[The following material is copied from The Legacy of the Gift: Ahiman Rezon, elsewhere at this site. It is pertinent to the present subject matter, so we included this section in its entirety.]
"(This is of the 4: there is a fifth who is invisible, & therein am I as a babe in an egg.)" -- AL. II. 49.
Unless this book is not written in chronological order, we are given to believe that all the Anakim in Hebron were destroyed (wiped out). (Josh. 11:21.) But, we have here 3 sons who were merely "driven out". Where did they go? The text does not say. By way of commenting on these verses, we shall turn back a chapter, and quote Joshua 14:15:
"15. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath-ARBA; this ARBA was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war."
ARBA is a name of great significance, as Thomas Inman, Sha Rocco (Alisha Hudson), and others attest. According to the rules of Gematria, ARBA is equal to 273.
That is, Ayin (70), Resh (200), Beth (2), and Aleph (1):
)br(.
In Sepher Sephiroth, we looked up the number 273. Arba means, "Of the FOUR". We shall explain this technical term later. In the dictionary, however, we found the following under the number 273:
ABN MASU HBUNYS
synwb h ws)m Nb) = The Stone which the Builders Rejected!
Is this a mere coincidence? In the IV° York Rite, the degree of Mark Master, the Stone which the Builders Rejected plays an important role, and it plays an important role in the symbolism presented in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the Stone of SION. In fact, it is stated by those researchers that this rejected stone referred to "a particular stone overlooked or unjustifiably neglected during the building of the Temple." In other words, something of great importance which was originally a part of the real cultus, which was cast away and forgotten. For more on this, we refer the reader to the two essays which are a part of Book Three of The Brethren of the Gift, namely, Is THIS the Holy Mountain? and The Stone that Fell to Earth.
This could refer to a real stone, like the DurAnKi relic, the Grail Stone. It could refer to a bloodline, or a Sacerdotal Tradition. It could, even, refer to the worship which was cast aside when the Jehovah cultus took over the Priesthood at the time the Temple was built.
Here is a list of sources we are using in our analysis of the Name ARBA:
1. Inman, Thomas, "Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism," 4th Edition, 1889.
2. "Sha Rocco" (Alisha S. Hudson). "Ancient Sex Worship", 1874.
3. Legge, Francis. "Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity," 1964 reprint.
Inman speaks of the Mystic Arba, on page 6, and shows an illustration of a gesture of blessing given by Hebrew Priests, a gesture which is a Sign of Great power, and is illustrated as follows: [Illustration not here.]
It forms a triangle, and a form of this gesture is used in the Outer College of the Golden Dawn and the A.'. A.'.
Inman writes,
"...represents the position of the hands assumed by Jewish priests when they give the benediction to their flock. It will be recognized that each hand separately indicates the trinity, whilst the junction of the two indicates the Unit. The whole is a symbol of the mystic ARBA, - the four, i.e., the Trinity and Unity. One of my informants told me that, being a 'cohen' or priest, he had often administered the blessing, and, whilst showing to me this method of benediction, placed his hands so that his nose entered the central aperture. On his doing so, I remarked 'bene nasatus,' and the expression did more to convince him of the probability of my views than anything else."
(I.e., Inman's views in re the Sexual origins of religious symbolism.)
The next quote will get us some very, very interesting ancient origins of Masonic words. Origins, we might add, which Pike took great pains to deny in 1873, in the article Baal and Aun, in the National Freemason.
"Sha Rocco," the pseudonym of Alisha S. Hudson, wrote a thin volume entitled Ancient Sex Worship, and published it in the 1870s. Had there really been an Order of the Palladium in operation at Charleston, this would have been one of the Training manuals. We present below, an extract, on the Triad, pages 14 - 16.
