The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-07-08
FIND OLD QUARRIES
SAID TO HAVE BEEN birth.
PLACE OF MASONRY"
Spot Was Mentioned by Josephus ano
Stone from There is Believed to
Have Been Used in Build
ing Temple.

AS result of the effort of the de
| partment of state to learn all that is
possible of the birthplace of Mason
ry," Thomas r. Wallace, American
| consul at Jerusalem. has made an ex
tensiye Investigation OF Solomon S
| quarries' in the Holy city. His report
10 the state department is of interest
to Masonic bodies. and particularly to
American Masons, because an Ameri
can, Rolla Floyd, became senior war
den OF the Royal Solomon Mother
lodge, instituted in Jerusalem in 1873.
"Solomons quarnes" were men
toned by Josephus in the writings of
the ancient historian. They were
lost through the Middle Ages and I'M
I'll most recent times. A chamber is
pointed out in the quarries as the
original meeting place of the ancient
body of Masons. The chamber is the
so-called Chamber of Brotherly Cove
nant."
Mr. Wallace said that his investiga-
tons led him to believe that the quar-,
ry became lost when the Romans de-
stroyed Jerusalem. 1t is believed that
the stone with which the ancient tenn
pie was built was taken from the quar-
ry. The basis of this belief is that
Josephus described the temple as hav-
ing been white, like a mountain Of
snow The stone in the quarry is
white and soft, hardening with expos,
ure to the air.
The quarries We're discovered by &C.
cident. According to the story told
Mr. Wallace. a DR. Barclay was out
hunting. His dog disappeared in a
hole near the north wall Of the city.
The dog failed to reappear. Dr. Bar
clay tore away the earth and weeds
about the hole until he had enlarged it
enough to enter. 1t was the entrance
to the quarries
A chamber Is pointed out in which
IL is said the first meetings of Mason.
ry were held 1t is a small semi cir
cular place with seats about It formed
of shelves of stone Crumbled into a
shapeless mass at one end of the semi
circle is what once was a pillar of
stone and is said to have been the
chapel Of the lodge It is IN the same
copdition now as when discovered, Mr.
Wallace said
An American named Page. accord
ing TO Mr., Wallace gave the best indi
cation of the time which passed since
the quarries were lost \ small pot
terry lamp such as those used by tho
early Jews was found in the quarries
by Mr.. Page. II was filled with the
minute particles Of dlrt which float in
the air. These particles would remain
in the vessel after falling in. because
protected from air currents by the rim
of the vessel The pottery lamp had
a bowl one inch deep. 1t contained
only these atoms of dust, showing that
II required ages to fill.
The supposed connection of Solo.
mon with these quarries, together with
the traditional idea that associates him
with the early history OF tho Masonic
fraternity, is responsible for the in.
terest with which Masons regard
these caves, and especially the partic,
ular chamber where lodge meetings
are sometimes held. Gavels and pa,
per weights made from the white
stone Of the quarry. and on which Ma
sonic emblems are carved, are to be
had in some Of the stores 1f lc.usa
lem, and are much priced by Masons.