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Hiram Abif - Masonic Temple GL of NY, Usa





DESPOTISM, RELIGIOUS FANATICISM AND
THE GRAND MASTER HIRAM ABIFF

by Bro. Mark C. Watson, 32, MPS
Mountain Star Lodge #197, Sevierville TN, USA


            The great symbols, symbolism, and allegories of our fraternity are often  misunderstood by many Masons and non-Masons alike.  Albert Pike explained it best when he said that the symbols of the blue lodge deliberately revealed little of the mysteries of freemasonry to the initiate in the event that he at some future point might prove unworthy to discover the true light or that he might even profane the unveiled mysteries.  In revealing only the base truths of the symbols, the system of Freemasonry kept its mysteries so that only the adepts and serious students of our philosophy might come to know the real truths.

            In recent years even we as Freemasons have been guilty of debasing our own ritual by continuing to cut portions of it, or as many of our steady and reliable brethren have done, memorized to the letter the ritual and spouted it at command.  How many of us actually realize what has been cut out? How many of us that can recite perfectly all three of the blue lodge degrees actually know what they mean and what they represent?  In lodges around the world today the degrees have completely lost their philosophical meaning and only exist as a means to a political end.  In the United States according to Pike since the 1800's the blue degree's teach only morality, refuse to intermeddle with questions political or religious, and require only a belief in God, and somewhat of the immortality of the soul.  We declare the Holy Bible to be the rule and guide of our conduct, and the inspired word of God, and were it not evaded in practice by the admission of the Hebrews, it would make American Masonry a strictly Christian organization.

            I would like in this short article to attempt with the aid of Albert Pike to explain a few key elements of our philosophy which are so misunderstood and actually espouse the truth of why we exist as an organization.  

            The allegory or legend of Hiram Abiff has for many years been interpreted in numerous ways.  There are probably as many interpretations as there are blades of grass.  Pike's interpretation has a tendency to hold more water as we look at the history of England and the early history of our great nation.  In the Legenda of the 4th-14th degrees Pike explains the symbolism of the mode in which Hiram was murdered.  In the degree, the Grand Master Hiram Abiff is met at the three gates by three distinct persons.  Hiram's name in itself is symbolic and contains a hidden meaning.  In the Hebrew translation the name actually translates Khirm or Khurm.  Hebrew does not contain any vowels so the second syllable is uncertain.  The name meant 'devoted, consecrated,' devoted to the sacrifice as the victim.  Also, the first part of his name Khi means 'life, living, alive, the living God;' and 'ram' meant 'was, or shall, be raised, elevated.' Thus we have ' the living God shall be elevated.'  Now how many of us actually knew that before today?  As we get into the legend the candidate representing Hiram is led to the station of the Junior Warden representing the South Gate, here he is struck with the Rule or the Twenty-Four inch Gauge on the throat.  In Greek the Rule whether an implement, rule of conduct or law is a Canon.  The interpretation here leads us to the fact the Law of the Church of Rome, which came from many sources has always been called the "The Canon Law."  The rule in this sense is an apt metaphor or symbol for the church.  This can be connected with Christ in the sense that the Jews wanted to silence Christ and thus they had him crucified out of exasperation for his denunciation of their hypocrisy and vices.

In our symbolic sense, Hiram Abiff is struck on the throat where the capability of speech is imbedded by the rule representative of the Church.  The Church wishes to silence those who would speak out against its dogma or those who would dare think and reason on another plane that is inconsistent with its doctrine.  As we move through the ceremony Hiram Abiff represented by the candidate is led to the Senior Warden's station representative of the West Gate.  Here the candidate is struck across the chest with the square.  The symbolism of the square is interpreted as an object whose arms join in a rigid unbending unity of the right angle.  This was an apt symbol of the union of all civil and religious power at differing times in history.  This union has almost always resulted in a harsh unrelenting despotism that subjects its people or subjects to arbitrary will called 'law'.  This law is many times executed ruthlessly and without pity.  Man's relationship with his God is an affair of the heart as are his hopes, dreams, and aspirations.  This is why the candidate is struck by the square in the chest.  The symbolic portrayal of Despotism fueled by religious fanaticism crushing the seat of man's affections; the heart.  Reason and intellect throughout the ages have always been powerless against despotism and or an organized anarchy.  The masses often are led astray by despotic regimes attempts to hold them at bay with superstition.  It is with this (fanatical belief in superstition) that masses are turned into a frenzied riot or mass of narrow one-way minds.  Superstition hates reason and more often than not, the common people accept the first explanation of anything that comes along as the most reasonable before the intellects have had time to weed out the lies and distribute the truth.  The masses fueled by the despots turn their anger and hate toward the philosophers and thinkers. The despots sit in judgment with superstitious ideas and use their brute force to crush any other belief system based on reason by ruling it as heresy or treason.  Thus we have at the station of the Worshipful Master representative of  the East Gate, a mallet, representative of this brute force crushing the skull of Hiram , the symbolic seat of wisdom and intellect manifested in a physical sense.