TRIAD
To know exactly who is who, and what is what, it will be necessary to explain the Triad, or Trinity, its origin and its changes or metamorphoses. Then the TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO - the three in one - can be recognized in the cross more readily than most people see the "three persons in one God." The triad generally belongs to the male, although the female Divinities were sometimes of triple constitution. (7). If we turn to the analysis of the subject according to Rawlinson, we find taht the first and most sacred trinity - three persons in one God - consisted of Asshur, or Asher, or Ashur, whose sacred names were Il, Ilos, and Ra; Anu and Hea, or Hoa. (8) Beltis was the Goddess associated with him. (9) These four, that is, Asher, Anu, Hea, and Beltis, made up ARBA, or ARBA-IL, the Four Great Gods, the quadrilateral, the perfect Creator. (10) Asher was the Phallus, or the linga, the Membrum Virile- the privy member; the cognomen ANU was given to the right testis, while that of HEA designated the left testis. (11) When Asher was canonized a Deity, it was but right and natural his ever-attendant appendages should be deified with him. The idea thus broached receives confirmation when we examine the opinions which obtained in ancient times respecting the power of the right side of the body compared with the titles given to ANU. It was believed that the right testicle produced masculine seed, and that when males were begotten they were developed in the right side of the womb. Benjamin signifies "son of my right side;" thus the name of a member of a family attests the reigning notion. The name BEN-ONI, given to the same individual by his mother, may mean, literally, either "Son of Anu," or "son of my ON." The male or active, principle was typified by the idea of "solidity," and "firmness," and the female, or passive, principle by "water," "fluidity," or "softness." It is then, a priori, probable that ANU was the name of the testis on the right side. To inspect the perfect man, or a correctly designed statue of Apollo Belvidere, will detect the fact that the right 'egg' hands on a higher level than the left, for which there is an anatomical reason. The metaphors we sometimes hear, such as 'King of the Lower World," "the original chief," "Father of the Gods," "the old Anu," relate to these parts, and are of phallic import. "King of the Lower World," cannot refer to the infernal regions of modern orthodoxy, since that mythical Hades had not then come into existence. (12)
We may find it appropriate to quote more from this rare treatise. In this passage, we have reference to several important symbols, names and ideas in relation to our Nephilim, our ARBA, our Masonic Words, our Benjaminites.
1. ARBA is not only the name of the ancestor of ANAK, it is the name of an important city.
2. ARBA is the name of the Trinity in Unity, the Mystic Four.
3. The Trinity consists of EA - BEL - ANU; EnKi, MarDuk, Anu, Yah, Bul, On. This is the Sacred Word of the Royal Arch. Added to this is Beltis, Belili, Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Astaroth, Asherah - the deity the people in Benjaminite territory were accused of worshipping, according to Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
4. Benjamin in this context is significant, and the same name is implied in the word AHIMAN.
5. The idea of masculine hardness, solidity, firmness, will be seen in the words Jachin and Boaz. Pillars, Standing Stones, Standing Ones, Lithoi, the Rejected Stone, are a part of a very secret tradition that has existed long before Christianity or Judaism was thought of being thought, and exists today.
6. These concepts find their analogue in the quote from Mackenzie in re the Johannites, and will be found further when we comment more on these matters (13), and in Waddell's Phoenician Origins of Britons, etc...
Before we return to our exegetical exercise, we have one more source to draw from. Francis Legge, early in the 20th Century, penned his monumental work, Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity. It was, fortunately, republished in 1964 by University Books. We would like to see this re-issued today. The book deals primarily with the religions which produced Gnosticism. It is truly an inspired work. Gnosticism plays prominently in this essay, and we will elaborate more fully later.
In relation to ARBA, there is a long footnote in volume II, page 138:
"Barbelo is a name very frequently met with in the earlier heresiologists... Irenaeus... declares that there was a sect of Simonians called Barbeliotae or Naassenes who suppose 'a certain indestructible... Aeon in a living virgin spirit whom they call Barbelo (masc.,)' ... The sect appears, from what can be made out of his description, to have resembled the Ophites, of whom it may have been a branch. (....) The name is said by Harvey to be derived from the Syriac Barba-Elo, the Deity in Four, or God in Tetrad, and the derivation is approved by Hort (Dict. Christ. Biog.,) ...It appears, more likely, however, that it is to be referred to the Hebrew root, lbb, BBL - Babel, Confusion...."
We suggest the "4" definition. Barba-Elo. Also, the BABALON of Aleister Crowley may suggest this. This connection will prove to be apt, because we have a Babylonian / Assyrian origin for the term ARBA, for Sanchoniathon, for Dositheos, the founder of the school from whence Simon Magus originated. Also, the connection between the Ophites, the Naassenes, Essenes, Barbelo-Gnostics and Dositheans / Simonians, is not a tenuous one as some would like us to believe. These are the truly Authentic "Christians" if ever there were any.
When the Authentic Tradition is revealed, in both its doctrinal and historical aspects, it will be seen that the Sumerian tradition has its carryovers throughout the millennia, down to Canaan, Phoenicia, Greece and that all the principal players so far will be seen to be purveyors of this tradition, and, that contrary to the people who like to see in Roman Catholicism the ancient Babylonian Mystery Religion revived, the true system is that carried over into the Gnostic schools. These in turn we shall see carried over into the secret schools of philosophy, science, and building through the Dark Ages, so-called, the Middle Ages, and on to the present...
