Hiram Abiff

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Hiram Abiff is a character who figures prominently in an allegorical[1] play that is presented during the third degree of Craft Freemasonry. 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.[2] 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 the Masonic ritual Hiram is referred to as 'the Widow's Son', which is similar to a biblical reference to a Hiram found in 1 Kings 7:13–14.

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[edit] 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".
  • Hiram (KJV spells it Huram), 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."[3]
  • 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.

Note that the older translation "Hiram my master craftsman" is now suspect.[citation needed] The problem centres on how the word "abi" is translated, for it can mean "father", "master [craftsman]" or simply be a family name. 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...".

[edit] 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 the Temple of Solomon. Solomon showed the temple to the Queen 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.[citation needed]

Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, suggest in their book The Hiram Key that Hiram Abiff was the Theban pharaoh Tao II the Brave.

[edit] Other uses of the name Hiram in Freemasonry

Albert Mackey states that Hiram is also a name given to the gavel of the Worshipful Master.[4].

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Emulation Lodge Of Improvement (2007). Emulation Ritual. London: Lewis Masonic. ISBN 0-8531-8244-2. 
  2. ^ Samuel Pritchard, "Masonry Dissected" (1730), in D. Knoop, G.P. Jones & D. Hamer, The Early Masonic Catechisms, Manchester University Press, 1963.
  3. ^ 2 Chronicles 2:13-14, New King James Version - From BibleGateway.com
  4. ^ MacKey, Albert G. (1993). Lexicon of Freemasonry. Kessinger Publishing, 192. ISBN 1-5645-9463-7. 

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