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Some Judaic Aspects of Freemasonry

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
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Considering how frequently our ritual repeats the Craft's close connections with King Solomon and his Temple, it is not surprising to find Freemasonry so closely equated to Judaism, among the uninitiated particularly. It is all the more ironic, therefore, that Jews would have had to have been excluded by our Masonic forbearers because of the very nature of the early charges. The preamble to each begins with a prayer to '... the Father of Heaven, the Glorious Son ...'. Without wishing to be embroiled in the debate as to our origins, the charges may be described as the founding documents, so to speak, of modern speculative Freemasonry. They were the rules and regulations by which operative Masonic Lodges governed their affairs. The earliest known is the Regius Manuscript, now in the British Museum and dated 1390. Over one hundred such charges written during the following four Centuries have been found and studied as a source, if nothing else, of the inspiration for our beginnings.

When the premier Grand Lodge was formed in England in 1717, there were estimated to be just 1000 Jews in England. Their involvement in Freemasonry would in any case have been limited. Laurence Dermott, that most remarkable Freemason and secretary of the 'Antients' Grand Lodge formed in 1751, was also critical of the premier Grand Lodge for allowing the 'de-Christianization' of the Craft. It is here that we come to one of the more intriguing aspects of Judaism in Freemasonry; namely the publication in 1756, of the first book of the Antients Grand Lodge, with the unusual Hebrew Title 'Ahiman Rezon'. For over two hundred years, scholars have puzzled on the meaning of 'Ahiman Rezon' and even more importantly, as to why Laurence Dermott chose a Hebrew title for the Constitutions of the Antients. Was he not himself, after all, adverse to Jewish involvement in Freemasonry?

There are, on the other hand, a few more curious facts. These same Constitutions expressly state on the title page '... with prayers for Jews ...'. Could this have been an attempt by the Antients Grand Lodge to gain greater membership in the light, possibly of the increasing competition with the premier Grand Lodge of England? Even before the Constitutions were published, the very first minutes of the Antients Grand Lodge meetings of December 1751 are signed by Laurence Dermott as Grand Secretary ... in Hebrew, followed by the word 'Sofer' (pronounced Soh-fehr, in Hebrew: Torah scribe, author) also in the Hebrew alphabet. This is usually explained as Dermott expressing, if not demonstrating his scholarly status, which included a good knowledge of the Hebrew language. The Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research in London has had several papers presented and published in its transactions, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, on the subject. The definitive answer about 'Ahiman Rezon' and Dermott's interest in Judaism still eludes us.

Source: The Israeli Freemason
 

Luigi Visentin

Registered User
The Freemasons of early eighteen century had as first reference the Christian Kabbalah for their teachings, which was a sort of "method" to fuse the Christianity, Ebraism with a little attention to Islam too. Later on, the interest for Christian Kabbalah decreased and increased the one for the Jewish Kabbalah, exactly as it happened in the "profane" world in the same period. This is the reason of the introduction of hebraic symbols.


PS: the reference to Solomon Temple and other biblical characters present in ancient manuscripts have nothing to do with Hebraism. This is the reason why all researches failed to give an answer about origin of Freemasonry.
 
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Winter

Premium Member
While the temple of Solomon the Great has never been found the temple of Suleiman the Magnificent still exists. Solomon and Suleiman have very similar reputations and very similar life histories. Solomon is not mentioned in the earliest versions of the OT. Odd really.

Of course they haven't found the First Temple. It was completely destroyed by the Babylonians over 2500 years ago. Then the site was covered by a second temple that the Romans destroyed. And then the area had mosques built on it that make sure the site can never be archaeologically excavated. And while Suleiman styled himself a new Solomon, I fail to see your connection between the Beit HaMikdash and his mosque in Istanbul. Your statement seems to imply that it is a suitable replacement. I'm sure Suleiman seems very admirable, unless you lived in one of the Christian areas he conquered.

When you say Solomon is not mentioned in early versions of the OT, are you referring to the Jewish TaNaKh or the Christian Old Testament compiled much later?
 

