The Glenwood post., 1910-07-30
FIND OLD QUARRIEs
SAID TO HAVE BEEN "BlRTH
PLACE OF MASONRY"
Spot Was Mentioned by josephus ane
Stone from There Is Believed to
Have Been Used in Build
ing Temple.

AS a result of the effort of the de
partment of state to learn all thar IL
possible of the birthplace of Mason
ry," Thomas r. Wallace, American
consul at Jerusalem, has made an eX-
tensive investigation of Solomon
quarries" in the Holy city. His report
to the state department is of intes5s-
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,
"Solomon's quarres" We're m-I-
toned by Josephus in the writings OF
the ancient historian. They We're
lost through the Middle Ages and un-
til most recent times. A chamber is
pointed out in the quarries as th5
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-
tions 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 mountain of
snow" The stone in the quarry is
white and soft, hardening with expos
ure to the air.
The quarries were discovered by ac-
cident. According to the story told
Mr. Wallace. a DR.. Barclay was out
hunting. His dog disappeared in q
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 i,
| enough to enter. 1t was the entrance
| to the quarries.
A chamber Is pointed out in which
it 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. 1t is in the same
condition 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. A small pot
terry lamp such as those used by the
| early Jews was found in the quarries
by Mr.. Page. 1t was filed with the
minute particles of dirt which float il
the air. These particles would remaiI
in the vessel after falling in. because
protected from air currents by the rim
of the vessel The pottery lamp haC
bowl one inch deep. 1t contained
only these atoms of dust, showing thai
it required ages to fill.
The supposed connection of Solo
mon with these quarries, together will
the traditional idea that associates hin
with the early history of the Masoni,
fraternity, is responsible for the in
terest with which Masons regarC
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 of Jerusa
lem, and are much priced by Masons