Ans. “There were three, viz.: Jubela, Jubelo, Jubelum.”
“Were the ruffians ever found?”
Ans. “They were.”
“How?”
Ans. “By the wisdom of King Solomon, who ordered twelve Fellow Crafts to be selected from the band of the workmen, clothed in white gloves and aprons in token of their innocence, and sent three east, three west, three north
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and three south in search of the ruffians, and if found to bring them forward.”
“What success?”
Ans. “The three that traveled a westerly course from the Temple, coming near the coast of Joppa, were informed by a way-faring man that the three men had been seen that way that morning, who from their appearance and dress were workmen from the Temple, inquiring for a passage to Ethiopia, but were unable to obtain one in consequence of an embargo, which had recently been laid on all the shipping, and had turned back into the country.”
“What followed?”
Ans. “King Solomon ordered them to go and search again, and search till they were found, if possible, and if they were not found, that the twelve who had confessed should be considered as the reputed murderers, and suffer accordingly.”
“What success?”
Ans. “One of the three that traveled a westerly course, from the Temple, being more weary than the rest, sat down under the brow of a hill to rest and refresh himself, and in attempting to rise caught hold of a sprig of cassia, which easily gave way, and excited his curiosity and made him suspicious of a deception, on which he hailed his companions who immediately assembled, and on examination found that the earth had recently been moved, and on moving the rubbish discovered the appearance of a grave; and while they were confabulating about what measures to take, they heard voices issuing from a cavern in the clefts of the rocks; on which they immediately repaired to the place, where they heard the voice of Jubela exclaim, ‘O that my throat had been cut across, my tongue torn out, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low watermark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, ere I had been accessary to the death of so good a man as our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff!’ On which they distinctly heard the voice of Jubelo, ‘O that my left breast had been torn open, and my heart and vitals taken from thence and thrown over my left shoulder, carried into the valley of Jehosaphat, and there to become a prey to the wild beasts on
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the field, and vultures of the air, ere I had conspired the death of so good a man as our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff!’
The third, Jubelum, ‘O that my body had been severed In two in the midst, and divided to the north and south, my bowels burnt to ashes in the centre, and the ashes scattered by the four winds of heaven, that there might not the least track or remembrance remain among men or Masons of so vile and perjured a wretch as I am; ah! Jubela, and Jubelo, it was I that struck him harder than you both—it was I that gave him the fatal blow—it was I that killed him outright!’
On which they rushed forward, seized, bound and carried them up to the Temple of King Solomon.
“What did King Solomon do with them?”
Ans. “He ordered them to be executed agreeably to the several imprecations of their own mouths.”
“Was the body of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff, ever found?”
Ans. “It was.”
“How?”
Ans. “By the wisdom of King Solomon, who ordered fifteen (in some lodges they say twelve) Fellow Crafts to be selected from the bands of the workmen and sent, three east, three west, three north, three south and three in and about the temple, to search for the body.”
“Where was it found?”
Ans. “Under a sprig of cassia, where a worthy brother sat down to rest and refresh himself.”
“Was there anything particular took place on the discovery of the body?”
Ans. “There was, viz.: on moving the earth till we came to the coffin, we involuntarily found our hands in this position, to guard our nostrils against the offensive effluvia which arose from the grave.”
Moe is the founder of GnosticWarrior.com. He is a father, husband, author, martial arts black belt, and an expert in Gnosticism, the occult, and esotericism.