Back to the quotes.
Judges 1:10. "And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath ARBA); and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai."
Defeated, but not annihilated or wiped out. What would be the logical place for these descendants of Anak to escape, if they couldn't stop in Hebron, the lot given to Judah?
Judges 1:20. "And Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had said; and he drove out from it the three sons of Anak."
"Drove out," but where? Perhaps the next verse can clue us in...
"21. But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who dwelt in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have dwelt with the people of Benjamin to this day."
"To this day." That is, at least 922 BCE, since these texts were written after the Kingdom was divided. Ahiman, as brother of the Right Hand, and Benjamin, as son of the right hand, and ANU or ON, as the Right Testicle, or Right Side, all make for good company. Perhaps there was a very good reason why the Benjaminites refused to divulge the identity of the men who raped the Levite's concubine. If our theory is true, then there is reason to believe the theory posed by Baigent, Leigh, and Lincoln in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, pertaining to the Tribe of Benjamin. They never identified why the Benjaminites refused so vehemently to turn in the culprits. If the culprits were descendants of the Nephilim, that would be reason enough. That would also be reason for keeping it a secret, since that would give their tribe an edge over all the other tribes, and it would fulfill the prophecy of Moses. "The Beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety between thy shoulders." What is between the shoulders, but a neck? And, as we have seen, Anak can be translated as long-neck.
As it stands, there is reason to suppose that the Benjaminites were ancient Kin-Folk of the Nephilim, and we will get to that in another section.
With all the wholesale rape and bloodshed and pillaging that took place in the books of the Old Testament, it seems hard to believe that the elders would be upset over one relatively minor incident. We do not minimize the brutality of the event. It was ghastly. But no more so than the officially sanctioned deeds. No, this furore was raised over the Nephilim, who were being harbored by the Benjaminites. After a while, it wouldn't be necessary to harbor them, they would be intermarried more perfectly, and would develop a royal line in the Tribe.
Perhaps the Benjaminites were sponsoring some sort of open-door policy. Perhaps, in exchange for concealment and protection, the descendants of Anak initiated the heads of the clans that made up the tribe of Benjamin into the Mysteries of the Anunnaki. Perhaps, too, the ancient DurAnKi was conferred upon this tribe. Perhaps the other tribes held long-standing grudges against Benjamin and his kin for being the beloved of Jacob. Perhaps.
We have quoted scripture. The word AHIMAN in a biblical context, save for one, which we have not analyzed, points to the ANAKIM, the descendants of the NEPHILIM of Genesis chapter 6. Also, it points to Benjamin, son of the right hand. The Masonic meanings given by Pike, "My Brother is a Gift," or "Brother of the Gift" signifies a legacy. Is this legacy something the "Ancient" Masons, the adherents to the Stuart cause and conservators of the Authentic Tradition, were alluding to?
By being "adopted" or "accepted" sons or Brothers of the GIFT, the Right Hand, they became adopted sons of the House of Benjamin, or perhaps, the Nephilim themselves. By being Prince Masons they were being loyal to Prince Charles Edward, the young "pretender", and, according to Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the Stuart Line is connected to the Merovingian Bloodline, and the Merovingian Franks claim to be descended from several sources - the line of "Jesus," the line of Benjamin, and the House of Troy.
What we suggest is that by the time the Merovingian Franks ascended to power, they were already a mixture of many sources - from the Benjaminites, the Arcadians, the lines of Antenor and Agenor, the line of Jesus and the Magdalene, perhaps Mero-itic Egyptian sources too. Perhaps Jesus (or Dositheos, the Samaritan Messiah) the Incarnation of Horus, married the Magdalene, a Benjaminite, and the result was a line of descendants in the South of France. This territory has been covered many times over by now.
These are all "perhaps-es", yet it seems more than likely that something like this is actually the truth. The orthodox account, like the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, is absurd. At least, it is absurd to accept it as literal truth. When there are many survivals of an alternate tradition, we need not accept the lie any longer. This is where most psychics fail, because when they try to picture events of 2,000 years ago, they are really telling us what they believe happened, not what really took place. It is all too subjective. And it almost always is contrived to coincide with the orthodox account in the Gospels.
