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. 

Freemasonry Before 1717

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

 Bro. Michael Worrell

UGLE

     The topic of the History of our Fraternity seems at first overwhelming.  Each mason, by taking the degrees, is told straight forward that King Solomon of Israel was an Ancient Grand Master, and this idea is one of the main traditions and central themes of the Fraternity.  There have been over 55,000 books written on the subject of the history of our Fraternity, and I have selected three of my favorites to share with you this evening.

     When we look into Masonic History, we quickly run into roadblocks.  Who thinks Freemasonry goes back further than 1717?  Now who thinks our Fraternity goes back to the men who built King Solomon’s Temple?  This is the problem with looking into the History of our Fraternity:  the further into the past we trace the Craft, the more obscure and mythological it becomes.

     It is well known that a Grand Lodge was formed in London in 1717 when 4 Lodges of Masons in London and Westminster came together at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St. Paul's Church-yard.  Where did these 4 Lodges come from?  Who were their members?  Who gave them authority and taught them the secrets of the craft?  These are questions I have been thinking about and researching.

     The amount of research into the History of Freemasonry is enormous; the first known attempt at a history of the Freemasons was in 1661, when the Royal Society in London proposed a history of all trade guilds, with Freemasonry being listed as one of the guilds.  The task of preparing this History was given to Robert Moray, who was initiated in Mary’s Chapel Lodge #1 of Edinburgh in 1641.  It is not known if he completed this project, possibly due to the Great Fire of London in 1666.  

     After this new Grand Lodge was formed in 1717, James Anderson published a History of the Craft in his 1723 Constitutions.  This was accepted as the official history for over 100 years.  He was ordered to digest the Old Gothic Constitutions or “Old Charges” in a new and better method by John Montagu, Duke of Montagu on the 29th September, 1721.  Then on 27th December, Montagu appointed fourteen learned brothers to examine the MS., and that after they had approved it was ordered to be printed on 25th March, 1722.

     Anderson’s Constitution compiled and expanded on the Legendary History of Masonry as contained in the Gothic Manuscripts or “Old Charges” such as the Halliwell Manuscripts, which is believed to have been written around 1390.  Similar to the Old Charges, Anderson’s Constitution tells a legendary history of Masonry, including among the list of patrons of Freemasonry many biblical characters such as Noah, Tubal Cain, Abraham, and King Solomon.  Excerpt from Lansdowne Manuscript of 1560.  

     In 1751, a different group of Masons, calling themselves the Ancient Masons, published their own Constitution, which they called the Ahiman Rezon, Hebrew for “to help a brother.”  This Constitution and the Author, Laurence Dermott, largely mocks Anderson’s.  Excerpt, first 2 pages.

     This began the rivalry between the Ancients and the “Moderns” which is what they called the 1717 Masons.  This rivalry is very interesting, and was eventually settled when the two competing Grand Lodges merged in 1813, creating the United Grand Lodge of England.

     One of the main claims of the Ancients was that there was already in existence a Grand Lodge in York, which was the true governing body of Masonry in England.  The Reverend Neville Barker Cryer, Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, retired to the City of York to research this claim, and a product of his research was this book, York Mysteries Revealed.  He affiliated with York Lodge #236 to gain access to their private collection of artifacts and records of the Operative Masons in York, called the fabric rolls, which cover the records of the Masons’ Guild from the period 1350-1500.

     This Lodge was taken on the rolls of the “Modern” 1717 Grand Lodge as Union Lodge #236.  This Lodge in 1870 requested a name change in 1870 making a petition to the Grand Master which reads:

“We, the undersigned, the Masters and Wardens of the Union Lodge, No. 236, … Humbly request your Lordship to grant permission that the name of this Lodge may be changed from that of Union, to that of York Lodge.

It has long been the wish of the Brethren of the Lodge that is should be more closely connected with that of our Ancient City, and with the Masonic Glory with which it is associated.  Our early traditions inform us, that from the time of Prince Edwin, AD 926 when the first Lodge was held in Norman Crypt of York Minster, under a Charter from King Athelstan, a Grand Lodge existed in an uninterrupted stream until about the year 1780.”

     The Request was granted, and what is now still York Lodge #236 may be the only operating Lodge which can claim over 1000 years of operation.

     We are now starting to blur the lines between History and Mythology.  While Athelstan was King of England and did grant Charters to several guilds during his reign, there is no surviving evidence of him granting a charter to a Guild of Masons.  This event, however, is mentioned in many of the Old Charges.

     Leaving Mythology aside for the moment, let’s think about the actual practice of building with stone.  In the City of York, following the destruction of the pagan idols, Edwin, King of North Umbria converted to Christianity in the year 627 and was baptized in a church he had commissioned to be built out of timber.  Following his baptism, he ordered a larger and nobler church to be built out of stone, and here begins the historical practice of stone masonry in York.

     The Guilds at this time had feast celebrations, and it was custom for each of the various guilds to put on Morality Plays at different times of the year, acting out some story from the bible to teach the local population, who were largely uneducated, a lesson, and to promote themselves to the town.  The plays were often followed by a feast, a tradition that we still enjoy to this day.

