The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-06-12
HlRAs. -Ha nuILrhts.
by BEN H. BARRoW>.

Very meaere and unsatisfactory are
the accounts which have been handed
down to us by mystic tradition. Of E he IL
iustrious Tyrian artist Anythiut ike a
suceinct history of the man whom We are
symholicaIly taught to believe was the
chief architect at the building Of King
Solomon s temple is shroudet in mys
terry. la the simple words Of the Book.
The was canning man. en,:ned with
understanding" and widows son of
the tribe Of Naphtali. AMI his father
was man of Tyre. worker in brass
and he was Sled with wisdom, and I'M
Outstanding. and cunning II work in all
works Of brass. He is mentioned Init
four times in the Scriptures. and then
only in connection with the building of
the Temple. Taking him as IA veritabie
parsonage. we conclude he must have oc
cupied nrornine Mt position at the Tyri-
an Court, for King Hiram calls Hiram
III, that is. Hiram, nv father. This
title, nb. or fatl,pr, was among the He
brews often bestowed as title OF honor
and dignity on the tbief advisers and in
innate friends Of the king. This very
Hiram Is spoken Of in II Chonicles. ii
IL, in the following "Gaash Hiram
Abif 4 naelcech .SYonao That is Did
Hiram. his father. make 10 King Solo
mon The name given tn this archi.
tee, in the Lodge. is derived from this
passage Hiram Ahif meaning 10 h.
brew Hiram. his father.
In point nc literal history. then. we
have hut few hare facts Of S,lppnsitions,
fer outside Of the ssered narrative. hi>
name doe. not appear ucon the records
ofthe world. We learn that he was a
Tyrian wa sent bv Hiram Of Tyre. to
aid King Solomon in building <s,e Tenn
pie; he drew all the designs for the saore
intricate and ornamental l,arts. AS well
a. having the general suprr'utendence Of
the Craft; he was singularlv dnnored by
King Solomon. and was Enalv assassin
ated bv three fellow Crafts. iusf before
the dedication Of at magnificent street
'Ire. We infer that he had completed
his labors, and the Bible explicitly states
that he had finished all that had been
given him to do. Eleven months. how
ever. elapsed between the comple,io
and the dedication of the Temple. and it
vas during this nerini that his death &C.
cured. Farther than these crude ont
lines. history or tradition cannot inform
us But if we lay aside the idea of real;-
ty, and consider his life and death as a
myth, sublime legend. and such il
really is, We tread upon new ground. full
of the grandest theories. and Wherein lie
hidden the great truths which have gov.
erned men ever since the world began.
The Masonic legend stands BY itself,
Unsupported by history or other than IT..
own traditions. Yet we recognize in H.
ram Ahif one of the Grand Masters Of
Freemasonrv. the Osiris of the Ecvp.i.
ans, the Methras Of the Persians; the
Bacchus of the Greeks; the Dvnnisis Of
the fraternity of Artiicers; and the Atvs
Of the Phryaians, whose passion of death
and resurrection were celebrated hv these
people respectively For ages Mason.
have celebrated the death of Hiram Ahif.
EVERYWHERE omopp tho apciapt naf;opo
there existed similar aliegorv: and al
must refer to some great primitive fact.
We believe the fact to have been the
murder of Abel by his brother.
The lesson of to-day we draw from this
grand myth. that vice mag conquer for a
time. hut virtue beareth the victory in
the end. 1t is the highest type, symho-
li"ally expressed. that goodness, though
cast down, is alive, alert. immortal -
Erergreen