Winter

Premium Member
If you have been following the work of Fomenko (7 volumes of new chronology) you will recall that there is some issue as to whether the Old Testament was actually written after the New Testament
https://www.amazon.com/History-Fiction-Anatoly-T-Fomenko/dp/2913621023
http://chronologia.org/en/

Except that Fomenko's ideas have been universally rejected by the entirety of ACTUAL scholars and researchers. Come on, his crack pot ideas and theories are ridiculous and don't even deserve consideration. And your statement is as ridiculous as any of Fomenko's.
 

Luigi Visentin

Registered User
Every country has its author of pseudohistory. In Italy was Kolosimo, in Swiss von Däniken, Hancock in Britain... ops perhaps also my work could be included in the club ;). If I will sell as many books as these authors ... well, it would not be so bad to be in the club :D:D:D.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I need hardly point out that Newton, Freud and Ford all thought that standard history is "bunk"

So it's OK to post crackpot theories here as if they were legitimate because you're misrepresenting a historical quote? The "history is bunk" quotation refers to living in the present and is easily researched. But probably not in one of the books you are going to cite to refute me. lol
 

Elexir

Registered User
I need hardly point out that Newton, Freud and Ford all thought that standard history is "bunk"

Well science has moved on since Newton and Freud and since neither was focused on history but rather science/alchemy and psychology Im not sure how their opinions could be used as source for anything.
Not sure wich Ford you are refering to.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
JustJames said:
I need hardly point out that Newton, Freud and Ford all thought that standard history is "bunk"
Yet, you feel a need to point this out, using authority figures to make a point that has nothing to do with the thread discussion.

Remind me, which logical fallacy it this?
 

CLewey44

Registered User
I would be curious as to why there are no active, major 'Jewish faith only' concordant bodies with Freemasonry. I had read that the Order of the Golden Chain was, more or less, the non-secular, slightly more Jewish version of the OES. You would think there would be at least one somewhat prominent Jewish Order within Masonry. I understand there are way more Christians so by default there are less (or none) Jewish Orders within the Craft.....maybe I answered my own question there...
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I would be curious as to why there are no active, major 'Jewish faith only' concordant bodies with Freemasonry. I had read that the Order of the Golden Chain was, more or less, the non-secular, slightly more Jewish version of the OES. You would think there would be at least one somewhat prominent Jewish Order within Masonry. I understand there are way more Christians so by default there are less (or none) Jewish Orders within the Craft.....maybe I answered my own question there...
How would you define the membership requirement?
 

CLewey44

Registered User
How would you define the membership requirement?
Good question. I would assume similarly to KT or SRICF. They require a Christian belief, at least the SRICF does. I think there are other Orders that may as well have a Christian requirement the deeper down the rabbit hole you go. If you professed to be Jewish or of Jewish faith, I suppose that would be as adequate as any other question we are asked within Masonry about our faiths.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Good question. I would assume similarly to KT or SRICF. They require a Christian belief, at least the SRICF does. I think there are other Orders that may as well have a Christian requirement the deeper down the rabbit hole you go. If you professed to be Jewish or of Jewish faith, I suppose that would be as adequate as any other question we are asked within Masonry about our faiths.
Yes, RCC, CBCS, AAR in England, ROS all require a profession of either the Christian faith or that one be a Trinitarian Christian. KYCH does so by the KT prerequisite.

So, “Do you confess the Jewish belief?” would be the question? Hmm. I’ll defer to our Jewish brethren on that one.

I wonder how the requirements were for the erstwhile Order of Judas Maccabeus were phrased.
 

David612

Registered User
Not quite on topic but the Scottish rite local to me requires a Christian faith- I personally find it quite hard to understand the requirement.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I would be curious as to why there are no active, major 'Jewish faith only' concordant bodies with Freemasonry. I had read that the Order of the Golden Chain was, more or less, the non-secular, slightly more Jewish version of the OES. You would think there would be at least one somewhat prominent Jewish Order within Masonry. I understand there are way more Christians so by default there are less (or none) Jewish Orders within the Craft.....maybe I answered my own question there...

I would posit that the reason is that any group with a restricted membership for Jews is too easy to become a target for anti-Semitic attacks. Even among my fellow enlightened Freemasons.

How would you define the membership requirement?

Good question since even among Jews we cannot come to a consensus as to what qualifies. :)
 
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