FINAL WARNING: The Birth of Tyranny
Indian and Egyptian, and is designed to show the unity of several god-
ideas in the ancient religions, as well as with those of Freemasonry.”A story recounted in Masonic tradition, has to do with Hiram Abiff, a
Syrian Master Mason, known as the architect of Tyre, who was said to
be hired by Solomon to build the Temple. He was killed by three Fellow-
Crafts, when he would not reveal the secret Masonic word (so they
could get Master’s wages in foreign countries), which was engraved on
a gold triangle he wore around his neck. Solomon found the triangle,
and had it placed in a secret vault under the Temple. Abiff later became
a Christ-like figure to the Masons. Mackey said that “Hiram represent
(s) a popular Syrian god against whom the champions of Jehovah (the
Jews) strove ceaselessly.” Another Mason, Daniel Sickles, correlates
him with an Egyptian god, and Pierson’s Traditions of Freemasonry
said that he actually represented all of the pagan sun gods, as does
Mackey’s Lexicon of Freemasonry. What this does, is to relate the
message that it was the sun god who was the builder of the Temple,
which makes this Temple symbolic, and not to be confused with the
Jewish Temple. Pike said in his Morals and Dogma, that the “Temple of
Solomon presented a symbolic image of the Universe; and resembled,
in its arrangements and furniture, all the temples of the ancient nations
that practiced the mysteries.”In ancient Greece, there were organized groups, or guilds (like our
unions), such as the ‘Dionysiacs,’ and in Rome, the ‘Collegium
Muriorum,’ who built the temples and stadiums. These groups, who
were the forerunners of the Masons, were the draftsmen, builders,
carpenters, and craftsmen who erected the huge cathedrals, castles,
abbeys and churches during the Middle Ages. Because they ‘lodged’
or lived together during the construction, this is where the term
‘masonic lodge’ was originated.The First Grand Lodge of England met at York in 926, where they
adopted handsigns and passwords to identify themselves. Their
workplace, or Lodges, was where their initiations, rites, rituals and
ceremonies took place. Within their inner circles, witchcraft was
practiced.In the 13th century, they formed an association, headquartered at
Cologne, with Lodges at Strasbourg, Vienna, and Zurich. They called