israel have Phoenicians build a Phoenician temple? It is clear the Israelites were a polytheistic people and this is illustrated by the passage above. Ashtoreth is a goddess that was long engrained into Israelite faith, mentioned as the ‘Queen of Heaven” in Jeremiah. This goddess would become a female counterpart to Yahweh, instead of Ba’al as found in the rest of Canaan. But it was around this time this transition of Yahweh’s character occured. This is because Ashtoreth is the chief goddess of the Sidoneons in Phoenician hew were said to hew the timber for the temple. Philo Biblos originates her worship to Tyre itself. So it is reasonably to think that with the in flex of the workers of Tyre the Israelite culture begins to change and adopt new foreign ideals and reinvent their culture. 

It is also said that Solomon built a shrine to Milcom, or Molech of the Ammonites. This was probably in Gehenna which was was a valley by Jerusalem, where apostate Israelites and followers of various Caananite gods and sacrificed their children by fire to Molech the Owl God. (2 Chr. 28:3, 33:6; Jer. 7:31, 19:2–6). The Ammonites were constant antagonists to the Israelites, blocking their passage first into the Holy Land, and then constantly attacking them with the Moabites and other tribes. The Ammonites were finally subdued by King David and it was at this time their cultural religion and values would be established among the Israelites. Solomon also built a high place for Chemosh, who was the Moabite deity representing Ba’al. 

This is interesting because the worship of Yahweh first began in the late Bronze Age or the third age of Egypt with a people known as the Shasu. The Shasu were a nomadic people from the Eastern Mediterranean people in an area known as the Levant. The Shasu are listed as tribal enemies inscribed on column bases at the temple of Solebb built by Amenhotep III who ruled Egypt between 1386 BC and 1349 BC.  Referred to as the Hykos, they were later ater copied by either Ramesses II at Amarah-West. This list mentions six groups of Shashu: which include the Shasu of YHVH. 

Shasu Beaten by Egyptians in Battle 

But the biggest mystery is the inscription of the name of Yahweh appearing on a Moabite Stone around 863 BC by King Mesha of Moab. "Hieroglyphic rendering corresponds very precisely to the Hebrew Tetragrammaton YHVH, or Yahweh. and antedates the hitherto oldest occurrence of that Divine Name - on the Moabite Stone by over five hundred years." (Astor, 1979, p18)

The Levant area is associated with the Land of the Midianites, who were known as the children of Abraham and the region he lived before being charged to find Canaan. The Midianitess had a regio-political connection with the Moabites, were the descendents of the Shasu living in the area north of Egypt. It was this area where Moses fled too after the murder of the Egyptian by his hand. Moses married the daughter of Jethro a Midian priest. It was in this land Moses gazed upon the burning bush and received his charge to deliver the Israelites from bondage. (Exodos 3:1-22)

After leaving Israel Moses leads the people north of the Red Sea into Midian where he meets with Jethro. Now The Midians were polytheistic as well worshiping not only Yahweh, but Ashteroth the Goddesss and Ba’al Pe’or, or Ba’al of the Mountain. It is interesting to note that Jethro arrives to guide and advise Moses for a night in the wilderness where he advises him on how to judge and govern the people as well as teaches both Moses and Aaron on how to build an altar and offer proper sacrifice to God. 

“And Jethro, Moses father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses and his father in law before God.” (Exodos 19: 12) 

Jethro also helps Moses establish the first Judges to mediate between Moses and the people. Jethro also instructs Aaron on the methods of priesthood and proper religious ceremonies. Soon after this Yahweh appears to Moses on Mount Sinai, just as Ba’al dwells upon the Mountain of Pe’or. So I find it interesting that at the beginning of Israelite culture there is a direct correlation between Yahweh and Ba’al both sharing a similar mythology concerning a mountain top. 

But the difference is that Yahweh is the God that delivered the people from Egypt and would eventually lead them on a nomadic journey of 40 years in the wilderness. But during this nomadic period Yahweh is primarily adorned as a God of war. Even in traditional Canaanite pantheon of Gods, Yahweh is viewed as a God of war and  would become a consort to Ashteroth. It is reasonable to say the Yahweh was taught to Moses as the best choice of God to lead an exodus from Egypt.