To say that there was and is only one Messiah is either foolish and/or crafty. When there has been a long and winding succession of Renewing Avatars for well over two thousand years.
The last reference to Ahiman is 1 Chron. 9:17-18:
"The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talman, Ahiman, and their kinsmen (Shallum being the chief); 18. stationed hitherto in the King's gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers of the camp of the Levites."
On the surface, this is not provocative. But, considering the use of the name in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges, could this be a hint to some sort of fifth-column activity? Without further confirmation we cannot say.
The Masonic Legend of Enoch falls into the category of the present material under discussion. While most of the material we have written of, above, pertains mainly to the Mark Degree, and related matters, upon perusal, the Enoch Legend will pertain, perhaps even more than the York Rite Legend of the Royal Arch, in that it concerns items that can only relate to the DurAnKi.
Perhaps a little background shall suffice. The Legend of Enoch comes from the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, which means that it is either Scottish or French, most likely the latter. In it, we are told that Enoch spoke with God, saw the coming destruction of the world, the general state of evil in the world at the time, set himself to the task of recording the Liberal Arts and Sciences on a couple of pillars, one of brass, the other of marble, to escape the coming destruction. The Pillar of Brass would survive, if the destruction was of water, the Pillar of Marble, if the destruction was of fire. Along with these Pillars, he shaped a piece of agate into a cubical stone, affixed a triangular plate made of gold, on which he engraved the true name of God, and encrusted it with precious stones. All of this he buried, in the vicinity of what would become Jerusalem, built a temple, sealed it, built eight more above it, and concealed the location.
Over time, the place was forgotten, when workmen just happened to find it around the time of the building of Solomon's Temple. Solomon, not sure that this was a place deemed holy by God, ordered the Temple to be built on another location, and it was again forgotten. Later, three sojourners happened on it again, and started bringing up treasures from it. This stoked the old boy's curiosity, and since Solomon and HKT were lamenting the loss of the Master Builder, because they couldn't go down into their own secret vault to conduct the secret ceremonies, they ordered all the stuff brought over to Solomon's vault. This aroused the jealousy of the other workers, who saw this as a ploy of the workmen to get advanced ahead of the others, yada yada yada.
Interesting, in that the location of Jerusalem, as demonstrated in Sitchin's works, and played out on the map by our own research, is in an important place. There are many stories about the buried stone under the Temple, the Stone of Foundation, and these are very similar to the DurAnKi theme that we find in descriptions of the Nippur Temple. Pardon this if it seems merely pedestrian to you. We can assure you that is not pedestrian, it is turbocharged! If the correlations are true, Enoch and EnMeDurAnKi are to be considered as the same person. So, then, Enoch would have been given secret instructions, and would have been the "Lord of the Secrets of the DurAnKi".
In part three of Is THIS the Holy Mountain? ver. 2.0, the section entitled "The Cauldron of the Sages," we ran a rather long extract from Laurence A. Waddell, on the Grail Stone. In Qadosh, the Readings for the John chapter, we presented an extract by Waddell on John the Baptist. Now, these are certainly controversial articles today, considering the tone. They may even be dismissed out of hand as a bunch of nonsense. But... they contain snippets that are very valuable to those of us who Know. Waddell speaks of the importance of Jerusalem as an ancient Pagan centre. (To prop up his Aryan superiority jazz mainly...) Sitchin writes of Jerusalem as being the next Mission Control Centre, after Nippur was destroyed and vacated. This might be to prop up his theory of Jewish superiority. Perhaps the real mission control centre was located in the Swat Valley in Northwest India / Northern Pakistan. Who's to know? Sunset and Vine is as good a guess as any, and to us it would be a preferred selection.
What if... department. What if Solomon chose the wrong spot for the building of the Temple, and because of that, got everything wrong from the start? Is it impossible? Prophecy and all that? Certainly it is not impossible. History is a long string of wrong decisions, intentionally made. If the wrong location was selected, then the telluric equipment might not work properly, and the manifestation of the wrong deity would take place, which seems to be what did happen. Perhaps we shall never know. In the meantime, we append some of the Legend, as it comes from the Cerneau Rite:
The Royal Arch Legend, from Blanchard's Ritual.
Scotch Rite Masonry Illustrated, Volume I, pp. 268 - 283.
Discourse by Grand Orator.
