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We are told in the First part of the
Traditional History that, fifteen fellow crafts of that
superior class, conspired, etc. At the moment, however,
of carrying their conspiracy into execution, twelve
of them recanted, but three, of a more determined and
atrocious character than the rest persisted in their
impious design etc., resulting in the death of our Master
Hiram Abif. We are also told of the manner in which
our Master was slain.
We are further informed in the Second
part of the Traditional History of the utter confusion
that prevaild in the absence of Hiram Abif and of the
overseers deputing some of their eminent numbers to
acuaint King Solomon of the situation. Being perturbed
with the news, King Solomon orders a master of all workmen
when theree overseers of the same class are found missing.
On the same day the twelve F.C.s who had recanted came
before the king and made a voluntary confession of all
they knew down to the time of theis with drawal from
the intended crime. King Solomon then selected fifteen
trusty craftsmen and ordered them to make a deligent
search over the person of our Master. They formed into
three craft Lodges and went in search; the second batch
was lucky in finding the body of our Master very indecently
burried and the third batch could catch the murderers
and produce them before King Solomon. King Solomon put
them to that death which the heineousness of their crime
amply meritted.
It is curious that during this long
narration we are not told the names of the three Ruffians
are given as Jubela, Jubeo and Jubelum. We do not find
these names in the Bible and so they must have been
from other source. It is very interesting to note that
some western writers attribute these names of Hindu
origin. According to them the last letters of the three
names viz, Jubla, Jubelo, and Jubelum form the word
AGM, pronounced OUM or Om they word very highly prized
and greatly revered by the Hidnus. Hindus attribute
this word to creation itself and to cosmos. This word
being so auspecious what has it got to do with three
Ruffians? According to these writers OUM represents
the creative, preservative and destructive aspects of
creation alluding to brahma, Vishnu adn Shiva and here
it should be taken to represent Lord Shiva, the destroyer.
Curioues and interesting indeed ! A deeper research
requires to be made of this. Does it mean that Freemasonary
has a Hindu origin?
According to ancient irish Rituals,
the second part of the Traditional History is some what
diferent from ours, and I personally feel and it is
more logical and gives meanting, According to it, King
Solomon does not select a separate team of fifteen trusty
craftsmen. He is so appreciative of the innocense and
honesty of the twelve recanters that he asks them alone
to make a deligent search after the person of our Master.
It may also be his reason that these twelve have seen
and known the Three Ruffians and so would be easier
for them to trace the culprits. They form in to four
Lodges of three each (not threeof five each) and go
in search in all the four directions, North, South,
East and West. One of these batches travelled down to
the sea of Joppa, in the west. When one of them sat
himself down to rest by the side of luck he heard frightful
lamination in a cloft of the rocks. One of the laminators
was saying "oh that I have had my throat cut across
and my tongue torn ot by the root and then bureryled
in the sands of the sea at low water mark a cables length
from the shore where the tide ebbs and flows twice in
twenty four hours rather than I had been concerned in
the death of our Master Hiram Said the other, "Oh
I that I had had my hearttorn from under my naked left
breast and given to the vultures of the air as prey,
rather than I had been concerned in the death of so
good a Master "But oh" says Jubetum the hird
lamentor "I struck him harder than you both and
I killed him Oh I that I had had my body severed in
two, my bowels burnt to ashes and the ashes scattered
before the four winds of the earth rather than I had
been concerned in the death of our Master,, Hiram".
Hearing these sorrowful lamentations of the three, the
Brother who was resting haild the other two and they
went into the cleft of the rock, recognised than, took
them, bound them and brought them before King Soloman.
They owned what had passed and what they had done and
did not desire to live. Therefore King Solomon ordered
their own sentences to be laid upon them. Says he, they
have signed their own death and let it be up on them
as they have said "Appoirdidgiy and umbelsevas
taken but and his throat cut across etc., jabelo's healt
was tom from under his naked laft breast etc. jubelumbls
body was sevoted in two etc.
Don't these give a clue and a meaning
to the traditional renalties which at oen time were
include in our obligations of the first, second and
third degrees repectively and to thbsigns of three jegrees
? How interesting ?
Reference
1. The M. M. Book by W. Bro J. S. J.
Ward
2. The three distinct knocks at the
door of the Most Ancient Freemasonry.
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