Upon ascending Mount Sinai Moses is given the commandment that thou shall have no other Gods, and though shall not build Idols or barren images. Upon Moses ascending Mount Sinai the second time he receives specific instructions on how to prepare a moving temple, the tabernacle in the wilderness. (Exodos 25)

This was given specifically because Yahweh has neither Idols, nor any temples because Yahweh is the invisible God that dwells everywhere. After sacrifice rituals were done to call Yahweh to his seat upon the Ark of the Covenant, it was taken into battle which was attributed into the destruction of Jericho and other conquests of Canaan. (Joshua 6:6-27)

This gave Yahweh a very fickle and judgmental demeanor casting his judgment and punishing brutally all who resisted his worship. "And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense." (Numbers 16:35) "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." (Numbers 21:6). "A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword sayeth the Lord." (Jeremiah 25:31)

So the question I propose deepens, King Solomon, known for building monuments and temples to foreign Gods, began building an elaborate Phoenician temple supposably dedicated to a God that gave a command not to build unto him a temple, nor have any engrave images. So why does Solomon decide to build a temple to Yahweh or is it a temple to Yahweh?

~JEF

James E Frey, 32° is a Past Sovereign Prince and current librarian of Valley of Danville AASR. Founder of the R.E.B.I.S Research Society he sits on two Blue Lodge Education committees as well as a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry. He is also a Member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, and Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He also works as a counselor with emotionally and behaviorally challenged children. 

Sons of the East Part 2 Architecture of the Temple

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

James E. Frey 32°

“King Hiram of Tyre sent a trade mission to David; he provided him with cedar logs and with stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace.” (1 Chronicles 14:1)

Brethren, the question I proposed is a quandary of inconsistencies that I stumbled upon in my reading. Why would King Solomon have foreigners come to build his temple? Why would foreigners paid to help build a temple to a foreign God. One could make the assumption it was a political move, to acknowledge and make peace with a neighboring kingdom. But Tyre was a long way from Jerusalem, and it is known that King Solomon made peace with neighboring nations by marrying the Kings daughters. “But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hitties… and he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.” (1 Kings 11:1-3)

So if it was not for a political reason, then why would King Solomon have Phoenician builders build a Phoenician style temple in the heart of his Capital. Chief Architect of the Temple was Hiram Abiff was from the tribe of Naphtali, which was part of a loose federation of Israelite tribes after the conquest of Canaan by Joshua in 1050 BC. The Naphtali was a far northern tribe and would have had adequate exposure to the Phoenician culture. It is also said his Father was a man of Tyre and a Phoenician himself. 

So it is this man King Hiram chooses specifically for he was “a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom and understanding, and cunning to work all things brass.” (1 Kings 7:14) It is said Hiram erected Jachin and Boaz and constructed the designs for the Temple. So I can believe it can be assumed that Hiram choose him based off of a resume of work he had done for the King in the past. Perhaps he was known for his building skills of Phoenician temples, hence why we see a Phoenician design in King Solomon’s temple. 

If you look at the architecture of King Solomon’s temple you’ll see it follows the traditional Phoenician design, which consists of a outer hallway or an ulam, a central open courtyard or heikal, and an inner holy of holies or debir. There were two pillars outside the front entrance and rooms for temple staff in an annex.

It is known that there is much older Phoenician temples exist in ruins under the Roman ones at Baalbek. Excavation of the 13^th century BC Phoenician temple at Hazor and the 9^th century one at Tell Tainat shows that Solomon’s temple follows exactly the time-honoured Phoenician pattern, the same patteren to the temple of Ba’al right in the centre of Tyre. All Phoenician temples incorporated two pillars: originally a wooden one for Astarte and a stone one for Baal. According to the ancient historian Herodotus, the Tyrian temple had one emerald pillar and one of gold. The emerald one may have been green Phoenician glass though given the wealth of Tyre may well have actually been emerald. 

It was said to have a candle inside so that it glowed in the dark of the night: the green obviously symbolizes a tree so the emerald pillar may have represented the wooden column of Asteroth who is mentioned in the book of Jeremiah as the Queen of Heaven. The gold one symbolized the wealth given by the earth, gold being then the most precious metal to come out of stone, just as it is now. 

If it was the chief architect of the Temple Hiram Abiff that was set to erect the two outer pillars Jachin and Boaz, we as Masons must further investigate the symbolism and how it is connected to the Phoenician design of the temple. The pillar of Jachin, or Yakayn, was the right pillar on the outer porch of the Temple. Yakayn present tense in Hiphhil means cun or caven; in present plural form in Hithpahel it translates to yacunnu, which means formed in the womb. Gesenius gives primary meaning of erectus stetit or erect uprightwith a secondary meaning of ‘kunan’ which meant strengthen or sustain.

Albert Pike writes un the Book of Words “This symbol (the pillar) appears in all sacred monuments of antiquity, and was everywhere the symbol of the generative or creative power of God… Phallic columns were also common in every part of the orient, and obelisk, standing stones, the stocks of trees, the round towers in Ireland, and even the cross, were representations of the virile member. That the columns of the temple should represent this organ, and one of them be designated by the name signifying erection, vigor, potency, was not at all singular.” (p 29)

This is interesting because in his first kosmogony Philo gives the theology of Phoenician creation as seeing the beginning of All, was a dark and unfathomable blackness called ‘Tohu Bohu’ or ‘without form or void’. Then the spirit was inflamed with love for eternal beings, and a penetration took place, which was the creation of things but itself had no consciousness until Yekun, the first personification of regeneration lead the sons of the Holy angels to Earth to seduce the women of Earth. This is vaguely represented in the book of Enoch. 

