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Article ON THE STUDY OF MASONIC ANTIQUITIES. ← Page 7 of 14 →
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On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
the genius of each particular language * but upon certain organs ofthe animal man , and as these are uniform throughout the whole race , the same alphabet would be applicable to every language . This discovery would soon be known by the neighbouring nations , and in no very long time it would be generally adopted . Each separate people would not repeat the process by which the first inventor had arrived at so happy a resultbut each would ( if I may be allowed the expression ) translate
, their own pictures into the two-and-twenty sounds already provided for them ; and hence it is that we find almost every nation claiming to itself the discovery of letters . Each one no doubt may put in a claim for this honour , as far as it consists in having reduced pictures to a phonetic language , after the first discoverers had given them the key ' . ' Dr . Lamb ' s work goes to show , and that in most instances very satisfactorily , that each Hebrew character was derived from an hieroglyphical
original ; and , as the sacred books of the Jews were undoubtedly first represented in hieroglyphics , before their transition to alphabetic characters , this part of the enquiry becomes of more than ordinary importance , by enabling us to ascertain the correct meaning of many
expressions , of which , for want of the original pictures we are now entirely ignorant ; whereas the exhibition of those original pictures may lead to the explanation of many difficult passages in the Bible , and to the confirmation or illustration of those important truths in which the whole human race are so deeply interested . I may here take occasion to observe , that the immediate reference of many of my remarks to Freemasonry , as generally understood , cannot at once be comprehended by every Brother , inasmuch as it requires a
full acquaintance with the sublime and ineffable degrees to arrive at their ultimate meaning , —but those who have passed the Holy Royal Arch will be enabled to apprehend their reference—and one of the principal objects of the present investigation is to lead the enquiring Brother to the consideration of subjects so intimately interwoven with the sublime mysteries of Freemasonry , and of themselves so essentially important to his present and eternal welfare . Our Reverend Brother , DR . WOLFF , states that he entered our venerable fraternity for two reasons—¦
1 . In order to increase his usefulness for the benefit of his fellowcreatures . 2 . To be enabled to enter more fully into the depths of sacred antiquity . These are rational inducements , and in precise accordance with the objects of the present enquiry . But to proceed . In reference to the Volume of the Sacred Law it will be perceived ou
careful perusal , that the Book of GENESIS contains two histories , which are perfectly distinct . One , the account of the creation and the general history of mankind up to the dispersion , terminating in the ninth verse ofthe eleventh chapter , —and the other , comprising thehistory of Abraham , from the call of the patriarch in Ihe Land of Ur , to the death of Joseph . Between these two Histories a long period . intervenes , during which the Scriptures are silent as to the history of mankind , —and the interval can only be supplied by deeply pursuing such investigations as those in which we are now engaged .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Study Of Masonic Antiquities.
the genius of each particular language * but upon certain organs ofthe animal man , and as these are uniform throughout the whole race , the same alphabet would be applicable to every language . This discovery would soon be known by the neighbouring nations , and in no very long time it would be generally adopted . Each separate people would not repeat the process by which the first inventor had arrived at so happy a resultbut each would ( if I may be allowed the expression ) translate
, their own pictures into the two-and-twenty sounds already provided for them ; and hence it is that we find almost every nation claiming to itself the discovery of letters . Each one no doubt may put in a claim for this honour , as far as it consists in having reduced pictures to a phonetic language , after the first discoverers had given them the key ' . ' Dr . Lamb ' s work goes to show , and that in most instances very satisfactorily , that each Hebrew character was derived from an hieroglyphical
original ; and , as the sacred books of the Jews were undoubtedly first represented in hieroglyphics , before their transition to alphabetic characters , this part of the enquiry becomes of more than ordinary importance , by enabling us to ascertain the correct meaning of many
expressions , of which , for want of the original pictures we are now entirely ignorant ; whereas the exhibition of those original pictures may lead to the explanation of many difficult passages in the Bible , and to the confirmation or illustration of those important truths in which the whole human race are so deeply interested . I may here take occasion to observe , that the immediate reference of many of my remarks to Freemasonry , as generally understood , cannot at once be comprehended by every Brother , inasmuch as it requires a
full acquaintance with the sublime and ineffable degrees to arrive at their ultimate meaning , —but those who have passed the Holy Royal Arch will be enabled to apprehend their reference—and one of the principal objects of the present investigation is to lead the enquiring Brother to the consideration of subjects so intimately interwoven with the sublime mysteries of Freemasonry , and of themselves so essentially important to his present and eternal welfare . Our Reverend Brother , DR . WOLFF , states that he entered our venerable fraternity for two reasons—¦
1 . In order to increase his usefulness for the benefit of his fellowcreatures . 2 . To be enabled to enter more fully into the depths of sacred antiquity . These are rational inducements , and in precise accordance with the objects of the present enquiry . But to proceed . In reference to the Volume of the Sacred Law it will be perceived ou
careful perusal , that the Book of GENESIS contains two histories , which are perfectly distinct . One , the account of the creation and the general history of mankind up to the dispersion , terminating in the ninth verse ofthe eleventh chapter , —and the other , comprising thehistory of Abraham , from the call of the patriarch in Ihe Land of Ur , to the death of Joseph . Between these two Histories a long period . intervenes , during which the Scriptures are silent as to the history of mankind , —and the interval can only be supplied by deeply pursuing such investigations as those in which we are now engaged .