My brethren, it is my intention at this time to give you a clearer account than you have yet been acquainted with of masonry, of which at present you barely know the elements. In doing this, it will be necessary to explain to you some circumstances of very remote antiquity. Enoch, son of Jared, was the sixth son in descent from Adam and lived in the fear and love of his God. God appeared unto him in a dream and spoke to him by inspiration and communicated to him as follows: As thou art desirous of knowing my name, follow me and I will acquaint and teach thee. After this a mountain seemed to rise to the heavens, and Enoch was carried there, when God showed him a golden triangular plate, enlightened brilliantly and his ever blessed name engraved thereon in Hebrew characters. He gave strict orders never to pronounce it.
After that Enoch seemed to be carried under ground perpendicularly through nine arches, and in the ninth arch he saw the same brilliant plate with the same characters and a flaming light around it, which he had seen before.
Enoch being full of the spirit of the most high God, built a temple under ground and dedicated it to God, accompanied with nine arches, one above the other, in the same form as that he had seen in his dream. Methuselah the son of Enoch, constructed the building without being acquainted with his father's motives.
This happened in that part of the world which was afterwards called the land of Canaan, and since known by the name of the Holy Land. Enoch caused a triangular plate of gold to be made, each side of which was a cubit long. He enriched it with the most precious stones and encrusted the plate upon a stone of agate of the same form. He then engraved upon it the ineffable characters and placed it on a triangular pedestal of white and black marble, which he deposited in the deepest arch. When Enoch's temple was completed, he made a door of stone and put a ring of iron therein by which it might be occasionally raised, and placed it over the opening of the arch, that the matters enclosed therein might be preserved from the universal destruction impending, and none but Enoch knew of the treasure which the arches contained. And behold the wickedness of mankind increased more and became grievous in the sight of the Lord, and God threatened to destroy the whole world.
Enoch perceiving that the knowledge of the Arts was likely to be lost in the general destruction, and being desirous of preserving the principles of the sciences for the posterity of those whom God should be pleased to spare, built two great pillars on the top of the highest mountain; one of brass, to withstand water, the other of marble, to withstand fire, and he engraved on the marble pillar hieroglyphics, signifying that there was a most precious treasure concealed in the Arches under ground, which he had dedicated to God.
And he engraved on the pillar of brass, the principles of the liberal arts, particularly of masonry. Methuselah was the father of Lamech, who was the father of Noah, who was a pious and good man, and beloved by God. And the Lord spake unto Noah, saying: "Behold, I will punish the sins of mankind with a general deluge. Therefore build an ark capable of containing thyself and family as also a pair of every living creature upon earth, and those only shall be saved from the general destruction which I am about to inflict for the iniquities of the people."
And God gave unto Noah a plan by which the Ark was to be constructed. Noah was one hundred years in building the Ark; he was six hundred years old when it was finished, and his son, Seth, was ninety-nine. His father, Lamech, had died a short time before, aged 777 years. There was not at this time any of the ancient patriarchs living save Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, who was about 969 years old, and it is supposed that he perished in the general ruin.
The Ark being finished, Noah agreeable to the instructions he had received from the Most High, went into it with his family, and took with him such things as he was commanded. The flood took place in the year of the world 1656, and destroyed most of the superb monuments of antiquity.
The marble pillar of Enoch fell in the general destruction, but by divine permission the pillar of brass withstood the water, by which means the ancient state of the liberal arts and particularly Masonry has been handed down to us.
We learn from Holy Writ the history of succeeding times till the Israelites became slaves of the Egyptians, from which bondage they were freed under the conduct of Moses their leader to go and take the promised land. We also learn from the annals of those that were found in the archives of Scotland, that in a certain battle the Ark of Alliance was lost in a forest and the same was found again by the roaring of a Lion who ceased to roar and crouched on the approach of the Israelites. Said lion had a short time before devoured a great number of the Egyptians who had attempted to carry away the same. The lion keeping in his mouth the Key of the Ark, and on the approach of the High Priest he dropped the Key and retired at a distance, crouching and tame, not offering the least violence to the chosen people.
The same Divine history particularly informs us of the different movements of the Israelites until they became possessed of the land of promise and of the succeeding events until Divine providence was pleased to gave [sic] the sceptre to David, who though fully determined to build a temple to the Most High, could never begin; that nonor being reserved for his son.
The Bible also instructs us that Moses was well beloved of God and that he spoke to him on Mount Sinai in a burning bush and communicated to him his Divine Laws, and many promises renewing an alliance with him, and then gave him the true pronunciation of his Holy name by which he would always be invoked.