     The basic explanation of being assassinated to gain the True word of a Master Mason is also reasonable as it ties into all of the above.  We as Freemasons and Masters of the Royal Secret must be on guard to always get at the truth of our teachings and of our philosophies.  Whenever an explanation comes along don't accept it at face value as there is almost always another explanation.  This is discussed briefly at the end of this article.

     In the days before Christianity and of early Judaism there existed men known as Mystics or Magi.  These men studied a system of symbolism and interpretation which supplemented their worship.  They studied the Kabalah (also known under many different spellings.)  In my study it seems that maybe the baby was thrown out with the bath water when this system fell out of vogue.  Within the Scriptures of the Holy Bible it has been said for years that there are hidden meanings.  I have used this system in a novice sort of way and have read books with scripture interpreted that have shown me that there is something to this.  For example and I leave this to you to verify as the reader on your own; the pillars of Kings Solomon's Temple as described in 1st Kings, and the whole book of Revelations.  There is something more than meets the eye with even a modest amount of research and study.  I believe that part of our hidden mysteries and secrets can be found within.  I challenge each of you to continue on your path to the true light of Masonry.

 

Credit:  Albert Pike’s Legenda 4-14th Degree was used and cited extensively in the preparation of this paper.

 

 

Biography: 

Capt. Mark Watson belongs to Mountain Star Lodge #197 in Sevierville, Tn, and is a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Knoxville.  He was raised to Master Mason in 1996.  Mark's military career started after graduation from high school in 1987 with a tour in the U.S. Marine Corps and combat service during Operations Desert Shield/Storm.  He attended the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies.  He is an ordained minister and is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity and continues to serve his country as an Army officer.  He is married to the former Lynn Tarbell of Andersonville, Tennessee and they have 4 children.





We have received and decided to publish a comment by Bro.Ruben Gurevich, 32, MPS.
The Editor.

Dear Editor,

I am writing to you regarding the article by Bro Mark C. Watson, 32, MPS, "Despotism, Religious Fanaticism, and the Grand Master Hiram Abiff” which presently appears in the Pietre-Stones Review of Freemasonry.

The article’s opening sentence was clearly a call to attention, so I continued reading it with great interest. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to realize that the author had fallen prey to the same inclination he so vehemently denounced in others, i. e. to mistake opinion for fact. In addition, he himself made a number of important factual errors. Being a firm believer in the principles of Freemasonry, as well as the beneficiary of living in a free and open society, I would have been happy to leave Bro Watson to his opinions, except that – again, both as a Mason and as a citizen – when I see what, after proper research, I consider to be excessive and, at times, even dangerous error, I am compelled to point it out. Of course, Bro Watson has the same right, so I look forward to a good dialogue, if he chooses to engage in one.

Towards the end of the second paragraph of his article, Bro Watson writes: “We declare the Holy Bible to be the rule and guide of our conduct, and the inspired word of God, and were it not evaded in practice by the admission of the Hebrews, it would make American Masonry a strictly Christian organization.”

I beg your pardon?

A. To what Holy Bible is Bro Watson referring to? Last time I checked, the Holy Bible included both the Old and the New Testaments.

B. Who are the Hebrews? To my knowledge, the religion based on the Old Testament is Judaism, and the people who follow it are called Jews. Why is he so reluctant to call them so? I believe the answer may be found in one of his later statements; see below.

C. I am a member of a Masonic Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. As such, I have participated in initiations and raisings where the Holy Book used was the Koran. This is in strict adherence to the principles of Freemasonry, which establishes that, one of the prerequisites for a man to become a Mason, is his belief in a Supreme Being, regardless of the way in which he chooses to approach Him.

In the fourth paragraph, referring to the name Hiram, Bro Watson states: “In the Hebrew translation the name actually translates Khirm or Khurm…” and, “The name meant ‘devoted, consecrated,’ devoted to the sacrifice as the victim. Also, the first part of his name Khi means ‘life, living, alive, the living God;’ and ‘ram’ meant ‘was, or shall, be raised, elevated.’ Thus we have ‘the living God shall be elevated.’ Now how many of us actually knew that before today?”

