The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1907-07-12
Three Times Three
l. L. Conright Dives into Biblical History and
Uncovers the Figure Three.

Uncovers the Figure Three.
EDITOR HERALD-ADvANCE:
DEAR SIR--In your paper of May
24th, 1907, noticed a statement tn at
the number "7' was the greatest mum.
Der and that it occurred oftener in the
bible than any other number.
Let us see what we can find in the
bible histories and in ancient Mason
ry among ancient reference to the figure
three we find the following:
Oracles were delivered from a tri-
pod.
Libations were three fold.
There was supposed to be three
worlds.
The magical rod of the Hierop ant
had three heads of silver. II any re-
vealed the mysteries, they were told
they would die in three days and in
the celebration of the mysteries. the
Hierophant smote the coffin three
times with his tripartite rod.
The Greeks divided their Gods into
three kinds.
Among the Druids the number three
was held in highest veneration, and
was one of their most sacred symbols:
so their use Of the mistletOe and sham.
rock because their leaves were tripar.
tite. The writer says they turn three
times around their karns, three times
around the persons they bless, three
times around the we'll, three times
around St. Barr's church.
The number three was q symbol of
marriage, friendship and peace, be-
cause it was said to unite contraries.
The number three was also an emb-
lem of wisdom and prudence, its in-
huence was said to extend to all ma
ture, embracing the birth, life and
death OF men and living things, the
commencement, middle and end of all
earthly matters.
The universe was divided into three
zones, the earth, air and rest, the
past present and future.
In the bible, we find at the trans
figuration, three persons appeared
with the Messiah and he remained in
the tomb three days.
There we're three orders of the priest
hood and three keepers of the door.
The golden candlestick had three
branches on each side and there were
three stones in each row of the high
priests bre ast. plate.
The oxen that supported the molten
sea were arranged by thr ees.
The Jews assembled at the temple
three :itnes in each year at the grand
festivals.
Moses appointed three cities of re-
fuge, forbid the people to use the fruit
OF trees until the trees were three
years old and made three witnesses
necessary where q mans life or pro-
perty was called in question,
David had three mighty men, three
alte"I a.ives. had three years of famine
three months at the mercy of his foes
or three day pestilence.
The principal religious festivals of
the Jews were three.
The camp OF Israel was three fold
and the tribes were marshalled in di.
visions of three tribes each
There were three hallowed articles
IN the sanctuary. the candlestick, the
table OF shew bread and the altar of
incense.
Elijah raised the widows son by
stretching himself upon the body of
the child three times.
Samaria sustained q siege of three
years.
Some of the kings of Judea and
Israel reigned three years, some three
months and some three days.
Rehoboem served God three years.
The Jews tasted three days and three
nights. Their sacred writings had
three divisions, the law, the prophets
and the psalms. They also had three
readings of the scriptures.
Samson thrice deceived Delilah.
Hannah offered sacrifice of three
bullocks.
Samuel gave a sign to Saul, and
David bowed thrice to Jonathan.
In the history of Balaam, the ass
spake after being struck three times.
We will take few threes from the
Masonic history, as that dates back
about four thousand years.
There were three primitive lodges,
three days to advance, three temples,
the first built by Solomon and the two
Hiram's, the secon by Joshua Zerub-
abel and Haggar and the third by
Herod, Hillel and Shammai.
Three sOjourners.thew working tools
of a royal arch mason.
The temple had three apartments,
and the length was thrice its breath,
there were three curtains in the temple,
eace of three colors and there were
three courts. There are three lessons
taught, secrecy, morality and good.
fellowship. Three obligations in
ancient masonry. Three ways to pre-.
pare brother. Three decoration to
the pillars at the porch emblem atical
of peace, unity and plenty. Three
places where the materials for the
temple we're prepared. the quarry,
forest and plain.
The reports were three.fOld, three
grand offerings, three rdinal vir-
tues and three things which make q
lodge regular. The signs are three |
fold, the moral duties and the theo-
logical virtues are three-fotd. A Tri-
angle has three equal sides. The
patriarch's held three fold Office. |
Adam. Noah and Saul eacn had
three sons. Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob we're particularly blessed of
God. Jacob had the three friends;
Ezekiel named three just men: three
holy men we're cast into the fiery
furnace; Jonah was three days and
three nights in the whales belly
The courts OF SOlemn's temple held
three hundred thousand people.
Noah's ark was built by three men,
Sham Ham and To nhot