Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry.pdf - FatimaMovement

and the Masters in the Middle Chamber. Now, as
in p. 138 the former case, this arrangement would
be impossible before the pillars were erected or
the Middle Chamber built: and if it he pretended
that any such plan was adopted after they were
finished, the tragic drama could not be true
because it professes to have been enacted before
the Temple was completed.
And finally, the veracity of the legend is
completely ignored by a reference to the Holy
Scriptures. which constitute our authority for
affirming that no such event ever happened; for
H. A. B. not only lived to finish all the work, in
whatever capacity he might have been engaged,
but also, according to the testimony of Josephus,
who calls him ABDEMON, he returned to Tyre,
and died there at a good old age.--The
Freemason's Treasury, pp. 299-300.
138:1 Our traditions further say, that the time
when this celebrated use went into the H. of H.
(Holy of Holies) to offer up his orisons to God, at
the hour of H (high) twelve, the Ark of the
Covenant had not been removed thither, for that
took place at the dedication, after which no one
was permitted to enter but the H. P. (High Priest),
and he only ours a year, on the great day of
expiation, at which time he had a string or belt
around his waist, which extended into the court of
the tabernacle, that he might be drawn forth from
the S. S. (Sanctum Santorum) in case sudden
death should occur while he officiated there.--
Historical Land-marks, vol. it. p. 154.
138:2 A similar divergence from uniformity will
be found in describing the p. 139 places where the
above-mentioned instruments were supposed to
have been used with such terrible effect. In the
primitive lectures--i.e., those which were used