Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

78 ARKANSAS
ARMENBUCIISE
things that the Jews reckon wanting there .
Yet they had an ark there also of their own
making, as they had a breastplate of judgment
; which, ough they both wanted the
glory of the former, which was giving of
oracles, yet did they stand current as to the
other matters of their worship as the former
breastplate and ark had done . ;'
The idea of the concealment of an ark and
its accompanying treasures always prevailed
in the Jewish church . The account even by
the Talmudists is undoubtedly mythical• but
there must, as certainly have been some foundation
for the myth, for every myth has a
substratum of truth. The Masonic tradition
differs from the Rabbinical, but is in every way
more reconcilable with truth, or at least with
probability . The ark constructed by Moses,
Abolish, and Bezaleel was burned at the destruction
of the first Temple ; but there was
an exact representation of it in the second .
Arkansas . The modern school of historians,
Masonic and profane, write history from
original sources when possible, but in this
case that method is no longer possible, as all
the records of the Grand Lodge of this State
were burned in 1864 and again in 1876 when
all records gathered since 1864 were destroyed
-depriving us of all early records.
From what had been previously written several
accounts have appeared, and from these
this article is compiled .
Passing over the tradition that the Spaniards
had introduced Freemasonry into Arkansas
about the time of the Revolution we
find the first Lodge was established at Post
Arkansas, under authority of a dispensation
granted by the Grand Master of Kentucky
November 29, 1819, and a charter was granted
August 29, 1820, but was surrendered August
28, 1822 . For several years Masonic matters
were dormant .
The Grand Master of Tennessee granted a
dispensation for Washington Lodge in Fayetteville,
December 24, 1835, and for some
reason it was renewed November 12, 1836, and
received a charter October 3, 1837 . The
Grand Lodge of Tennessee granted a dispensation
to Clarksville Lodge at Clarksville, October
5 1838, and a charter October 12, 1839 .
These hates are taken from Drummond and
you will observe he says the Grand Master
issued the dispensation to Washington Lodge,
but that the Grand Lodge issued the dispensation
to Clarksville Lodge . As we have
noticed a similar statement from a Past Grand
Secretary of Arkansas, they do not conform
to the usual plan of the Grand Master issuing
the dispensation and the Grand Lodge issuing
the charter . However, this custom was quite
general .
The next attempt to form a Lodge at Post
Arkansas was under the Grand Lodge of Louisiana,
which granted a charter January 6
1837, and a charter seems to have been gran
to a Lodge at Little Rock on the same date,
and when the capital was moved to Little
Rock, Morning Star Lodge at Post Arkansas
surrendered its charter .
The Grand Master of Alabama granted a
dispensation to Mt. Horeb Lodge at Washington
in 1838 .
Washington , No . R2, under a charter
from the Grand L ge of Tennessee ; Western
Star Lodge, No. 43, at Little Rock, under a
charter of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana ;
Morning Star Lodge, No . 42, at Post Arkansas,
under a charter from the Grand Lodge of Louisiana
; Mt . Horeb Lodge, U~ . D., under dispensation
from the Grand Lodge of Alabama, met
at Little Rock, November 21,1838 and formed
the Grand Lodge of Arkansas . Ae combined
membership is put at 100 . These Lodges took
new charters and Washington Lodge became
No . 1, Western Star No . 2, Morning Star No .
3, and Mt. Horeb No. 4. The first two are in
existence, but the last two are defunct .
The Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons
was organized April 28, 1851 by three Chapters
located at Fayettville, Little Rock, and
El 'Dorado, which had previously received
charters from the General Grand Chapter of
the United States .
The Grand Council of Royal and Select
Masters was established in the year 1860 .
The Grand Commandery of the Order of
the Temple was organized on March 23, 1872 .
A Lodge, Council, Chapter, Council of
Kadosh and Consistory of the Scottish Rite
are established at Little Rock.
Arklte Worship. The almost universal
prevalence among the nations of antiquity of
some tradition of a long past deluge, gave
rise to certain mythological doctrines and religious
ceremonies, to which has been given
the name of arkite worship, which was very
extensively diffused. The evidence of this is
to be found in the sacred feeling which was
entertained for the sacredness of high mountains,
derived, it is supposed, from recollections
of an Ararat, and from the presence in
all the Mysteries of a basket, chest, or coffer,
whose mystical character bore apparently a
reference to the ark of Noah. On the subject
of this arkite worship, Bryant, Faber, Higgins,
Banier, and many other writers, have made
learned investigations, which may be consulted
with advantage by the Masonic archeologist
.
Ark Mariner, Royal, Jewel of. The
jewel of this degree prefigures the teachings,
which are unique, and draws their symbols
from the sea, rain, ark, dove, olive-branch,
and Rainbow . This last symbol, as El's sign,
" overshadows " the ark, which really is the
sign of Ishtar . The ark is said to have contained
all the elements of Elohim's creative
power, and in " about nine months and three
days there came forth the pent-up energies of
Maiya" ; her symbol is the dove with the
mystic olive, which are sacred to her . The
whole underlying thought is that of creation .
See illustration on opposite page .
Armenbiiehse. The poor-box; the name
given by German Masons to the box in which
collections of money are made at a Table-
Lodge for the relief of poor brethren and their
families .