The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-07-24
Ghe Gribnne.
FRFEMAsoNRY In JERUSALEM.
Embellishments of q Lodge in the Anci-
emit Clfy-'sCotton Mesara," or Roy
al Quarry, the Meeting Place OF
the Fraternity.


The attempt to organize a Masonic
Lodge in the city of Jerusalem, under
American auspices, which has long been
on foot, has at length succeeded. Adj
vices were received few days ago from
Mr.. John Sheville. who was sent out
last spring for that purpose, that "on
"Wednesday May 7th, he organized the
ROYAL Solomon Mother Lodge No 293.
in due and ancient form, in the Great
Mark Masters Quarry, under the city of
Jerusalem. and initiated a candidate. !"
As a preface to this remarkable incl
dent, which forms an area in Masonic
history, we give an accurate ground plan
of the Cotton Megara Tor Royal Quarry,
with which travellers to Jerusalem are
familiar. The very existed of this vast
cavern under the city had been forgotten
Upon the whole, it is the settled opinion
that no knowledge of the great quarry
later than the first or second century of
the Christian era existence. and 1t was
reserved for an American missionary,
DR.. j. T. Barclay to bring the fact to
light. Some twenty years since, passing
along outside the north wall of Jerusa-
lem, his dog, In pursuit of a rat. scratch
ed an opening under the wall and disap-
peared from the eyes of bis master. This
led to an enlargement of the opening
and the most remarkable discovery OF
this most wonderful OF cities has eyer
yielded. 1t was found under the north
east quarter Of Jerusalem, is an aban-
doned quarry of such vast extent as to
answer most satisfactorily the query that
has long puzzled antiquaries: Where
did Solomon builders procure the native
stone for the walls and substructures of
the Temple ?'
TO enter this weird and mysterious
crypt it is necessary to pass outside the
city at the north or Damascus gate and
turn to the right. The city wall here is
about fifty feet high and of correspond
Ing thickness. 1t was erected as an Ara
bic inscription shows. in the year Hegira
94S, equivalent to A. d. 1912. by order
Of the Sultan Suleyman. In construct
ing this wall all sorts of massive ma
terials were used-granite columns, mar
BILE blocks and huge beveled ''ashiars,"
that had done similar duty in mural
structures ever since the days of Solomon.
The entrance into the great quarry has
been enlarged with the spade and chisel
so that it is an easy matter now to visit
the place. The point of entrance will.
readily be recognized In the engraving.
Lighting candles to dissipate the mid
night darkness, you pass first in an east
erly direction ll3 feet. The way is over
great mounds of rubbish, partly artificial,
as the marks of chisels show partly
made up pieces that have fallen from the
ceiling Then the way turns, at nearly
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 prepare
tion, from the rough to the perfect, en-
cumbar the pathway. Piles Of clippings
are heaped up everywhere. Upon the
sides of the quarry deep, narrow grooves
are seen, cut lengthwise and perpendicu
lar, marking out the dimensions of pro-
posed 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 nelekeh Ia piece of which has
been sent TO this ofice). Occasionally
harder vein of stone occurs. but of the
same chemical composition, and this the
natives call mezzeh.
Turning again to the left we go the
distance of l96 feet to where basin,
chiseled in the harder rock, five feet in
diameter and half as deep, was made to
collect water for the workmen of ''Hir-
am" The water at present is bitter and
disagreeable to the taste. Near this
fountain is deep circular pit, in which
lies human skeleton, probable one of
those early Christian devotees who used
the quarries of Jerusalem for the same
purpose as the catacombs of Rome. viz,
as places Of concealment during the per-
secutions of the first four centuries of our
era
A little further to the south there is
an apartment eighteen feet square, which,
from its regular form, seems designed for
particular purpose. Great numbers of
BIZ is cling to the roof, which is forty feet
high. Bones of various kinds, brought
in probably 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 Solomon Mother Lodge.
No 293. of Free Masons, was duly or
ganized May I.
Since 1868, most jealous and unre-
hitting efforts have been pursued by Dr.
Morris and his associates to secure the
organization of regular lodge In Jeru-
salem The difficulties, almost insur-
mountable. were referable to the sparsi.
ty of the craft in the East, their numer-
Gus languages, their inexperience in Ma.
sonic work, the want of suitable cham
bers for lodge rooms, etc. !; and most OF
all the fact that there is no Grand Lodge
of Masons in the Turkish dominions.
Several efforts to organize this lodge at
Jerusalem failed-one from the death OF
the Hon. John P Brown, at Constanti-
nople. ard one from the degradation and
death of the Pacha General at Syria,
Mohammed Reschid. The nearest lodg
es were at Beyrout Syria, $50 miles in
tie north, and Port Said, Egypt, 2OC
miles to the southwest; but within the
memory of man there has been no lodge
in Palestine.
At last all the named difficulties wer,