While casually perusing my 1859 Freemason's Monitor one evening, I came across an old lecture that contained, among other noteworthy things, two epistles quoted from Josephus's History of the Antiquity of the Jews. I had always planned on reading this historically factual work and was pleased to find something that I think is very relevant to freemasonry. I suppose the added intrigue is that we now have Biblical and historical evidence of some Masonic lore.
-- Michael Hayden
Letters from:
KING SOLOMON TO KING HIRAM:
"Know thou, that my father would have built a temple to God, but was hindered by wars and continual expeditions; for he did not leave off to overthrow his enemies, till he made them all subject to tribute: But I give thanks to God for the peace I at present enjoy: and on that account I am at leisure, and design to build an house to God; for God foretold to my father, that such an house should be built by me: Wherefore I desire thee to send some of they subjects with mine to Mount Lebanon, to cut down timber; for the Sidonians are more skillful than our people in cutting of wood: as for wages for the hewers of wood, I will pay whatsoever price thou shalt determine."
KING HIRAM TO KING SOLOMON:
"There is reason to bless God that he hat committed thy father's government to thee, who art a wise man and endued with all virtues: As for myself, I rejoice at the condition thou art in and will be subservient to the in all that thou requirest; for when by my servants I have cut down many and large trees, of Cedar and Cypress wood: I will send them to sea, and will order my subjects to make floats of them, and to sail to what place soever of thy country thou shalt desire, and leave them there; after which thy servants may carry them to Jerusalum: but do thou take care to procure corn for this timber, which we stand much in need of, because we inhabit an island."
Josephus continues:
" Solomon sent for an artificer out of Tyre, whose name was Hiram, by birth of the tribe of Naphtali, on the mother's side. This man was skillful in all sorts of works, but his chief skill lay in working with gold, silver, and brass."