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Article FREEMASONRY AMONG THE ANCIENTS. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Freemasonry Among The Ancients.
Sidonians at the building of Solomon ' s temple . Professor Robison , who was not marvellously partial to them , admits that they existed in Judea , and came from Persia into Syria , with that style of architecture called Grecian * , which species of architecture , Josephus informs ust , was made use of at the building of the temple . The alliance of King Solomon with the roval family of Egypt , where the Dionysian mysteries
were extensively known , and the proximity of Jerusalem to that country , seem also to favour the supposition . About 300 years B . C . they were incorporated by the kings of Pergamus at Teos , which was assigned to them as a settlement , and where they continued for ages , a distinct and exclusive scientific association , engaged in the erection of works of art , and the celebration of their mysteries J . They were distinguished from the profane and uninitiated by their science and skill in architecture , by
appropriate words and signs , by which they could at once recognise their brethren in all parts of the globe § . They were divided into different lodges , distinguisliedhy different names , and possessed of distinct jurisdictions [| . They occasionally held festive and convivial meetings in lodges erected and consecrated for the purpose ; and each separate association was under the superintendance and control of a Master and Wardens . The place of assembly was called o-jwmia , the society itself ,. o-vmyoiyn , Hifia-ia- mnoZoe , xoivocr % . They held a general meeting , or grand festival , once a year , which was solemnised with the greatest pomp and splendour , and at ivhich the Brethren partook of a sumptuous
entertainment provided for them by the Master , after the celebration of their ceremonies ** . During the solemnization of their mysteries and ceremonial rites , they used utensils of a particular kind , some of which were , exactly similar to those at present made use of in Freemasons' Lodges tt . The wealthy artists were bound to relieve the necessities of their poor Brethren—but it is scarcely necessary to pursue the parallel further . — There is one circumstance , however , deserving of notice , which is , that
the monuments erected by these Masons in memory of their Masters and Wardens remain to the present day in the Turkish burial grounds at Sever-hissar and E-raki , and were visited by Chandler about the year 1770 . They were erected about 150 years B . C . The inscriptions on them were first published by the learned and laborious Chisul in 1728 , from copies taken by Consul Sherrard in 1709 , and examined in 1716 fj . They are very complimentary to their Masters and Wardens , and
express strongly the gratitude of the Brethren for their zeal and exertions on behalf of the Order , and for their generosity and benevolence to the members , and their public and private virtues . There are some circumstances in these inscriptions ivhich would lead to the belief that Attalus , King of Pergamus , who was ahvays a warm supporter of the Order , ivas sometime before initiated . Such is the nature and history of the Dionysian artificers , that remarkable association who erected those splendid
edifices in Ionia , the ruins of which excite so much wonder , and to ivhom the world is indebted for all the improvements in architecture and science . Their further progress through Christian Europe is also extremely interesting . They struggle on , notwithstanding the edict of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry Among The Ancients.
Sidonians at the building of Solomon ' s temple . Professor Robison , who was not marvellously partial to them , admits that they existed in Judea , and came from Persia into Syria , with that style of architecture called Grecian * , which species of architecture , Josephus informs ust , was made use of at the building of the temple . The alliance of King Solomon with the roval family of Egypt , where the Dionysian mysteries
were extensively known , and the proximity of Jerusalem to that country , seem also to favour the supposition . About 300 years B . C . they were incorporated by the kings of Pergamus at Teos , which was assigned to them as a settlement , and where they continued for ages , a distinct and exclusive scientific association , engaged in the erection of works of art , and the celebration of their mysteries J . They were distinguished from the profane and uninitiated by their science and skill in architecture , by
appropriate words and signs , by which they could at once recognise their brethren in all parts of the globe § . They were divided into different lodges , distinguisliedhy different names , and possessed of distinct jurisdictions [| . They occasionally held festive and convivial meetings in lodges erected and consecrated for the purpose ; and each separate association was under the superintendance and control of a Master and Wardens . The place of assembly was called o-jwmia , the society itself ,. o-vmyoiyn , Hifia-ia- mnoZoe , xoivocr % . They held a general meeting , or grand festival , once a year , which was solemnised with the greatest pomp and splendour , and at ivhich the Brethren partook of a sumptuous
entertainment provided for them by the Master , after the celebration of their ceremonies ** . During the solemnization of their mysteries and ceremonial rites , they used utensils of a particular kind , some of which were , exactly similar to those at present made use of in Freemasons' Lodges tt . The wealthy artists were bound to relieve the necessities of their poor Brethren—but it is scarcely necessary to pursue the parallel further . — There is one circumstance , however , deserving of notice , which is , that
the monuments erected by these Masons in memory of their Masters and Wardens remain to the present day in the Turkish burial grounds at Sever-hissar and E-raki , and were visited by Chandler about the year 1770 . They were erected about 150 years B . C . The inscriptions on them were first published by the learned and laborious Chisul in 1728 , from copies taken by Consul Sherrard in 1709 , and examined in 1716 fj . They are very complimentary to their Masters and Wardens , and
express strongly the gratitude of the Brethren for their zeal and exertions on behalf of the Order , and for their generosity and benevolence to the members , and their public and private virtues . There are some circumstances in these inscriptions ivhich would lead to the belief that Attalus , King of Pergamus , who was ahvays a warm supporter of the Order , ivas sometime before initiated . Such is the nature and history of the Dionysian artificers , that remarkable association who erected those splendid
edifices in Ionia , the ruins of which excite so much wonder , and to ivhom the world is indebted for all the improvements in architecture and science . Their further progress through Christian Europe is also extremely interesting . They struggle on , notwithstanding the edict of