It was at this time that Moses replied, "Who Art Thou?", "God said, r#) hyh) hyh) [sic] is my true name, I am a strong and zealous God."
Solomon being the wisest of princes had fully in remembrances the promises of God to Moses, that some of his successors in fullness of time should discover his holy name, and his wisdom inspired him to believe that this could not be accomplished until he had erected to the living God a temple in which he might deposit the precious treasure. Accordingly Solomon began to build in the fourth year of his reign, agreeable to the plan given by David, his father, upon the Ark of alliance. He chose a spot for this purpose, the most beautiful and healthy in all Jerusalem.
On digging for the foundation of Solomon's temple, they found an ancient ruin of a very large edifice and a quantity of riches, such as Vases, Gold and Silver Urns, Marble and Porphyry, Jasper and Agate Columns, with a number of precious stones which were all carried to Solomon.
This virtuous King presuming that on that spot before the deluge perhaps, a temple had been erected and fearing it had been dedicated to the service of some false God, and fearing lest the true name of Deity might be profaned in that place, he would not build there, after which they were unable to find any more precious treasure.
The temple of Solomon was build as we are instructed by masonry and as we know by the melancholy death of Hiram Abiff.
Solomon in building, caused to be erected under ground a cavern of nine arches, and which he named the Secret Vault. In this sacred vault he caused to be deposited a triangular pedestial[sic] of white and black marble with the ineffable name of Deity encrusted thereon, on a triangular plate the same as was deposited by Enoch. This Solomon called by inspiration the pillar of beauty, for reason of the beautiful arch which it supported, and the sacred treasure which providence had designed to be encrusted thereon.
To arrive at the Sacred Vault, you were obliged to pass through a long narrow passage of nine arches following one another by a communication under ground from the palace of Solomon.
To this place Solomon used to go in company of Hiram King of Tyre and Hiram Abiff privately, to enter on holy matters.
The loss of Hiram Abiff deprived the two Kings of this satisfaction as the number of two was insufficient to enter there; and as three were absolutely necessary, they were at a loss who they should choose to supply the place of Hiram Abiff. Some Master Intendants, Sublime Elected Knights and Grand Master Architects were informed of the presence of the King of Tyre at Jerusalem, and they were not ignorant of the fact that when Hiram Abiff was alive that Solomon had a particular place under ground called the Secret Vault only known to the two Kings and the deceased. These brethren went to the two Kings and entreated them to introduce them into that secret place. When the two Kings were renewing their alliance, Solomon answered them with arms extended and head inclining, in this way: "You cannot expect it, God will admit you one day to the knowledge of what you now desire."
Some days after Solomon sent for three Masters named Joabert, Stolkin and Guiblim and gave them orders to search once more in the ancient ruins where they had already found many treasures, in hopes of finding more.
They departed to fulfill the King's orders and after arriving at the designated spot, Guiblim in working with a pick-axe, met with a large iron ring. He at once hailed his companions and they concluded something of extraordinary value must have been deposited there. The three brethren then labored with great ardour and zeal with shovel and crow and cleared away the earth that covered the ring, when they found it was fixed to a perfect square stone, which with great labor and pains they raised and found it covered a most dismal great cell.
Guiblim proposed to descend, and for that purpose they fixed a rope around his body and let him down, with the understanding that if he wished to be raised, he should make it manifest by shaking the rope. Guiblim accordingly descended and found himself in an arched vault, in the pavement of which he found another opening. He descended into that, and there also he found another opening through which he went, which brought him into a third vault and made the like observation of a fourth opening but was afraid to pursue his search; he therefore shook the rope and ascended.
He acquainted his companions with the observations he had made and proposed they should descend in turns to make further observations, but they positively refused. Guiblim accordingly descended on the following conditions: that through every arch he would shake the rope slightly, and if he wished to ascend he would shake the rope violently.
When he arrived in the sixth arch he shook the rope and was hauled up again. He told Joabert and Stolkin that he had been in six arches and had observed an opening to descend further, and proposed for one of them to descend as he had worked hard and was afraid to venture. This however frightened Joabert and Stolkin so much that they absolutely refused to go down. This raised the zeal of Guiblim, and with a lighted flambeau he descended on the former conditions. When he was entering the ninth arch a parcel of the stone and mortar fell suddenly down from the fop and his flambeau went out when he perceived the rays of the sun penetrating lively, briskly and directly on a golden triangular plate adorned richly round with precious stones, the brightness of which so affected Guiblim, it almost deprived of sight. He immediately made the sign of admiration which the same as Solomon and Hiram King of Tyre had made when they desired to be admitted in the Sacred Vault and Sublime Degree.
