The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-07-03

try and Europe, at the present time
believe to be the true origin of their
institution.
"Freemasonry was originally fra
ternity of practical 6uilders-archi-
tects and artifcers. This is conced-
ed by all who are to any extent ac-
auainted with its history or its ira
ditions. The Phoenicians, whose cap
| itaI cities were Tyre and Sidon, were
the early patrons of that semi-relig-
icus mystic fraternity or society OF
! builders, known in history as the
.Dionysian Architects That this fra
ternity was employed by the Tyrians
and Sidonians in the erection of costly
temples to unknown Deities, in the
building of rich and gorgeous palaces,
and in strengthening and identifying
their cities, is universally admitted.
That they were the cunning workmen
sent by Hiram, king of Tyre, to aid
King Solomon in the erection of the
Temple of Mt. Moriah, is scarcely less
certain. Their presence in the city at
the time of the building of the Tenn
pie, is the evidence of history; and
Hiram, the widows son, to whom Solo,
mon entrusted the superintendent OF
the workmen, as an inhabitant of Ty-
re, and as a skilled architect and cum
ming and curious workman, was doubt
less one of their number, Hence, we
are scarcely claiming too much for
our Order when we suppose that the
Dionysicians were sent by Hiram,
King of Tyre, to assist King Solomon
in the construction of the house he
was about to dedicate to Jehovah, and
that they communicated to their Jew
ish fellow laborers a knowledge of the
advantages of their fraternity, and in
vited them to participation in its
mysteries and privileges. The Jews
were neither architects nor artificers.
BY Solomon's own admission, they
were not even skilled enough in the
art of building to cut and prepare the
timber in the forests of Lebanon; and
hence he was compelled to employ the
Sidonians to do that work for him.
1.-The Tyrians, says learned for
eign brother were celebrated ar
lists: Solomon, therefore, unable to
find builders of superior skill, for the
execution of his plans, in his own do
minions, engaged Tyrians, who with
the assistance of the jealous Jews,
who contented themselves in perform
ing the inferior labor, finished that
stupendous edifice.'
and we are told on the authority
of Josephus that, the Temple at Je-
rusalem was built on the same plan,
in the same style and by the same
architects as the temples of Hercules
and the Astarte at Tyre They were
doubtless all three built by 'Dionysian
Architects, who were at that time
numerous throughout Asia Minor, |
where they possessed the exclusive
privilege of erecting temples, theatres |
and other public, buildings.
"Dionysius arrives in Greece from
Egypt about one thousand five hun
dred years before Christ, and there
instituted or introduced, the Dionysian
mysteries. The Ionic migration oc-
Cured about three hundred years af-
forwards, 1900 B. c., the emigrants
carrying with them from Greece to
Asia Minor, the mysteries of Diony-
sius, before they had been corrupted
by the Athenians. In short time,
SAYS Mr.. Lawrie, the Asiatic colonies
the mother country in pros
perity and science. Sculpture in mar
BILE, and the Doric and Ionic orders
were the result of their ingenuity
We know says a learned encyclo-
Dedist. that the Dionsiacs of lonia'
(which place has, according to Herodi-
Lus, always been celebrated for the
genius of its inhabitants)' where a
great corporation of architects and en-
gineers, who undertook and even
the building of temples,
stadiums and theatres precisely as
The fraternity of Masons are known to
have. in the Middle Ages, monopolized
he building OF cathedrals and conven-
tional churches. Indeed, the Diony-
siacs resembled the mystic fraternity,
now called Freemasons. in many inn
1ortant particulars. They allowed no
strangers to interfere in their employ
nent; recognized each other by signs
md tokens; they protested certain