Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE THEATRICAL 33 8 FREEMASONRY AND ISRAELITISM 339 & 340 THE FAIR SEX AND ADOPTIVE MASONRY 340 & 341 DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF BOMBAY ... 341 & 342

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DERBYSHIRE ... 342 PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKS AND BUCKS 342 & 343 THE

CRAFTProvincial 343 BUSINESS TO BE TRANSACTED IN GRAND LODGE 344 & 345 MOLTUM IN PARVO ... 345 & 346

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE — " Oar Ancient Brethren " once more 34 6 Qualificatkm for the Mark Chair 346 " Freemasonry and Israelitism " 346 ROYAL

ARCHMetropolitan 346 ANCIENT RUINS 347 DON ' T GET DISCOURAGED ... 347 THE SANATORIUM AT WESTON-SUPER-MARE

Masonic Ceremonial 348 & 349 SCOTLANDDairy 349 ALLEGHENY COMMANDERY NO . 35 , P ENNSYL

VANIACrusade to Europe 349

POETRYBetter 349 Is MASONRY A RELIGION ? 349 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 350 ADVERTISEMENTS 337 , 33 8 , 350 , & 351

Freemasonry & Israelitism.

FREEMASONRY & ISRAELITISM .

BY BRO . WILLIAM CARPENTER , P . M . & P . Z . 177 11 . In pursuing the subject opened in my former paper , I promise to be as brief as is consistent with intelligibility , but I fear I shall have to

appeal to the patience of some of your readers . To come at once to the subject , I observe that the consideration of the problem I have presented , furnishes , as it seems to me , one link in a chain of circumstances which lead to the

conclusion that we , as a portion of that great race now identified with the western and southern nations of Europe , thc States of America , thc

British colonies , __ c , bear a closer affinity to the Hebrew race than is dreamt of in our philosophy .

I do not know that I need say anything to Freemasons on behalf of such an enquiry as that I propose . Apart from the interest it must possess for all who have a perception of the

connexion between the Craft and the history of God ' s ancient people , and who feel the importance of obtaining as thorough a knowledge as can be obtained of the meaning of those

prophecies which relate to the future of a people with so many of whom we are associated in the bonds of brotherhood , we are called upon , individually , in the course of our Masonic

advancement , to regard , as amongst the peculiar objects of our research , those things which will the better enable us to estimate the wonderful works of the Almighty . Need I ask whether the

whole history of Israel , and the many prophecies pointing more or less clearly to its future , are not amongst the most wonderful works of the Almighty , as demonstrating the exercise of His

moral government , the maintenance of His covenant promises , and the unchangeableness of His divine purpose in tlie final redemption of mankind ? Believing this to be so , I venture to hope that many of my brethren will not object

Freemasonry & Israelitism.

that I should invite them to a careful consideration of the subject . In treating it , I shall take two things for granted , each of which is placed beyond doubt . ( 1 ) . That the history of the

conquest , by Assyria , of the ten tribes , or kingdom of Israel or Ephraim , as we have it in the Old Testament scriptures , is an authentic history : and ( 2 ) , that the prophecies of the Old

Testament , relating to this extraordinary people , have been , or will be , fulfilled . A short review of that history is necessary to the understanding of our subject .

Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob governed their respective families with unlimited parental authority . They were powerful princes , as the Emirs of the Nomads are to the present day .

Their families and dependents formed very large bodies , and he who was the head of them was quite independent , owing allegiance to none , but forming alliances with other princes , and even

with kings . For their own vassals they were the priests , the chiefs , and the judges they exercised , in fact , all the functions of sacerdotal , civil , and military autocrats . The twelve sons of

Jacob appear to have ruled their several families in like manner , but when their descendants had so far increased as to form tribes , each tribe had a prince as its ruler . Originally , this office

appears to have been hereditary , belonging to the eldest son of the- founder of the tribe , but , afterwards , as the tribes increased in number , it became elective . The tribes were subdivided

into Families or Houses—clans—the rulers of which were denominated " Heads of Houses of Fathers , " "Heads of Thousands , " & c , but were in rank subordinate to the princes . This form

of government exists to the present day among the Nomads , especially the Bedouin Arabs , who call their princes Emirs , and their heads of clans Sheicks . The Emirs have their secretaries ,

answering to the Soterim among the Hebrews , who sustained an important part in the government of the people . This form of government seems to have been maintained by the Hebrews

while they dwelt 111 Egypt , where they were treated as guests , rather than subjects , until the entrance of a foreign dynasty of monarchs , who either not knowing or not caring for the services which

one of their ancestors had rendered to the nation , looked upon them as intruders , and subjected them to the cruel treatment of bondsmen . The time of their deliverance at length arrived , and