I venture to say, not too many. In Hebrew, Hiram is spelled ם ך י ח (Hebrew is written right to left; for some reason, my browser is reversing the letter order!) and the most common literal transliteration of the name is “Chyram.” Strong’s concordance (# 04238) translates the name as “Noble.” Still, if we divide ם ך י ח in two, we can, indeed, come up with:

A. י ח (chay) which Strong (# 02416) translates as: adj. 1) living, alive; a) green (of vegetation); b) flowing, fresh (of water) c. lively, active (of man); d) reviving (of the springtime) n m. 2) relatives; 3) life (abstract emphatic) a) life; b) sustenance, maintenance n f ; 4) living thing, animal; a) animal; b) life; c) appetite; d) revival, renewal; 5) community ; and

B. ם ך (ram) which, again, Strong (# 07410) translates as: “high,” or “exalted.” What is Bro Watson’s source for translating yx (chay) into “the living God”? The most common translation of “chay” is “life” (as in the common Hebrew toast םייהל (again the letters are reversed!) ‘l’chaym’ “to life.”)

So, a more likely translation of “Chay–ram” is “Exalted Life.” Still, if Bro Watson can cite a reliable source, I’d be happy to accept “the living God shall be elevated” as another possible translation for “Chay–ram."

In the article’s sixth paragraph, we are told that: “… The symbolism of the square is interpreted as an object whose arms join in a rigid unbending unity of the right angle. This was an apt symbol of the union of all civil and religious power at different times in history.”

There is nothing symbolic about the square being an object whose arms join in a rigid unbending unity of the right angle. By definition, that is precisely what the square is. On the other hand, where is the documentation to justify that the square symbolizes “the union of, etc., etc.?”

The eighth and ninth paragraphs present Bro Watson’s interpretation (although not stated as such) about the symbolism of Hiram Abiff’s final injury, the mallet blow that crushed the Master’s skull. According to him, this represents “The despots (who) sit in judgment with superstitious ideas and use their brute force to crush any other belief system based on reason by ruling it as heresy or treason.” Interesting but, again, where is the documentation to justify this bizarre interpretation?

I will jump to the article’s last paragraph, where Bro Watson mentions the Kabala. Regardless of accepted lore, the Kabala was not studied “In the days before Christianity and of early Judaism…” In spite of a few earlier mystical writings, the Kabala is a product of medieval Spain and Southern France. For a serious study of the Kabala, its origins, development, and subsequent influence on modern thinking, I suggest that Bro Watson consult the many excellent works written by Gershom Scholem, generally recognized as the most important Kabala scholar of the 20th century.

After carefully reading and rereading his article, it is my opinion that the various symbolic meanings found by Bro Watson in the allegory of Hiram Abiff are, regretfully, nothing more than flights of fancy, without the slightest shred of evidence having been presented to defend or justify his whimsical theories.

If that would be all, Bro Watson would not be any more (or less) guilty than the many authors he alludes to when – in one of the few statements in his article with which I have no quarrel – he states: “There are probably as many interpretations as there are blades of grass” (paragraph 4.) Unfortunately, at the end of paragraph 4, he leaves the merely opinionated and unsubstantiated, and takes us (I am not afraid to call here the proverbial spade by its proper name) into the realm of the bigoted.

He writes: “In Greek the Rule whether an implement, rule of conduct or law is a Canon.” I assume he means: “In Greek, the Rule – whether an implement, rule of conduct or law – is a Canon.” Then, he continues: “The interpretation here leads us to the fact the Law of the Church of Rome, which came from many sources has always been called “The Cannon Law.” The rule in this sense is an apt metaphor or symbol for the church.”

To my knowledge, the twenty-four inch gage being a metaphor for the Catholic Church is not stated in any Masonic ritual, past or present. This is, once again, just Bro Watson’s personal interpretation, and should have been stated as such.

The next lines are even more disturbing: “This can be connected with Christ in the sense that the Jews wanted to silence Christ and thus had him crucified out of exasperation for his denunciation of their hypocrisy and vices.”

Any human being is free to believe that the words written in any given book – be them of a philosophical, religious, literary, or scientific nature – are Divinely inspired. In addition, even if those words are presented without any tangible proof, anyone can choose to believe that they are literal truth. In the case of religion, when words are thus enshrined, they become part of the Dogma, the theological foundation of whatever religion has been based on those words. For obvious good reason, a very wise and basic Masonic practice forbids theological discussions in the lodge. In my opinion, when writing to a Masonic publication, a Mason would be better served by following the same practice. At a minimum, he should be very careful not to indulge in unnecessary hurt and provocation by stating as historically proven facts what are, in fact, conscious or subconscious restatements of theological tenets.

As stated in The King James Study Bible (Liberty University, 1988), p. 1401, par. 1: “The four Gospels present a fourfold view of the life of Christ. With the exception of scant references by Tacitus and Josephus, our entire knowledge of the life of Jesus comes from these gospel accounts.”

