- Hiram Abiff
Hiram Abiff is a character who figures prominently in an allegoricalcite book
last = Emulation Lodge Of Improvement
title = Emulation Ritual
publisher = Lewis Masonic
location = London
date=2007
isbn = 0-8531-8244-2] play that is presented during the third degree of CraftFreemasonry . In this play, Hiram is presented as being the chief architect of King Solomon's Temple, who is murdered by three ruffians during an unsuccessful attempt to force him to divulge the secret password of Master Mason. [Samuel Pritchard, "Masonry Dissected" (1730), in D. Knoop, G.P. Jones & D. Hamer, "The Early Masonic Catechisms", Manchester University Press, 1963.] It is explained in the lecture that follows this play that the story is a lesson in fidelity to one's word, and in the brevity of life.Numerous scholars, both Masonic and non-Masonic, have speculated that the character may have been based upon one or more Hirams that appear in the
Bible . For example, in theMasonic ritual Hiram is referred to as 'the Widow's Son', which is similar to a biblical reference to a Hiram found in1 Kings 7:13–14.Hirams in the Bible
The name "Hiram Abiff" does not appear as such in the
Bible , but there are three references to people named Hiram that are present:* Hiram, King of Tyre, is credited in 2 Samuel 5:11 and 1 Kings 5:1-10 for having sent building materials and men for the original construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This biblical Hiram is clearly not the inspiration for the Masonic Hiram Abiff, as the Masonic drama has a separate character named "Hiram, King of Tyre".
*In
1 Kings 7:13–14, Hiram is described as the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali who was the son of a Tyrian bronze worker, contracted by Solomon to cast the bronze furnishings and ornate decorations for the new temple. From this reference, Freemasons often refer to Hiram (with the added Abiff) as "the widow's son". Hiram lived or at least temporarily worked in clay banks (1 Kings 7:46-47) in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarthan.* Hiram (often spelled Huram ["Huram" in the following translations: King James Version, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English, Darby, Noah Webster, World English, Young's Literal. Source: [http://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/B14C002.htm#V13 http://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/B14C002.htm#V13] ] ), a craftsman of great skill sent from Tyre. 2 Chronicles 2:13-14 relates a formal request from King Solomon of Jerusalem to King Hiram I of Tyre, for workers and for materials to build a new temple; King Hiram responds "And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father." [2 Chronicles 2:13-14, New King James Version - From [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=14&chapter=2&version=50 BibleGateway.com] ] In the original Hebrew version of 2 Chronicles 2:13, the phrase translated above as "Huram my master craftsman" is "ChVUrM 'aBY," "Hiram Abi." [ [http://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/B14C002.htm#V13 http://www.hebrewoldtestament.com/B14C002.htm#V13] ]
Note that the translation "Hiram my master craftsman" occurs only in the New King James Version. In other versions, "abi" is translated most often as "father", sometimes "master," or else "Hiram Abi" is left untranslated as a proper name. [ibid.]
Peake's Commentary on the Bible , referring to Chronicles II-13, simply states "Huram-abi: RSV correctly reads this as the full name", and the ESV (English Standard Version) gives the same translation "Huram-Abi" rather than "Huram my master..."Other versions of the legend of Hiram Abiff
In the book "The Secret Societies of All Ages and Countries", Charles William Heckethorn relates one version of the story.
Hiram Abiff is described as being a descendant of
Tubal-Cain , who worked in the construction of theTemple of Solomon . Solomon showed the temple to theQueen of Sheba (here named Balkis), who was very impressed by the work. Solomon married her. She later determined to see the architect, and Solomon was forced to introduce them. The queen fell in love with the architect, and Solomon determined to humiliate and ruin Hiram. Solomon sabotaged one of Hiram's creations, from which Hiram was miraculously rescued by his ancestor Tubal-Cain. Hiram left Jerusalem, and was later followed by the Queen. Together, they professed their love. Solomon ordered the execution of the architect, who was buried by his killers.The author himself clearly states that the entire story is unsupported by any historical evidence and that there is no reason to believe it is not a total fabrication. However, it is not entirely clear that the story as related above necessarily existed whole from the beginning, or may have itself been developed subsequently, or that any later additions are themselves the work of Freemasons. His version of the story does not match any of the authorized published versions of Masonic ritual, nor that of any other unauthorized exposé.Fact|date=January 2008
Christopher Knight and
Robert Lomas , suggest in their book "The Hiram Key " that Hiram Abiff was the Thebanpharaoh Tao II the Brave .Other uses of the name Hiram in Freemasonry
Albert Mackey states that Hiram is also a name given to the
gavel of theWorshipful Master . [cite book
last = MacKey
first = Albert G.
title = Lexicon of Freemasonry
publisher = Kessinger Publishing
date = 1993
pages = 192
isbn = 1-5645-9463-7] .Notes
References
* [http://www.brad.ac.uk/webofhiram/?section=lectures_craft&page=3Lec.html| Bradford University, example of the Third degree illustrating the Hiram Myth]
* Citation
last = de Hoyos
first = Arturo
last2 = Morris
first2 = S. Brent
title = Freemasonry in Context: History, Ritual, Controversy
publisher = Lexington Books
year = 2004
location = Lanham, Md.
isbn = 0-7391-0781-X
* cite book
last = Emulation Lodge Of Improvement
title = Emulation Ritual
publisher = Lewis Masonic
location = London
date=2007
isbn = 0-8531-8244-2
*cite book
last = MacKey
first = Albert G.
title = Lexicon of Freemasonry
publisher = Kessinger Publishing
date=1993
isbn = 1-5645-9463-7
*cite book
last = Strong
first = James
title = Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
publisher = Thomas Nelson Publishers
date=1990
isbn = 0-8407-6750-1
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