Boaz is the column on the left side of the outer porch. Boaz means the word force with the Latin gerund roborando, or strengthening. Albert Pike continues “The act of generation by the Deity never ceases. This may give one meaning of the name Boaz. But its primary meaning is strong, firm, agile, vigorous, stout, able, all which are characteristics of the Phallus, as a symbol of the Divine generative potency represented by upright stones” (p. 32)

Atop both these pillars are decorated with pomegranates and lotus flowers being emblems of the female fruitfulness. Atop these pillars were spheres or as Phoenician tradition would inform us egg shaped to resemble new life. So you have too masculine pillars penetrating feminine symbols of pomegranates and lotus to reveal the moment of the cosmic birth of  cosmic consciousness, or the birth of a New God.

“The king made two columns, each one 15.5 meters tall, and placed them in front of the temple. Each one had a capital 2.2. meters tall. The tops of the columns were decorated with a design of interwoven chains and one hundred bronze pomegranates. The columns were set at the sides of the temple entrance: the one on the south side was named Jachin, and the one on the north side was named Boaz.” (2 Chronicles 3:15-17)

Traditionally the interior of King Solomon’s temple was Phoenician in nature with three parts: an anteroom, then a main hall, finally a secret holy-of-holies. This basic layout suited Solomon admirably since the Hebrew and Phoenician rituals had much in common, except the purpose of the God., Ba’al being a God of reproduction and Yahweh being the war God that allowed them to leave Egypt and conquer much of Canaan. 

The reconstruction on these pages, again based on the Bible, has the small anteroom, or Main, at left. Temple activities took place in the main hall, or Hekal. Twice each day once early in the morning and at dusk, which is similar to Phonecician sun worship. Sacrificial services were held: as sacrifices were offered up outside and incense was burned inside on the altar in front of steps leading to the 'holy-of-holies. In the center of the hall is a low table with
12 small loaves of bread upon it, one for each of the tribes of Israel light by a 12 branch candle stick. The walls of the Hekal are paneled in cedar, decorated with Phoenician winged sphinxes or cherium and lotus patterns. The lofty hall, the scent of cedar and incense, the richly ornamented walls dimly illuminated through the high recessed windows-all contributed to the mystery and beauty of the temple service. The reverence was intensified by a sense of God's near presence-just up the steps and behind the doors of the holy-of-holies. (The Sea Traders, 1974)

The Holy of Holies was a windowless, dark room also paneled in cedar decorated than the sumptuous Hekal. No one could enter here except the high priest once a year, on the Day of Atonement, when he made a special blood offering as a plea to God to cleanse His people of their sins. Two sphinx like creatures stand on either side of the Ark of the convenient. The Bible refers to them as cherubim.

     “And within the oracle he made two cherubim’s of olive tree, each ten cubits high. And five cubits was one wing of the chrub, and five was the other wing of the cherub: from the utmost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits…And he set the cherubims within the inner house: and they stretched forth the wings of the cheribum…so that the wings touched one another in the midst of the house.” (1 Kings 7:23-27)

     Between the Cheribum sat the Holy Shekhinah, of Divine presence of God rested, it was from here the Bathkol, or voice of God spoke. They are described by Ezekiel, Isaiah, and St. John as having the face and breast of a man, the wings of an eagle,  the belly of a lion, and the feet and legs of an ox.  

Nothing is known of what went on inside the Phoenician version of the holy of holies, except that the room contained whatever image the Phoenicians worshiped. It was there that the betyl, or holy stone, was enshrined. But it is in this position the Ark of the Covenant was placed as the seat of mercy, or place of the Holy Shekhinah. 

So it is without a doubt that Solomon had a Phoenician Temple, not a Israelite temple, built in the centre of Jerusalem. But the question still remains, why? Why doesn’t Solomon have Israelites build his temple? Why have Pagan imagery in the house of your God? Why pagan builders? Why pagan funding? Again I must question tradition and ask, was the Temple of Solomon a temple to Yahweh? 

~JEF

James E Frey, 32° is a Past Sovereign Prince and current librarian of Valley of Danville AASR. Founder of the R.E.B.I.S Research Society he sits on two Blue Lodge Education committees as well as a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry. He is also a Member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, and Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He also works as a counselor with emotionally and behaviorally challenged children. 

