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

Chapter 7 - Rituals 447
The discovery of hidden secrets brings to mind another story of a quest,
staged in a Masonic youth order, the Order of the Rainbow for Girls (see Section
8.2.6.2). The Rainbow Girls detect a Pot of Gold hidden at the end of the
rainbow and containing moral "treasures."
The "workmen from the ruins with discoveries" now approach the Grand
Council, i.e. the High Priest, the King, and the Scribe, to whom the Principal
Sojourner relates in a dramatic way the finding of the buried secrets. This report
is resplendent of symbolism. For example, the time plays an important role. The
three workmen have wrought diligently for "three days" without finding
anything. The number "three" recalls the three degrees of Craft Masonry, in
which the candidate is on the quest for light and truth, but does not find the
Ineffable Word yet. On the "fourth day," the workmen come across an
impenetrable rock, the companion with the crow strikes it and finds it hollow,
and after the removal of the rubbish, the rock reveals itself as the top of an arch.
The symbolism of the "fourth day" presumably alludes to the Royal Arch
Degree, which - strictly speaking - is the seventh degree of York Masonry as
practiced in America, but from its context seems to follow the Third Degree by
furnishing its solution, and thus appears like a "fourth" degree. In the early years
of Freemasonry, it has even been regarded as such: "The York records recite that
'a Most Sublime or Royal Arch Lodge open'd [...] in Stonegate, York on Sunday
the 7 th of February, 1762, and that four brethren were raised to the 4 th Degree of
Masonry, commonly call'd the Most Sublime or Royal Arch.' " 1380 Besides, the
"rubbish of the temple" was proved to be a symbol of "moral deficiencies" in
Section 5.1 on architectural technical terms. These deficiencies are cleared away
in this sublime degree. As to the symbolism of time in the Royal Arch ritual, the
daytime also has a metaphorical value, the sun "having reached its meridian
height" 1381 and shining "with refulgent splendor into the innermost recesses of
the arch" when one of the candidates descends into the vault. The sun plays a
role with regard to light symbolism, indicating that divine rays show the way to a
grand discovery.
The Grand Council is convinced that among the discoveries is the keystone
wrought by the Grand Master Hiram Abiff himself, bearing his mark. They
further recognize the three squares as the jewels of Past Masters, presumably
those of the three ancient Grand Masters, King Solomon, King Hiram of Tyre,
and Hiram Abiff. They open the box which contains several mysterious
characters on its top and sides. Inside, they find a scroll of parchment which
reads: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. [...] And God
said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. [...] 'Take this Book of the Law, and
put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be
there for a witness against thee.' " 1382 This proves that the scroll is the "Book of
1380 CME, p. 202.
1381 "High noon" being the time of vigor and strength in the life of man, we can assume that in this
context, it anticipates the successful excavation.
1382 P. 158.