The Three Degrees of Freemasonry
Master Mason Degree
Historical Lecture
Historical Lecture
The Second Section is of pre-eminent importance. It exemplifies an instance of virtue, fortitude and integrity seldom equaled and never excelled in the history of man. It recites the legend or historical tradition on which the degree is founded - a legend whose symbolic interpretation testifies to our faith in the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul.
You have this evening represented one of the greatest Masons, if not the greatest man the world has ever known, our Grand Master Hiram Abif, who was slain just before the completion of King Solomon's Temple.
His death was premeditated by fifteen Fellowcrafts who, seeing the Temple about to be completed and being desirous of obtaining the secrets of a Master Mason whereby they might travel into foreign countries, work and receive Master's wages, entered into a horrid conspiracy to extort them from our Grand Master Hiram Abif or take his life. But reflecting with horror on the atrocity of the crime, twelve of them recanted. The other three still persisted in their murderous design and took his life.
Our Grand Master Hiram Abif was slain at high-twelve. It was his usual custom at that hour, when the craft was called from labor to refreshment, to enter into the unfinished Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies of the Temple, and there offer his devotions to Deity and draw his designs on the Trestleboard. The three Fellowcrafts who persisted in their murderous design, knowing this to be his usual practice, situated themselves at the South, West and East gates of the Temple and there awaited his return.
Our Grand Master Hiram Abif, having finished his devotions and other duties, attempted to retire by the South gate where he was accosted by Jubela, who thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason, or the Master's Word, and on being refused he gave him a blow with a twenty-four inch gauge across his throat. He then endeavored to pass out by the West gate where he was accosted by Jubelo, who in like manner thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason or the Master's Word, and on being refused he gave him a blow with a square across his breast; upon which he fled and endeavored to make his escape by the East gate where he was accosted by Jubelum, who in like manner thrice demanded of him the secrets of a Master Mason or the Master's Word; and on his being refused he struck him a violent blow with a Setting Maul upon his forehead which felled him dead on the spot.
The ruffians then buried the body in the rubbish of the Temple until low-twelve, when they met according to agreement and conveyed it a Westerly course from the Temple to the brow of a hill West of Mount Moriah where they buried it in a grave, situated due East and West, six feet perpendicular, at the head of which they planted an acacia in order to conceal it and that the place might be known should occasion ever require.
They then endeavored to make their escape out of the country.
Our Grand Master Hiram Abif was missed the following day. His absence was discovered by there being no designs drawn on the Trestleboard. King Solomon, being informed of this, said he feared that he was indisposed and ordered strict search and due inquiry to be made for him throughout the several apartments of the Temple. Strict search and due inquiry were accordingly made, but he could not be found. King Solomon, then fearing that some accident had befallen him ordered the several roles of the workman to be called, and at roll call it was found that three Fellowcrafts were missing, Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum, who, from the similarity of their names were supposed to be brothers and men from Tyre.
At this time, the twelve Fellowcrafts who had recanted appeared before King Solomon clothed in white gloves and aprons in token of their innocence, acknowledged their premeditated guilt and kneeling, humbly implored his pardon. King Solomon ordered them to arise, divide themselves into parties and travel three East, three West, three North and three South, with others whom he should appoint, in search of the ruffians, and to return not without tidings.
They traveled as directed; and as the party who pursued a Westerly course came down near the port of Joppa, the fell in with a Seafaring Man of whom they inquired if he had seen any strangers pass that way. He informed them that he had, three, who appeared to be workman from the Temple at Jerusalem seeking a passage to Ethiopia, but not having King Solomon's pass, they were unable to obtain passage and returned into the country.
They returned and brought this information to King Solomon who ordered them to disguise themselves and travel as before with positive injunction not to return without the ruffians, and with a positive assurance that if they did, the twelve should be deemed the murderers and severally suffer for the crime committed.
They traveled as before, and as they were returning after many days of fruitless search, one of them, being more weary than the rest, sat down on the brow of a hill West of Mount Moriah to rest and refresh himself. On arising he accidentally caught hold of an acacia which, easily giving away, excited his curiosity; upon which he hailed his comrades, and on examination, they found the appearance of a newly made grave.
At this time they heard from the clefts of the adjacent rocks the horrid exclamations which have been repeated in your hearing this evening. The first they recognized as the voice of Jubela, the second of Jubelo, and the third of Jubelum; upon which they rushed in, seized and bound them and took them before King Solomon, who, after a due confession of their guilt, ordered them to be taken without the gates of the city and there executed according to their several imprecations made in the clefts of the rocks. They were executed accordingly.
King Solomon then ordered the twelve Fellowcrafts to go in search of the body and, if found, to observe whether the Master's Word, a key to it, or anything appertaining to the Master's degree was on or about it. The body was found on the brow of a hill West of Mount Moriah where our weary brother sat down to rest and refresh himself, but nothing was found on or about it except the jewel of his office by which the body was designated.
King Solomon then ordered the twelve Fellowcrafts to repair to the grave and assist him in raising the body; and it was agreed between him and Hiram, King of Tyre, that as the Master's Word was then lost, the first sign given at the grave and the first word spoken after the body was raised should be adopted for the regulation of all Master's Lodges until future ages should find out the right.
They repaired to the grave where the body was raised, as you have been, by the Strong Grip of a Master Mason, or Lion's Paw. They carried it to the Temple from which they buried it in due form. The body of our Grand Master Hiram Abif was three times buried: first, in the rubbish of the Temple; second, on the brow of a hill West of Mount Moriah; and third and lastly, as near the unfinished Sanctum Sanctorum, or Holy of Holies of the Temple as the Jewish law would permit.
A Masonic tradition informs us that there was erected to his memory a marble monument consisting of a beautiful virgin weeping over a broken column, before her a book open, in her right hand a sprig of acacia, in her left an urn, behind her stands time, unfolding and counting the ringlets of her hair.
The beautiful virgin weeping over a broken column denotes the unfinished state of the Temple, likewise the untimely death of our Grand Master Hiram Abif; the book open before her, that his virtues there lie on perpetual record; the sprig of acacia in her right hand, the timely discovery of his grave; the urn in her left, that his ashes were therein safely deposited to perpetuate the remembrance of that amiable, devoted and exemplary craftsman. Time, unfolding and counting the ringlets of her hair, denotes that time, patience and perseverance will accomplish all things.
My brother, I will now proceed to give an explanation to you of the several signs belonging to this degree. This [Done], you recollect, is the Due Guard of a Master Mason; it alludes to the position in which your hands were placed while taking the obligation.
This [Done] is the Sign; it alludes to the symbolic penalty of your obligation. These signs have another allusion. When our ancient brethren repaired to the grave of our Grand Master Hiram Abif, they found their hands involuntarily placed in this [Due Guard] or this [Sign] position; as if to guard their nostrils from the offensive effluvia which assailed them from the grave.
This [Hands raised above head and brought down into the Due Guard], my brother, is the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress. It is the sign you solemnly promised in your obligation never to give except in circumstances of the most imminent danger, or within a regularly constituted Lodge, or for the purpose of instruction. And should you ever see the sign given, or hear the words thereto annexed spoken, you are equally bound by your obligation to fly to the relief of the brother so giving it, should there be a greater probability of saving his life than of losing your own. The words to be used in the dark, or when for any reason the sign cannot be given are: Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's Son? Either one will constitute the Sign of Distress.
This sign also has an allusion. At the raising of the body of our Grand Master Hiram Abif, our ancient brethren found their hands involuntarily raised above their heads in token of horror and surprise, at the same time exclaiming, "Oh Lord, my God, is their no help for the Widow's Son?"
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