Sons of the East Part 1 The Mystery of the Temple

by Midnight Freemason contributor

James E. Frey 32°

Temple of Soloman

My Brethren, within the Masonic tradition the temple of Solomon is at the heart of its teaching the way the Mason not only perceives themselves, but the world around them. So the greater we understand the Masonic and Biblical material regarding the temple, greater we may better understand the cultural and social context of change within the human condition. 

Looking at Masonic ritual and the Bible in a cultural context has helped me have greater insights into certain inconsistencies with regards to the Temple historically. Looking at the Old Testament readings I find a mystery surrounding this temple. This mystery is caused by questions I found within the text and Masonic regarding the temple and has caused me to research and delve into antiquity to solve it. 

So it is clear that Solomon is first charged to build the Temple by his father David upon his deathbed. David received an order to construct a temple to the name of the Lord God but due to constant wars David never was able to construct his temple. Solomon was given the duty to construct the temple and to contemplate his new responsibility he traveled to the land of Gibeon inhabited by the Hivites. The Hivites are the decedents of Ham and lived across the mountainous regions stretching from Canaan to Lebanon within the Phoenician state. “And the King went to Gib’e-on to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnth offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.” (1 Kings 3:4)

  Gibeon was a Canaanite city north of Jerusalem that established a truce with Joshua preceding the period of kings. The Gibeonites are described in both (Joshua10:12 and 2 Samuel 21:2) as not Israelites but Amorites which are referred to in Sumerian texts as early as 2400BC. The Amorites originated from the area now known as Syria and Canaan. They were a nomadic people who were known to settle in the mountainous region of Jebel Bishri before migrating south into Mesopotamia. The Amorites founded the city of Bashan south of Mt. Herbon, which was invaded and conquered when the Israelites entered the Holy Land (Deuteronomy 3:3-12). It was at this time the Amorites migrated north to Gibeon. It should be noted that the Amorites would eventually be a factor in the fall of the Sumerian empire in the third dynasty of Ur, which would found the Babylonian Stat, which eventually destroys the temple.

King of Soloman

Now the question remains why would Solomon travel to a foreign state to seek guidance from God? The Amorites were without a doubt worshipers of Canaanite deities such as Ba’al. Within the boarders of Gibeon it would not be uncommon to find altars set up to Ba’al among the various mountains and hilltops. 

Now the title of Ba’al is given to many different gods and priests alike throughout the region. But I find it clear that in Gibeon there were worshipers of Ba’al Pe’or, or Ba’al of the mountain because the Amorites that once inhabited Bashan is the area inhabited by the Moabites who associated Ba’al with worship upon the peaks or high places. So it is of my opinion that Solomon sought to seek God in a foreign land on a high peak known for Ba’al worship instead of his own High Priests because he wanted to make contact with the deity of Ba’al instead of with Yahweh?

 It should be noted that within the cultural context of ancient civilizations you would pay homage to the local deities whom protected the area in which you visited. Early Jewish people were not the monotheistic culture they are perceived to be in the Bible, but a polytheistic people. This is why throughout the Old Testament Yahweh must compete for the worship from the Israelites for Ba’al who again and again sends prophets to Jerusalem. In fact the Jewish people were not monotheistic until after the Babylonian exile when King Cyrus sent the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites. (Jeremiah 3-5)

After this deep religious experience Solomon receives a dream from God confirming his fate to build the Temple. So he sends word to Hiram King of Tyre to help him in his construction project. Hiram king of Tyre was a Phoenician King who ruled the city-state of Tyre in the north. Hiram agrees to aid Solomon in his project because it is said that Hiram was a friend of King David. “Thou knowest how that David my father could not build a house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars that were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.”  (1 Kings 5: 3)

Hiram King of Tyre was first charged to gather all the timber from the cedar forests of Lebanon. Hiram calls upon the Sidonians as the labor in Lebanon, Hiram’s only condition that he supplies his men with 20,000 measures of wheat and 20 measures of oil. King Solomon then took a levy or tax among all of Israel and raised enough funding for 30,000 men to hue the supplies in Lebanon. Over these men Adoniram was appointed to oversee the work as well as the transportation of materials back to Jerusalem. 

There is also mentioned 70,000 workers of the temple or barers of burden, as well as 3,300 overseers of the work. There is no reference to how funding for this was arranged by King Solomon, so I believe it is a safe theory to assume that Hiram King of Tyre compensated the majority of the costs as well as supplied all the materials for the building of the Temple. 

The question I propose is why would King Solomon who was charged with building a Temple to Yahweh, allow a foreign king who worships foreign gods not only to build and construct his temple, but also to cover the majority of the cost of that temple? This is the question I propose to you to ask yourself as we move forward. There is a mystery concerning this temple, a mystery that as Masons we may preserve and not even know it… is the Temple of Solomon a temple to Yahweh?