Guiblim fell prostrate on his knees, his right hand before his eyes, his left behind his back. Shaking the rope three times, on which Joabert and Stolkin drew him up and he recounted to them the amazing things he had seen in the ninth arch. By this account to them they proposed to descend together by a rope ladder made for that purpose. The three accordingly descended, in the ninth arch and being amazed as was Guiblim, they also fell prostrate thereat, and after having got the better of their surprise they went and raised Guiblim and both exclaimed, Hamaluhick Guiblim, that is to say: Guiblim is a good man, we must keep and recompense him. They then examined the gold plate on which they perceived some characters which they did not understand. Said plate was encrusted on the top of an agate stone of the same form. They admired the plate with respect and conceived that the characters meant the Sacred name of God, which name was only known to Solomon, Hiram King of Tyre and Hiram Abiff. It seemed to them that after the death of Hiram Abiff the two Kings not being a sufficient number could never bestow this degree upon those who aspired thereto, but they hoped to receive it by the circumstances of their finding the precious treasure. They concluded to raise the Cube Stone on which this golden plate was fixed and carry it to Solomon. It was at break of day when they arrived. The King of Tyre being with Solomon in his apartment, who on beholding the precious treasure were struck with such admiration that they both mutually made the sign of admiration and fell on their knees.
Solomon first recovering from his surprise and seeing King Hiram still on his knees and not yet recovered, Solomon raised him and said Hamaluhick Guiblim.
The two Kings examined the characters of the gold plate and found it to be the ineffable name of God, but could not explain any part thereof to the three elected. Solomon told them that the Great Architect of the Universe had bestowed on them the most signal fabor, and had chosen them to discover the most precious and rare treasure of masonry. You are his Elected and I wish you joy! In recompense for their zeal, fervor and constancy he created them Knights of the Royal Arch, as they were the only ones that discovered the same and by which discovery the arch was called the Royal Arch. He also promised to give them an interpretation of the sacred and mysterious characters which they saw on the Golden Triangular Plate.
The three elected observed to Solomon that the first word he and the King of Tyre spoke to them was the same they had mutually pronounced in the Ninth Arch on seeing the treasure.
They also recounted to the two Kings everything they had done and seen, by which they had precisely found the Sign, Token and Word of this degree, known by the title of Knights of the Royal Arch. Solomon then explained to them that the promise of God was accomplished of his promise to Noah, Moses and David his father, that one day the true name of him by which he was to be invoked should be discovered on a golden plate, but should be forbidden to write it and have permission only to letter it for their consolation, but never to pronounce or speak it, and to be very circumspect in lettering it.
You know the Master's Word was lost at the construction of the temple by the tragic scene of Hiram Abiff, our Grand Master Architect; and now by dear brethren we are happy to have at this present moment the true characters which we intend soon to give you the interpretation and pronunciation of. We have now nothing to do but to recompense you with justice, to the merit due your work. You are now stamped by the divine hand and certainly merit this signal favor.
The two Kings and three Knights took the precious treasure and carried it to the Sacred Vault by the private way through nine arches, of which none had any knowledge but themselves. They arrived at the pillar of Beauty, and thereat, worked together to encrust the plate on the pedestal. The two Kings seemed gloriously rejoiced in work with the trowel on that thing which God had destined should be done by their hands only.
After they had finished their work, the whole five prostrated themselves to adore the Great Architect of the Universe, giving him homage, thanks and praise for his favorable decree in their favor. The brilliancy of the plate, the splendor of the rubies and diamonds, placed one on the other, was sufficiently light for the place without the aid of artificial light.
After their work was done the two Kings changed the name from Secret to Sacred Vault, known only by the Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Masons.
It was now time to recompense the three Masters and Knights of Royal Arch, Guiblim, Joabert and Stolkin.
The two Kings accordingly gave them the degree of Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Masons, explaining the Sacred Word engraved on the golden plate, which was the true name of the most Sacred Omnipotent, and told them it was the name by which he would be invoked. A pronunciation which has suffered much and hath been greatly corrupted. It is very certain that from the different varieties of this word, the Moors have taken their Jubar, the Latins their Jupiter, as the true pronunciation was not a little lost of the greatest of names.
Moses having been taught by the Great Architect himself, relative to the efficacy of this great name provided in Egypt against Drought, Hunger and Sickness.
