lyricallysha - 10 January 2010 11:59 PM
i was wondering what does king solomon has to do with freemasonry??
Sometimes we see a question and we do not want to answer it - not because the answer is secret, but because the answer is complicated. This is such a question…
King Solomon was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a King of Israel. Other religions describe him as a prophet, and accepted history defines him as the last man to rule as King before his kingdom was split into the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. He appears in scripture often, and under several names, including Solomon, Jedidiah, and Salomo.
What is significant to his connection to Freemasonry is that he is credited with being the King who built the first Temple in Jerusalem. Why is that important?
King Solomon is said to have been a just and wise man - imbued with wisdom from God - and a great ruler because he put the needs of his people before his own. In the Holy Bible, God is said to have rewarded him with additional wisdom in part because rather than asking God for favors for himself, Solomon sought favors to help others. It is safe to say that he embraced the notions of service and duty.
Solomon aligned himself with King Hiram I, of Tyre, for many projects to public service, but perhaps the most famous and well known of these collaborative projects is the erection of a Temple in Jerusalem meant to house the relic The Ark of the Covenant. In partnership with Hiram I, the two Kings planned out the Temple design with the assistance of skilled craftsmen - in particular with one Hiram Abiff, an architect who was also a Freestone Mason and an artisan who worked with metals. Before I continue this, we have to pause to clarify something.
Not all practicing masons were the same type of mason. Among the dozens of specialties there were what are called “rough” masons - those who constructed basic structures, foundations, and walls, and then there were “Freestone” masons - men who took stone and rock and transformed it into what we can easily call pieces of art - columns, arches, that sort of thing, often combining stone and metals.
The special skill and art that was the foundation of Freestone Masonry was a guarded secret among practitioners of the craft - even among other masons! It was not uncommon to find in the temporary “town” set up next to a building site a private conclave - or lodge - just for the Freestone Masons, where they lived together, ate together, and socialized.
They are known to have used a system of codes to record their designs and techniques, signals and handshakes to identify themselves to a fellow practitioner, and they tended to live and work together as a community.
The design of Solomon’s Temple was not a quick project - if you think contractors are slow today, you would be horrified at building times back in the day! With the assistance of Hiram Abiff, Solomon’s Temple began to take form in theory, and with the assistance of Hiram I, the materials required for the construction of the Temple began to amass, joining those already gathered by King David, Solomon’s father, who was the original visionary of the Temple.
Stone cutters quarried the blocks of stone that were its basic material, artisans from every building craft gathered to the site, and as the Temple was raised,the entire project was directed by the architect, Hiram Abiff, who was sent to Solomon by Hiram I as part of his contribution to the skilled labor and materials pool.
When the Temple was nearing completion, three masons sought out Hiram Abiff with it in mind to force him to reveal the secrets of the Temple to them. When he refused, they killed him and hid his body. King Solomon dispatched search parties when Hiram Abiff was missed, with the goal being to find him, and if necessary, recover the secret that he died to protect. Whether or not King Solomon was privy to that secret is a mater of speculation.
Freemasonry has elevated Hiram Abiff to the position of first Master Mason, and that is how Hiram Abiff connects to Freemasonry. King Hiram I sent Hiram Abiff to King Solomon to help him to construct the first Temple of Jerusalem, and that is how Hiram Abiff connects to both Kings. King Solomon is thought to have considered Hiram Abiff to be a genius, a master craftsman, and a friend, and placed him in a position of great authority and creativity in the construction of a Temple that was largely designed and built by stone masons.
In a nutshell, that is how King Solomon connects with Freemasonry.
I hope that I have fully addressed and answered your question, and if you have any other questions, feel invited to ask them.
Cheers!
Chris
