BrAPeterson

Brethren,

Many Mason's believe that the building of Solomon's Temple is the origin of todays Freemasonry. Whether it is or not, there are some very important lessons in the building of the temple which directly correlate with the conduct of our lodges. Here is one I propose for discussion.

Forgive me, while I provide some background as I understand it, and correct me where I may be in error.

When King Solomon conceived to build the temple he did not have the builders or the expertise within his own kingdom. He therefore enlisted the aid of King Hiram of Tyre. King Hiram sent his builders who brought the expertise accumulated from his, as well as other kingdoms. King Solomon then organised the builders into lodges each with their Masters, fellows of the craft and apprentices and gave them certain rules to govern themselves with (our ancient landmarks).

Now seeing that these builders were from several nations, of several faiths, and of many cultures, one can deduce the wisdom behind some of our important landmarks.

1. Not to discuss religion in the lodge.

The building of a great temple in those days was a task fraught with danger and required constant progress. The hewing, transportation, and erection of the massive building blocks required that every man function smoothly as a single unit. As the various dogmas would have ordinarily kept these men from associating peacefully were they to discuss their various beliefs, Solomon in his wisdom forbade such conversations. Now in present times we recognize that any great or important undertaking requires such prudence.

2. Not to discuss politics.

For virtually the same reasons as above. These men being from various nations with various codes of conduct and cultures, were likewise forbidden to discuss this topic as well. There was no room for "my King is better than your king" or similar topics of discord.

3. Women were banned from the lodges.

Ever heard of the face that launched a thousand ships? Women have, since the dawn of time been a dividing force among men. Men fight for them and over them, at the worst, and at the least are distracted by them. The various cultures employed at the temple had conflicting ideals regarding this. For the Jewish you simply did not covet your neighbors property (women at that time were property) and you did not commit adultery. This was not the case for the rest at the temple. Not all, if any of the Pagan faiths addressed this concern. It would have been counter productive to the cause to try to force the Jewish dogma onto these guest workers, therefore women were simply banned in the lodges. Now some may say this is a sexist point of view. However, it is proven that students in segregated classrooms perform better than those where the sexes are combined. How wise for Solomon to have thought of this without the benefit of Sociologists or Psychologists !

These landmarks as well as the obligations ensured a harmonious environment for the building of the Temple then, as well as, the building of our temples today.

These are my own speculations and represent no collective view of any lodge. I welcome any and all comments.

Fraternally,

Bro. Arthur

cyberclown

A very interesting take!

Makes a lot of sense, especially in regard to maintaining harmony and keeping everyone's focus directed towards the building project and not towards "distractions" ...

Goes for today's building projects (community service, leadership etc.) as well I presume ...

Bro. Markus

__________________
Markus P. Hagmann JD
Elwood Lodge #919 AF&AM
(raised on January 27, 2007)

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