The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 5 - Technical Terminology 289
Council or a Grand Consistory
are contained 844
3 Book of Seven Seals symbol used by St. John the
Evangelist in Revelation 5:1
and adopted in some of the
Modern Scottish Rite degrees,
especially the 17 th Knight of
the East and West 845
4 Book of the Law The holy book in that a Mason
believes (e.g., the Bible, the
Koran, etc.)
5 Livre d'Architecture French designation of the book
of minutes 846
6 monitor book containing charges,
regulations, emblems, and
exoteric ceremonies 847
7 Volume of the Sacred
Law (V.S.L.)
the Bible
8 White Book book with blank pages,
replacing the Bible on the altar
in the French Grand Orient
1. Ahiman Rezon
This strange book title has given cause for many speculations. Mackey
translated AHIMAN as "prepared brother" and REZON as "secretary." 848
According to an American dictionary, Masonry Defined, "Dr. Mackey says these
words are derived from the Hebrew ahim, brothers, manah, to prepare, and
ratzon, the will or law; and signifies, therefore literally, 'the law of prepared
brothers.' Others contend that the derivation is from achi man ratzon, 'the
opinions of a true and faithful brother.' " 849 On the contrary, a German historian
defines this strange book title as meaning "Ahiman's favor," because this book
admonishes the brethren to acquire enlightenment: "Dieser sonderbare Titel
Ahiman Rezon bedeutet "Ahimans Gunst", um anzudeuten, daß dieses Buch den
Aufklärung suchenden Brüdern zur Hilfe dargeboten sei." 850 According to the
Dictionnaire des Hébraismes et d’autres termes spécifiques d’origine franςaise,
844 EOF, p. 113.
845 CME, p. 616.
846 EOF, p. 449.
847 MD, p. 358.
848 Cf. Saint-Gall, p. 5.
849 MD, p. 91.
850 Boos, p. 161.