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

FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARtime of the building of the Temple ofSolomon, isuniversally admitted; and Hiram, the widow's son,to whom Solomon intrusted the superintendence ofthe workmen, as an inhabitant of Tyre, was, veryprobably, one of its members. Hence we may legitimatelysuppose that the Dionysian Architectswere sent by Hiram, king of Tyre, to assist KingSolomon in the construction of the house he wasabout to dedicate to Jehovah, and that they communicatedto their Jewish fellow-laborers a knowledgeof the advantages of their fraternity, andinvited them to a participation in itsMysteries andprivileges. In the union, however, the apocryphallegend of the Dionysians would naturally give wayto the true legend of the Masons, which was unhappilyfurnished by a melancholy incident thatoccurred at the time. The latter part of this statementis, it is admitted, a mere speculation, but onethat has met the approval of Lowrie, Oliver and ourbest writers; and although this connection betweenDionysian Architects and the builders of KingtheSolomon may not be supported by documentary evidence,the traditionary theoryis at least plausible,and offers nothing that is absurd or impossible.Tf accepted, it supplies the necessary link whichconnects the Pagan* with the Jewish Mysteries.ftftEleusinian Mysteries.The institution of these Mysteries may be placedabout the year ly?) 15. C, in the reign of Erectheus.A fragment of marble preserved at Oxford givesthis as the date. This was three hundred years