Bro Watson’s assertion that “(the Jews) had him (Jesus) crucified” is based on various passages of the Gospels, primarily Matthew 27:22 and 25, Mark 15:15, Luke 23:21 and 23, as well as John 19:6, 7, and 15. As far as theology is concerned, that would be enough – and for fundamentalist Christians that is so. As a person respectful of all people’s beliefs, I would never enter into a discussion or argument with anyone regarding the historical validity of those statements. But, when they are presented as fact in an article which, by implication, denounces anyone who “…whishes to silence those who would speak out against (the Church) dogma or those who would dare think and reason on another plane that is inconsistent with its doctrine” (paragraph 5 of Bro Watson’s article) I am compelled to call attention to a few proven historical facts:

A) Crucifixion was the Roman punishment for crimes against the state, primarily treason. The Jewish penalty for heresy was stoning.

B) The just and gentle Pilate of the Gospels is not consistent with historical truth. Everything we know about him from independent sources tell us he was a tyrannical and bloodthirsty individual, who would do whatever was necessary to maintain his own precarious position as Roman Procurator of Judea, Samaria and Idumea.

C) Jesus was neither the first nor the last Jew to be proclaimed as the “Messiah” by at least some of his people. Unlike the interpretation of a later time, the Hebrew חישם (letter order is reversed!) “Mashiyach” implies, both, a spiritual and a political dimension. ( See Strong’s # 04899; 1) anointed, anointed one; a) of the Messiah, Messianic prince; b) of the king of Israel; c) of the high priest of Israel; d) of Cyrus; e) of the patriarchs as anointed kings.) In his political dimension, the “Anointed One”, as King of the Jews, was expected to lead his people in open rebellion against the invader, in this case, Rome. Many individuals in Jewish history – before and after Jesus – have been called “Mashiyach”, but none of them have been executed by the Jews; at worst, they have been excommunicated. On the other hand, countless individuals have been crucified by the Romans for rebelling against the state. In the case of the Judean rebellion of 70 AD alone, the Jewish death tall is estimated to have been between 600,000 to 1,300,000 lives; there was "no room for crosses and no crosses for the bodies" (Josephus, “The Jewish Wars”.)

D) Nothing the Gospels report as having been said by Jesus is more inflammatory, accusatory, or castigating to the Jewish people than what the Old Testament prophets had said many times before, centuries earlier. The prophets were neither stoned nor harmed in any way. What would compel “the Jews” to behave differently with Jesus?

Again, I do not wish, and will not discuss theology. If Bro Watson sincerely holds those beliefs as a matter of faith (which I doubt, given the tone of his article) I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused him, and will hereby end any further discussion. But if he wishes to discuss history, I suggest he refers to John Dominic Crossan’s “Who Killed Jesus? Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus”, Harper, 1995. He may find this book quite valuable.

In spite of mounting evidence, I would still like to believe that, when writing his article, Bro Watson’s intent was correct. So, to proffer an olive branch, I will finish this long letter with his very own last words, although I will give them a slightly different twist. He states: “I believe that part of our hidden mysteries and secrets can be found within. I challenge each of you to continue on your path to the true light of Masonry.” To which I answer: I believe that all of our hidden mysteries and secrets can be found within ourselves. I do not challenge. I rather beseech all of us to continue on our path to the true light of Masonry, so our inner demons – be them conscious or unconscious – are not allowed to intrude in our relations with our fellow men.

S & F Yours

Ruben Gurevich, 32, MPS

******************

Dear Brother Gazzo:

I wrote the above letter before I realized that Bro Watson is an ordained minister. Had I known that, probably, I would have shrugged my shoulders and let another ill-conceived article go to its well-deserved oblivion.

But now, I am glad I did it. As Bro Watson would probably agree, being a man of the cloth is no guarantee of being free of error. Still, were I to write my letter again, I would not have doubted the sincerity of Bro Watson’s beliefs. I had no right to do so, and for that I apologize. Still, I do not understand his thinking. He seems to castigate religious intolerance while engaging in the same practice. Or is it that “the Church of Rome” and “the Jews” are the only ones capable of “Religious Fanaticism” and other churches, and individuals, are free from it? Even though I am not presumptuous enough to believe that my letter would influence Bro Watson’s thinking in any way, I hope it will prompt him to be more careful when addressing a Masonic constituency, which, by necessity, consists of men (and women) of good will who, while sharing a belief in the Supreme Being, do not need to share any particular dogma or belief.

Also, for some reason, my browser refuses to copy the Hebrew words with the letters in the correct right-to-left order. I am sorry about that.

Thank you again for your attention to my letter.

S & F Yours,

Ruben Gurevich, 32, MPS



In response to Bro. Gurevich response to my paper.

I am afraid that he has misinterpreted what I was trying to convey. I was only try to reconvey what Albert Pike had written in his Legenda which I had clearly pointed out in the paper.

I additionally was trying to get across the point that fanaticism is a dangerous thing, and all of the examples that I used were ones the Albert Pike had used which again I had pointed out in the paper itself.

Thank You,
Mark Watson


 

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