The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

onFREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARbabel, however, repulsed the enemy with such ardoras to ensure a signal victory, most of the Assyrianshaving been slain in the battle or drowned in theirattempt to cross the river in their retreat. Theremainder of the journey was uninterrupted, andafter a march of four months, which took themthrough the ruins of Rabbah* and old Tadmor,* orPalmyra of the desert, and the ruins of Damascus,*Zerubbabel arrived at Jerusalem with his followersin the month of June, 535 B. C.During their captivity the Jews continued topractice the rites of Mansonry, and established, atvarious places, regular Lodges in Chaldea.* Accordingto the Rabbinical traditions, they institutedtheir mystic fraternity at Naharda . theEuphrates, and Zerubbabel carried with him toJerusalem all the secret knowledge which was theproperty of that institution, and established a similarfraternity in Judea. This coincides with andgives additional strength to the traditions of theRoyal Arch degree. As soon as the pious pilgrimshad arrived at Jerusalem and taken a needful restof seven days, a tabernacle for the temporary purposesof divine worship was erected near the ruinsof the ancient temple, and a council was called, inwhich Zerubbabel presided as king, Jeshua as highpriest, and Haggai as scribe, or principal officerof state. It was there determined to commence thebuilding of the second temple upon the same holyspot which had been occupied by the first, and thepeople contributed nearly a quarter of a millionof dollars toward paying the expenses.Scarcely had the workmen well commenced theirlabors when they were interrupted by the Samari-102