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

Chapter 7 - Rituals 537
(p. 38). The Worshipful Joshua responds with "Our life for yours if ye utter not
this our business." 1496 Then, the Worshipful Joshua is asked by the Most Ancient
Matron to instruct the sister in the secret work. At first, he explains to her the
significance of the ark, as given above. Then, he gives her the signs, grips, and
tokens. Afterwards, the Junior Matron, having been given the signs, presents the
sister with a scarlet cord, with which the candidate is allowed to pass on to the
West gate to the Senior Matron's station. The Senior Matron advises the
candidate to go to the mountain to hide, lest the pursuers meet her. However, the
Senior Attendant and the candidate answer that they are no cowards, but
Heroines: "See our scarlet cord (sic) and if we should do this we will be blamed
on account of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear " (p. 40). 1497
Hereupon, the Senior Matron admits that they are steadfast and trustworthy,
and advises them, when they are in trouble, to hang their scarlet cord in the
window as did Rahab. The candidate and the Senior Attendant communicate the
signs to the Senior Matron, and are allowed to pass on to the Most Ancient
Matron, who presents to the candidate the golden crown, apron, and collar, and
ties the scarlet cord around the candidate's waist, a cord by which she is bound to
the Heroines, and which can never be broken (p. 40).
The Senior Attendant conducts the newly exalted Heroine to the anteroom, in
order to get properly clothed. Then, she returns to the "Court Palace" (p. 40) for
the lecture given by the Worshipful Joshua, who recites the history of the third
degree. It is the Biblical account of Rahab, who, 1451 years before Christ, had
hidden two spies. In return, they gave to her a sign and the pledge to save her
family. When Joshua led his soldiers against Jericho, all the inhabitants were
captured and destroyed except for Rahab and her kinsmen, because she gave the
sign and grips to the soldiers. Allegedly, Masons adopted these signs for their
female relatives, and thus they came unchanged to the order of Heroines of
Jericho, as it is today (cf. p. 41).
After the recital of the history, the candidate receives the lecture in the form
of a question-and-answer dialogue, which concludes the third degree initiation
ceremony.
A final word has to be said about the signs. The order of the Heroines of
Jericho has some very explicit signs which really "make sense," that is which
describe a meaningful action, not consisting of merely touching the nose or the
ear, or waving with a handkerchief, but imitating some process. One of these
1496 This was the promise of the two spies to Rahab, not to kill her family. In the Book of Joshua,
chapter 1, verse 14, we read: "And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this
our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and
truly with thee."
1497 Book of Joshua, chapter 2, verse 15-17: "Then she let them down by a cord through the window:
for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto them, Get
you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the
pursuers be returned [...]. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which
thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet
thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy
mother, and thy brethren [...] home unto thee."