New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13
FREE MASONRY IN JERUSALEM.

From late number OF the New 1Ofk
Herald we learn that the attempt to organ
6Ee Masonic lodge in the city of Jerusa-
lem, under American auspices, which had
been for long time contemplated, has at
length been successful. The Rev. John
Eheville left New York in April last. and
on the seventh day Of May, with the assist
ance of twelve resident Masons, including
four of those named in tie warrant issued
Ior this purpose by Grand Master William
N. Wilson. of the Grand Lodge Of Canada
proceeded with guides and lighted torches
60 the Chamber of the Brotherly Covenant
where were found Masonic emblelns, en-
eraved by DR.. Morris in 1868. and organized
and opened in due and ancient form the
Royal Solomon Mother Lodge OF Jerusa
lem, No. 293.
On the sa1ne evening distinguished resi-
dent Of Jerusalem was initiated into the
mysteries Of the craft, as the first work OF
the new lodge. The description Of the
place selected for this organization, one oi
ehe subterTanean caverns of the city, known
as the Cotton Megara, OF Royal Quarry
cafe from all cowans and eavesdroppers, il
extremely interesting. The very existence
Of this vast cavern under the city had beer
forgotten. No records Of crusadin2 times
give any account of it, although the dis
Sovery of Christian crosses on the walls
shows visits of travellers at least since the
era of Christ. Some Arab chronicles of the
Einth or tenth century hint at the fact that
''very extensive caves Underlie the Holy
City" but these may refer to other large
parts OF Jerusalem.
Upon the whole, it is the settled opinion
that no knowledge of the great quarry later
chan the first or second century of the
Christian era exists, and it was reserved for
IN American missionary, DR.. j. I. Barclay,
70 bring the fact to light. Some twenty
years since, passing along outside the north
wall of Jerusalem, his dog. in pursuit of a
rat, scratched an opening under the wall
aud disappeared from the sight of his mas
ter. This led to an enlargement of the
opening, and the most remarkable discovery
chat this most wonderful OF cities has ever
yielded. 1t was found that under the north
east quarter of Jerusalem is an abandoned
eguarry Of such vast extent as to answer
Goost satisfactorily the query that has long
puzzled antiquaries: "Where did SOlomon's
builders procure the native stone for the
walls and substructures of the temple!'
TO enter this weird and mysterious crypt
ut is necessary to pass outside the city at
othe north or Damascus gate and turn to the
eight. The city wall here is about fifty feet
high and of corresponding thickness. 1t
was erected, as an Arabic inscription shows,
in the year Hegira 9l3 equivalent to A. d.
l542, by order of the Sultan Suleyman. In
constructing this wall all sorts of massive
materials were used-granite columns, mar
ble blocks and huge beveled "ashlars," that
lad done similar duty in mural structures
ever since the days of Solomon.
The entrance into the great quarry has
been enlarged with spade and chisel, SO
that it is an easy matter now to visit the
place. Lighting candles to disspate the
midnight darkness, you pass first in an
easterly direction Of l3 feet. The way is
over great mounds Of rubbish partly arti-
fetal, as the marks OF chisels show, partly
made up OF pieces that have fallen from
the ceiling. Then the way turns, at nearly
q right angle TO the south, 400 feet The
marks Of chisel and hammer become now
more and more evident. Blocks of squared
stone in every stage of preparation, from
the rough to the perfect, cucumber the
pathway. Piles Of clippings are heaped up
everywhere.
Upon the sides of the quarry deep, mar
row grooves are seen. cut lengthwise and
perpendicular, marking out the dimensions
of proposed blocks, and showing the ancient
method of detaching the stones from their
native bed. The marble is of soft, friable
nature, called in the native tongue melekeh.
Occasionally harder vein Of stone occurs,
but of the same chemical composition, and
this the natives call mezzeh
Turning again TO the lett, we go to the
distance Of 1876 feet to where small basin,
Ghiseled in the harder rock, five feet in
diameter and half as deep, was made to col
lect water for the workmen of Hiram"
The water at present is bitter and disagree
able to the taste. Near this fountain is deep
circular pit, in which lies human skeleton,
probably of one Of those early Christian
devotees who used the quarries of Jerusa-
lem for the same purpose as the catacOmbs
OF Rome, viz: as places of conceaiment
during the prosecutions of the first four CEN
turies Of our era.
A little further 10 the south there is an
apartment eighteen feet square, which from
its regular form seems designed for a par
t;cular purpose. Great numbers of bats
cling to the roof, which is forty feet high.
Bones of various kinds, brought in prob
ably by jackals, prove that there were once
ample openings to the cavern. Numerous
crosses are traced upon the wall and few
Hebrew inscriptions. but not sufficiently
legible to be understood. 1t was in this
apartment, henceforward known among
Free Masons as 1.-The Chamber Of the |
Brotherly Covenant that the Royal Solo |
mon Mother Lodge, No. 293, of Free !
Masons was duly organized.
In that crypt of silence, secresy and dark |
ness. the brotherly interchange was made |
which has been perpetuated in every Ian |
guage under heaven. and there our Ameri- |
can brother, Robert Morris, named in the !
warrant as the first worsLipful master of |
the new lodge, repeated his own verses !
which every Mason has acquired by heart: /
We meet upon the level and we part upon /
the square"
1t has beeL demonstrated by instruments |
that the floor of this cavern is higher than |
the surface of the temple site, a quarter of |
q mile south, and as the great stones still /
in the walls around Mount Mo-
rIah unquestionaoly had their origin in
this quarry, much light is thrown by this /
fact upon the manner Of moving them.
The operatives had only to construct an in
clined plane and roll those blocks, twenty, |
thirty and forty feet in length, down to
their places.
Our readers, who know that the Masonic
oruer IN the United States and Canada are
reckoned at half IL n.IIion members in 5000
lodges: Will not wonder at the interest
taken IN this movement by the American
craft at large. That the order 'sprung
from the East and moved to the West is
au admitted fact in Masonic history. aIYl AS
the Masonic men bership OF the world is
less than "A million, the American branch
represents more than half the entire body.
Ihat there is general uniformity in
Masonic ceremonies and secrets the world
over was fully established by DR.. Norris
researches of 1865, and confirmed bv The