He who had covenanted with their fathers to be their God , to give them the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession , and to make them the witnesses of His Almighty power and beneficence

( Genesis XVH . 4-9 , xvin . 18 , xxii . 18 ) , in order to secure those great and beneficent purposes , so far changed their civil polity as to unite more closely the whole people ; and the knowledge and

worship of God was so intimately connected with the political structure of the nation that the one could not be maintained without the other . Jehovah assumed a marked and visible relation

to thc people , becoming their law-giver , supreme judge , and king ; appointing judges and magistrates , making peace and war , and receiving the half-shekel as a tribute for revenue . We call

this form of government by the distinctive appellation of a Theocracy . The laws ware unalterable ( Dent . iv . 1 and 2 , xii . 32 ); and without the sanction of Jehovah , made known by Urim and

Thummim , no measure of importance could be undertaken . The Tabernacle and the Temple were regarded as the palace of the Great King , the priests and Levites as His attendants , and

Freemasonry & Israelitism.

tlie sacrifices , the libations of wine , and the shew bread as thc daily provision for His household . It is only by taking this view of the Hebrew government that we can understand the

reason for various prescribed laws and institutions under that dispensation . As soon as the people had taken possession of the land promised to them , they exhibited a desire to return to

their ancient form of society , and this they were permitted to do , under such modifications as rendered it compatible with the Theocratic character to which we have referred . They had

the princes of tribes , and , under them , the princes of families , or commanders of hundreds . The heads ofthe respective tribes presided over their

affairs , administered justice in many cases , and led the troops in time of war ; while the heads of families formed a council in such matters of

policy as affected their particular districts , subject to the decision of the prince , in civil and criminal inquiries , and commanded under him in the field . These Heads of tribes and of families

constituted thenational senate , whose deliberations guided the administration of affairs in all cases of difficulty , and thus formed the bond of a federative society . Each tribe composed one entire

political community , and these , m some respects , acted as independent nations , sometimes alone , and sometimes partly in conjunction with those who made common cause with them against tlieir

enemies . Nevertheless , Jehovah was the King of the whole people ( 1 Sam . xii . 12 ) , who had one common temple , one common oracle , one common high priest , the prime minister of the

king * a common learned class who possessed cities in all the tribes , and one common law of church and state . The advances made in the art of government of the people are very

marked , and one can hardly avoid , even in this brier glance , comparing it with the progress in the art of government amongst ourselves . They did not rest in the patriarchal form . As

soon as circumstances permitted , they were accustomed , first , to aristocratic rule , or government by a few—these being the natiural leaders of the peonle . They had thereafter introduced

the democratic principle—the people delegating their power to men who acted in their name , either for counsel or for judgment . At length the jealousies and disunion of the tribes , the

effeminacy and cowardice of the people , their disposition to neglect their Divine King , and the degeneracy of Samuel's sons , who had been appointed subordinate judges or deputies , culminated in a revolt airainst their invisible and

Divine King , and they resolved to have a king , such ' as other nations had , who might lead them to battle and victory ( 1 Sam . viii . ) . Samuel , after pointing out thc many and serious evils

which might result from thus raising one of themselves to the supreme power , presented to them Saul , of the tribe of Benjamin , the smallest in Israel , and of a family which was the smallest

of the tribe , and he was elected king of the people ( 1 Sam . x . 24 ; xi . 15 ) We need not advert to the character of Saul ' s reign , further than to say that he was victorious over all the

surrounding enemies of the people , that he administered civil affairs without aiming at any royal splendour , and that he restrained the

tendency of thc people to idolatrous practices ; but that , failing to adapt himself to the theocratic nature of the Hebrew Constitution , he proved himself unfit to be the founder of a royal house . The kingdom was transferred to David , a shepherd boy ofthe tribe of Judah , which Jacob had