     Joseph Fort Newton in his book titled The Builders, takes this same approach to the History of the Craft, examining the people who built buildings out of stone throughout history.  We are taught in the Middle Chamber Lecture of the 3 Ancient Grand Masters, Solomon King of Israel, Hiram, King of Tyre, and Hiram Abiff.  Josephus gives a detailed account of the correspondence between the two kings in Volume 2, Chapter 3 of his Histories.

     Newton goes on to explain that at that period, the Stone Masons had their headquarters on the Island of Tyre, which was the Capitol of the Phoenicians.  They worshipped Dionysus and were known as the Dionysian Artificers, which is also the title of this book by Hippolyto Joseph da Costa.  

     Newton continues to quote Strabo, who wrote of the Dionysian’s travels into Syria, Persia, and even India.  They entered Europe through Greece, and in Rome several Centuries before Christ they were in corporations known as Collegia.  From there the Collegia flourished all over the Roman Empire.  The Collegium or roman guilds from the earliest times decorated the gravestones of their members with emblems of their trade: if they were a group of bakers, the decoration would be a loaf of bread, if they were stone masons, the emblems on the gravestone would be a Square, Compasses, and a Level.

     By law the minimum number of members was three, and each College was presided over by a Magister, or Master, and two Decuriones, or Wardens.  They further had a Treasurer, a Secretary, a Keeper of the Archives, and a Sacerdos, or Chaplin.  One such Collegium was discovered during the excavations at Pompeii in 1878, referred to as a Lodge room and containing two pillars at either side of the entrance. 

     Christianity was founded by a carpenter, and was found to be very appealing to the working classes of Rome.  During the persecutions of the Christians, the Collegia were for the most part unharmed, that is until they refused to make a statue of Aesculpius for Diocletian.  Because of their refusal, Diocletian turned on the stone masons at some point around the year 311, torturing and killing four Master Masons and one Apprentice.  Their names were Claudius, Nicostratus, Simphorianus, Castorius, and Simplicius.  The Four Masters were later referred to as the Four Crowned Martyrs, or the Quatuor Coronati, which is where the premier Masonic Research Lodge in the world derives their name, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076.

     Following the persecution, the Masons guild relocated their headquarters to an island on Lake Como in northern Italy, and took the name The Comacine Masters.  Following the death of Diocletian they returned to Rome and worked with Emperor Constantine.  From this time forward they were the ones travelling as free men throughout Europe, building stone buildings when they were commissioned to do so.  Out of the darkness of history we find them in England, and from the stonemason guilds we eventually arrive at the present time with the Fraternity as we know it.

     The great men who designed and built ancient temples such as the Temple of Solomon certainly did not practice Freemasonry the same way that we do, but that does not say that they did not hold some of the same beliefs and traditions we still hold dear today.  I encourage each of you here tonight to look into the history of our craft with an open mind, for there may be some truth to the mythology and traditions after all.  Thank you.

Bro. Michael Worrell, is the Supply Officer for the Grand Lodge of MA, AF&AM.  He is the current Junior Warden of St. John’s Lodge of Boston, Senior Warden of Boston Commandery #2 KT, and a member of St. Andrew’s RAC and Boston Council R&SMM, the Scottish Rite bodies in the Valley of Boston and Paul Revere Council #401 AMD.  He is also the Grand Representative of the Most Holy Supreme Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland near the Grand Chapter of MA, and the Grand Representative of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in Virginia near the Grand Council of R&SMM of MA.  A resident of the city of Boston, Michael enjoys researching Masonic History, Genealogical Studies, and Hiking and Rock Climbing in his free time.

An Uncanny Coincidence

by Midnight Freemason

Steven L. Harrison, PM, FMLR

     Late one night on a crowded train platform in Jersey City, a crowd pressed forward to purchase

sleeping car tickets from a conductor.  Among those in the crowd was one of the most famous actors of the time, Edwin Booth, a member of New York Lodge 330.  As the crowd pushed forward, a young man was shoved into the space between the platform and the train.  At the same time the train began to move.  The young man, a soldier, was helpless to do anything and headed for certain death, until Brother Booth grabbed him and pulled him back to the platform.  The young solder later described the episode this way:

Brother Edwin Booth

     "The incident occurred while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name."

     Brother Booth modestly went about his business and for awhile thought nothing more of the incident.  Just a few months later the Civil War ended and amidst the celebration of that event the country was shocked and saddened when its leader Abraham Lincoln lost his life to an assassin.  Edwin Booth was further saddened in that Lincoln's killer was his own Brother, John Wilkes Booth.

Robert Lincoln

     Meanwhile, the soldier related the story of his near-death experience to another officer, Colonel Adam Badeau, who was a friend of Edwin Booth.  Colonel Badeau subsequently wrote a letter to Booth, congratulating him on saving the soldier's life.  It was not until he received the letter, that Brother Edwin knew the man whose life he had saved was Robert Lincoln.

     In an uncanny coincidence, the brother of the man who killed Abraham Lincoln saved the life of Lincoln's son.

     Shocked over the tragedy of the President's death and sickened by the fact that his Brother was the killer, the fact he had saved the life of Lincoln's son offered some small degree of comfort to Brother Edwin Booth.

~SLH

Steve Harrison, 32° KCCH, is a 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 Senior Warden.  He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor.

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?