Masonic Notes And Queries.

if its efforts were but conducted with unanimity . To be able to exert this influence , and thus to aid in carrying out the true mission of Masonry , the members of the fraternity must first be thoroughly imbued with a true knowledge and appreciation of the history and nature of the institution , for without such knowledge , they will be labouring in the dark . To impart this knowledge is the true duty of the Master of a lodge , and he who is incompetent or unwilling to do so is unworthy of that honourable position .

THE NAME OP HIRAM ABIFP . The first mention of Hiram , the Architect , occurs in 1 Kings vii . 13 , 14 . He is next mentioned in the 40 th verse , and again once in the 45 th verse of the same chapter . Thus wo find Hiram's name four times in the Book of Kings , without any mention of the term " Abiff . " In Chronicles we find the name is written Jlura-m , and tho Architect is spoken ofbut not by namein 2

Chron-, , icles ii . 13 . "And now I have sent a cunning man ( endued with understanding ) of Hiram my fathers . " In the Hebrew text , the word rendered " my father ' s" is in English letters , " Abi . " ( The Hebrew word "Ab " signifies "father , " "Abi" " my fattier , " and "Abiv , " " his father . " ) In 2 Chronicles iv . 11 . he is spoken of by name twiceand in the 16 th verse we read" All their

, , instruments did Hiram my father make to King Solomon , " & c . Here the word rendered " his father " by our transittors , is in English characters "Abiff . " We have , therefore , in the books of Kings and Chronicles six instances of the use of the Architect ' s name , without the term " Abi" or " Abif , " and once with each of those terms , which however are not considered as surnames of

Hiram , in the English translations . The phrase " Hiram , my father ' s " has been interpreted as signifying " belonging to my father , " thus giving a stronger meaning to the prefix in the original , attached to the name Hiram . The term " Abif , " rendered " his father , " often occurs in the Hebrew writings to denote a chief , leader , principal , or counsellor . Hence priests and prophets , as teachers sent

with Divine authority , arc saluted with the title of father , out ¦ of respect and honour even by kings . It has been urged in favour of this translation , that there is no instaneo of a surname in the Old

Testament . In tho Latin Vulgate and in the Greek Septuagiut , the term " Hiram Abi" is rendered " Hiram my father . " It is a similar fact , however , that while the Masonic tradition leaves the word " Abiff" untranslated , and gives it as a surname of Hiram , Luther in his German translation of the Bible does the same , in both places where it occurs , viz . -. " So sende Ich nun eincn

T ^ eisender Verstand trat , Ihirum Abiff , " ( 2 Chron . ii . 13 ) , and " machete Huraim Abif den Konige Salomo , " ( 2 Chron . iv . 16 . ) The Polish version of 1810 is like Luther ' s , with the exception of " Abi" for " Abif . " Tho question now arises , why should not the words Abif ishtzori be translated , " And Abif was a man of Tyre , " & cand not " his father was a man of T " The

con-, yre . cluding portion of both the verses in which the above sentence occurs certainly alludes to the qualifications of Hiram the architect , and uot to those of his father , Why should his father be mentioned at all , as a man of Tyre , when we are told that he ( Hiram ) was a widow ' s son . This is all that the Scriptures know of him , and he certainly was not known by any distinction which his

father ever achieved . If we retain the English version " and his father" ( 1 Kings vii . 14 . ) then we must refer the subsequent words , " And he was filled with wisdom and understanding and cunning to work all works in brass , " to Hiram ' s father and not to himself . In 2 Chron . ii . 13-14 , it becomes still more evident that Hiram ' s surname was AbifThe version of King James

. in its translation , here introduces to the reader still another father , of whom even less is known than of the one in Kings vii . 14 , viz .: a father of King Hiram . "And now have I sent a cunning man , of Huram my fathers . " I __ support of this latter rendering , it is

contended that the Hebrew proposition L , prefixed to the word Hiram , shows it to be in the dative or genitive case ( to or of my father ) and not in the accusative . But we find this prefix used in some instances by Hebrew writers in the accusative , after the Chaldic manner , which uses it in the same manner after active verbs ; so also does the Syriac and JDthioptic . It must be

evident , beyond the shadow of a doubt , to any one at all familiar with the Hebrew , from the intimate connexion of the words in 2 Chron . ii . 13-14 , that these verses should bo translated , " And now I have sent a cunning man ( endued with understanding , ) Hiram Abi , the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan . And Abif was a man of Tyre , skilful " to work in gold , and in silver ,

brass , " & c . The common version is in those verses most transparently wrong . Luther ' s version being then the only correct one , a curious question arises . Did those who introduced the legend of Hiram Abif into Masonry receive the tradition originally from Germany ? The question is worthy of investigation . It is very generally believed among Masons , that the tradition concerning

Hiram is contained in the Talmud : such , however , is not the case , for the whole of that voluminous work contains no further information in regard to the Master Builder than what is contained in tho Old Testament . Neither is it to be found in any of the old Hebrew books , and it remains to this day , simply what it is , a mere tradition without a shadow of authenticity .

MASONIC STATISTICS . 1 . Great Britain . Prov . G . Founded . Lodges . lodges . G . Lodge of England , 1717 63 1000 G . Lodge of Scotland , 1736 88 300 G . Lodge of Ireland , 1730 10 300 2 . France .

Grand Orient , 1772 — 172 Supreme Council of France 1804 — 50 3 . Germany . G . U . Mother L . 3 Globes , Berlin , 1744 — 97 G . Landesloge of Germany 1770 5- 67 G . L . Royal York of

friendship , Berlin , 1778 1 — G . L . Royal York of Friendship , Berlin , 1798 — 27 G . L . of Hamburg , 1811 1 24 G . L . of Hanover , 1823 — 21 G . L . of Saxony , 1811 — . 15 G . L . oftheSun , Bayrenth , 1811 - — 10

G . Mother Lodge of Eclectic "Union , Frankfort , A . M . 1823 — 10 G . L . " zur Eintraeht , " Darmstadt . 1846 — 7 Sup . Masonic Council of Luxemburg , — 2 Isolated Lodges ( 5 ) and

under foreign Grand Lodges ( 2 ) , — 7 4 . Switzerland . Grand Lodge , Alpina , 1844 -- 27 5 . Portugal . G . L . of Portugal (?) — — Prov . G . IiOdge of Ireland

at Lisbon , — 4 6 . Belgium . Grand Orient of Belgium , ( not acknowledged . ) — — Supreme Council of Belgium , at Brussels , ™_— — 13 7 . Netherlands .

" Groot Osten" cf the Netherlands , at the Hague , 1756 — 67 8 . Denmark . Grand Landesloge of Denmark , Copenhagen , 1792 — 5 9 . S-iveden and Jforway . G . Landesloge of Sweden , 1780 3 12