The new elected brethren, Guiblim, Joabert and Stolkin, took their obligations before God and the two Kings, never to pronounce that word fully and never to permit any mason to receive this Sublime Degree before he had given long proof of his zeal and attachment for the craft and also to use the same ceremony to communicate this mysterious history of the Divine Delta, near the Burning Bush where God made the ancient fathers promise the same.
The number of the Grand and Sublime Elected was at first three, then five, and continued so until the temple was completed and dedicated, when King Solomon as a reward for their faithful services, admitted to this degree the twelve Grand Masters, who had faithfully presided over the twelve tribes, also one other Grand Master Architect.
Nine Ancient Grand Masters, eminent for their virtue, were chosen Knights of the Royal Arch, and shortly after were admitted to the Sublime Degree of Perfection.
The nine Knights to be admitted to the Sacred Vault were obliged to tyle the doors of the nine arches which led from Solomon's Palace to said Vault.
The most ancient was placed at the door near the Sacred Vault, and the others by degrees to the ninth door near Solomon's Palace or apartment, never permitting an entrance to any except the Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Masons, giving the Signs, Tokens and Words of each Arch.
I will now give you the pass-word for each arch. The pass for the first arch is Jub, to the second Jeo, to the third Jua, the fourth Hayah, the fifth Gotha, the sixth Adonai, the seventh Jachanai, the eighth Helencham, the ninth Jachabulum. Those are the passes for each arch.
The brother who gave the sacred word on the inside was obliged to give the pass-word Shibboleth three times with an aspiration.
There were besides the above number 3,568 Masters who had served at the construction of the temple, and becoming jealous on seeing a preference given to the above 25 Masters which chagrined them much as they had frequently seen the King's apartment shut against them, consequently they sent deputies to Solomon to ascertain the cause of that preference.
Solomon after hearing the complaint of the deputy, replied as follows: Those 25 Masters have deserved this preference by their zeal in working the hardest and have always shown invaluable constancy, consequently I have loved and cherished them. Your time has not yet come. Go, God will permit you one day to be recompensed as you deserve.
One of the deputies being of a passionate disposition and dissatisfied with the reply of Solomon, answered: We also have claims for a higher degree. We know how the word was changed and can travel into foreign countries and receive master's wages as such. Solomon being struck with this reply, but at all times full of wisdom and goodness did not rebuke, but thus addressed him: Those Ancient Masters deserve the degree of Perfection, as they have been in the ancient ruins and penetrated into the bowels of the Earth and took from them an immense treasure to embellish God's temple. Go in peace and do as they have done. Work to adorn the temple of the mighty God, and he will recompense you as you deserve.
Those masters being proud and vain, and much frightened at the reply of Solomon, returned and made a report of their embassy, and not having been reprimanded, ambition also mixed with jealousy, agreed to go together to the ancient ruins. They discovered the ring to lift the trap and with a ladder of ropes entered the arches with lighted flambeaus.
God desirous of punishing those masters for their vain and proud ambition and to give a clear proof of his justice and providence, pronounced their doom for their insolence, insomuch that when the last of them entered the arches fell in upon them successively one after the other, with all their appertenants, in consequence of which the ancient word, which had been corrupted, was entirely lost with them and known only to those we have spoken of before.
After Solomon had heard what befell those masters, he sent Guiblim, Joabert and Stolkin to inquire the circumstances.
They accordingly departed at break of day, and having arrived at the designated spot found such strange things they were at a loss to account for the same, but imagined that the presumptuous masters were enveloped in the ruins which they saw had fallen in.
Upon strict search they found a few pieces of marble on which were engraved some Hieroglyphics which they took possession of, carried to Solomon and reported accordingly. Solomon put those pieces together and sent for some learned brethren who deciphered those characters, when he ascertained they were the ruins of the Temple of Enoch which he had built and consecrated to the true God, which he had built before the flood and which was destroyed in the Deluge which swept away every thing but the nine arches under ground where was deposited the Delta or treasure so often spoken of to Moses and David by God, together with the brazen pillar from which the history of the Ancient Masters is taken.
Brethren meditate upon the grandeur of our mysteries, the ultimate knowledge of which you have not been made acquainted, but by your zeal, fervor and constancy we hope one day to see you attain the degree of Perfection, which is the ultimatum of ancient masonry.
Original Material Copyright © 2000 - 2001 c.e., Jonathan Sellers. All Rights Reserved.