WM: My Brother, you will now return to the East, and receive an historical account of this degree.
MASTER MASON LECTURE:
WM: *
Lecturer: Sacred history informs us that it was determined in the councils of infinite wisdom that a Temple should be founded at Jerusalem, which should be erected to God, and dedicated to His Holy Name. The high honor and distinguished privilege of performing this sacred service was denied to David, King of Israel, because, as the Scriptures inform us, he had made great wars and shed blood abundantly. From the same sacred source we learn that the God of Israel had promised David that out of his loins he should raise up seed to serve Him. This divine and memorable promise was afterward fulfilled in the person of Solomon, and in the splendid and unexampled career of his prosperity.
After David had been gathered to his fathers, and the last honor paid to his memory, Solomon wielded the sceptre of Israel, peace reigned within her borders, and the Children of Israel looked forward with peculiar satisfaction for the display of that wisdom which was destined to astonish and amaze the world.
In the second month of the fourth year of his reign, Solomon commenced the erection of this edifice, the curious workmanship of which was calculated to excite the wonder and admiration of all succeeding ages. It was located on Mount Moriah, near the place where Abraham was about to offer up his son Isaac, and where David met and appeased the destroying angel that was visible over the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.
About that time, King Solomon received a congratulatory letter from Hiram, King of Tyre, offering him every assistance in his power, and manifesting a strong desire to participate in the high honors then clustering around the Throne of Israel. Thus was the building progressing, with the assistance of Hiram, King of Tyre, and under the immediate supervision of our ancient operative Grand Master Hiram Abif, and was well nigh completed when several of the Craft, in an attempt to extort from Grand Master Hiram Abif the secrets of a Master Mason, became his assassins, and for a short period the building was impeded in its progress.
You, my brother, have this evening represented that cunning workman who fell a martyr to his integrity and inflexible fidelity.
His death was premeditated by fifteen Fellow Crafts who, seeing the Temple about to be completed and being desirous of obtaining the secrets of a Master Mason, whereby they could travel in foreign countries and receive wages as such, entered into the horrid conspiracy of extorting them from our Grand Master Hiram Abif or taking his life. But, reflecting on the atrocity of their intentions and being stricken with horror, twelve of them recanted; the other three, however, persisted in their murderous designs.
It was the usual custom of this great and good man, at high twelve, when the craft were called from labor to refreshment, to enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum or Holy of Holies, there to offer up his adorations to Deity, and to draw his designs on the trestle-board. The three Fellow Crafts who persisted in their murderous design, knowing that to be his usual custom, placed themselves at the south, west and east gates of the Temple and there awaited his return.
On the day of his death, having fulfilled his usual custom, he attempted to retire by the south gate, where he was accosted by Jubela, who thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, and on being refused, gave him a blow with a twenty-four inch gauge across the throat, upon which he fled and attempted to pass out at the west gate where he was accosted by Jubelo, who in like mind, thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, and on being refused, gave him a blow with a square upon his breast, upon which he fled and attempted to make his escape out at the east gate, where he was assaulted by Jubelum, who in like manner thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, and on being thrice refused, gave him a violent blow with a setting maul oh his forehead, which felled him dead on the spot.
They then buried the body in the rubbish of the Temple until low twelve, or twelve at midnight, when they met by agreement and carried it in a due west course from the Temple to the brow of a hill, where they buried it in a grave dug six feet deep east and west and six feet perpendicular, at the head of which they planted a sprig of acacia, that the place might be known should occasion ever require it, and made their exit.
The following day our Grand Master Hiram Abif was missing. His absence was detected by there being no designs drawn on the Trestle-board.
King Solomon being informed of this supposed him to be indisposed, and ordered strict search to be made for him throughout the several apartments of the Temple to see if he could be found. Strict search was made but he could not be found. King Solomon then feared that some fearful accident had befallen him.
The twelve Fellow Crafts, who had recanted from their murderous design, presented themselves before King Solomon, clothed in white gloves and aprons, in token of their innocence, confessed their premeditated guilt and implored his pardon.
King Solomon then ordered a roll of the workmen to be called and upon roll-call there were three Fellow Crafts missing, namely Jubela, Jubelo, and Jubelum.
King Solomon then ordered them to divide themselves into parts of three and three travel east, three west, three north and three south in pursuit of the ruffians.
The twelve departed and those who traveled a due west course from the Temple went until they met with a way-faring man of whom they inquired if he had seen any strangers pass that way, who informed them that he had, three, who from their appearance were workmen from the Temple, seeking a passage to Ethiopia, but not having obtained one, returned back into the country.
They returned and brought this information to King Solomon, who ordered them to divide as before and travel as before, with the positive injunction to find the criminals, and as positive assurance that if they did not, they would be deemed the murderers, and should suffer for their enormous crime.
They traveled as before and as those who pursued a due west course from the Temple were returning, one of their number becoming more weary than the rest, sat down at the brow of a hill to rest and refresh himself, and on arising he accidentally caught hold of a sprig of acacia, which easily giving way, excited his curiosity, and while they were meditating over the singularity of the occasion, they heard three frightful exclamations issuing from the clefts of the adjacent rocks. The first was the voice of Jubela, exclaiming O, that my throat had been cut across, my tongue torn out, and with my body buried in the sands of the sea at low-water mark, ere I have been accessory to the death of so great and good a man as our Grand Master Hiram Abif. The second was the voice of Jubelo, exclaiming, O, that my left breast had been torn open, my heart and vitals taken thence, and with my body given as a prey to the vultures of the air, ere I have been accessory to the death of so great and good a man as our Grand Master Hiram Abif; and the third was the voice of Jubelum, exclaiming more horribly than the rest, it was I who gave the fatal blow, it was I who killed him. O, that my body had been severed in twain, by bowels taken thence, and with my body burned to ashes and the ashes thereof scatter to the four winds of Heaven, ere I have been guilty of the death of so great and good a man as our Grand Master Hiram Abif.
Whereupon they rushed in, seized, bound, and took them before King Solomon, who order them taken without the gates of the city and there executed according to their several imprecations in the clefts of the rocks. They were accordingly executed.
King Solomon then ordered the Fellow Crafts to go in search of the body of our Grand Master Hiram Abif, and if found, to observe whether the Master’s Word or a key to it could be found on or about it.
