Table of Contents

by | Aug 21, 2011 | Secret Teachings of All Ages

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DEDICATION 3
PREFACE 5
COLOR PLATES 9
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT 11
INTRODUCTION 12
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES WHICH HAVE INFLUENCED MODERN MASONIC SYMBOLISM Ancient systems of education–Celsus concerning the Christians–Knowledge necessary to right living–The Druidic Mysteries of Britain and Gaul–The Rites of Mithras–The Mithraic and Christian Mysteries contrasted. 21
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART II The Gnostic Mysteries–Simon Magus and Basilides–Abraxas, the Gnostic concept of Deity–The Mysteries of Serapis–Labyrinth symbolism–The Odinic, or Gothic, Mysteries. 25
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART III The Eleusinian Mysteries–The Lesser Rites–The Greater Rites–The Orphic Mysteries–The Bacchic Mysteries–The Dionysiac Mysteries. 29
ATLANTIS AND THE GODS OF ANTIQUITY Plato’s Atlantis in the light of modern science-The Myth of the Dying God-The Rite of Tammuz and Ishtar–The Mysteries of Atys and Adonis-The Rites of Sabazius–The Cabiric Mysteries of Samothrace. 33
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THOTH HERMES TRISMEGISTUS Suppositions concerning identity of Hermes–The mutilated Hermetic fragments–The Book of Thoth–Poimandres, the Vision of Hermes–The Mystery of Universal Mind–The Seven Governors of the World. 37
THE INITIATION OF THE PYRAMID The opening of the Great Pyramid by Caliph at Mamoun–The passageways and chambers of the Great Pyramid–The riddle of the Sphinx–The Pyramid Mysteries–The secret of the Pyramid coffer-The dwelling place of the Hidden God. 41
ISIS, THE VIRGIN OF THE WORLD The birthdays of the gods–The murder of Osiris–The Hermetic Isis–The symbols peculiar to Isis–The Troubadours–The mummification of the dead. 45
THE SUN, A UNIVERSAL DEITY The Solar Trinity-Christianity and the Sun–The birthday of the Sun–The three Suns–The celestial inhabitants of the Sun–The midnight Sun. 49
THE ZODIAC AND ITS SIGNS Primitive astronomical instruments–The equinoxes and solstices–The astrological ages of the world–The circular zodiac of Tentyra–An interpretation of the zodiacal signs–The horoscope of the world. 53
THE BEMBINE TABLE OF ISIS Plato’s initiation in the Great Pyramid–The history of the Bembine Table–Platonic theory of ideas–The interplay of the three philosophical zodiacs–The Chaldean philosophy of triads–The Orphic Egg. 57
WONDERS OF ANTIQUITY The ever-burning lamps–The oracle of Delphi–The Dodonean oracle–The oracle of Trophonius–The initiated architects–The Seven Wonders of the world. 61
THE LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF PYTHAGORAS Pythagoras and the School of Crotona–Pythagoric fundamentals–The symmetrical solids–The symbolic aphorisms of Pythagoras–Pythagorean astronomy–Kepler’s theory of the universe. 65
PYTHAGOREAN MATHEMATICS The theory of numbers–The numerical values of letters–Method of securing the numerical Power of words–An introduction to the Pythagorean theory of numbers–The sieve of Eratosthenes–The meanings of the ten numbers. 69
THE HUMAN BODY IN SYMBOLISM The philosophical manikin–The three universal centers–The temples of initiation–The hand in symbolism–The greater and lesser man–The Anthropos, or Oversoul. 73
THE HIRAMIC LEGEND The building of Solomon’s Temple–The murder of CHiram Abiff–The martyrdom of Jacques de Molay–The spirit fire and the pineal gland–The wanderings of the astronomical CHiram–Cleopatra’s Needle and Masons’ marks. 77
THE PYTHAGOREAN THEORY OF MUSIC AND COLOR Pythagoras and the diatonic scale–Therapeutic music–The music of the spheres–The use of color in symbolism–The colors of the spectrum and the musical scale–Zodiacal and planetary colors. 81
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS Jonah and the whale–The fish the symbol of Christ–The Egyptian scarab–Jupiter’s fly–The serpent of wisdom–The sacred crocodile. 85
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS, PART II The dove, the yonic emblem–The self-renewing phœnix–The Great Seal of the United States of America–Bast, the cat goddess of the Ptolemies–Apis, the sacred bull–The monoceros, or unicorn. 89
FLOWERS, PLANTS, FRUITS, AND TREES The flower, a phallic symbol–The lotus blossom–The Scandinavian World Tree, Yggdrasil–The sprig of acacia–The juice of the grape–The magical powers of the mandrake. 93
STONES, METALS, AND GEMS Prehistoric monuments–The tablets of the Law–The Holy Grail–The ages of the world–Talismanic jewels–Zodiacal and planetary stones and gems. 97
CEREMONIAL MAGIC AND SORCERY The black magic of Egypt–Doctor Johannes Faustus–The Mephistopheles of the Grimores–The invocation of spirits–Pacts with demons–The symbolism of the pentagram. 101
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THE ELEMENTS AND THEIR INHABITANTS. The Paracelsian theory of submundanes–The orders of elemental beings–The Gnomes, Undines, Salamanders, and Sylphs–Demonology–The incubus and succubus–Vampirism. 105
HERMETIC PHARMACOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND THERAPEUTICS The healing methods of Paracelsus–Palingenesis–Hermetic theories concerning the cause of disease–Medicinal properties of herbs–The use of drugs in the Mysteries–The sect of the Assassins. 109
THE QABBALAH, THE SECRET DOCTRINE OF ISRAEL The written and unwritten laws–The origin of the Qabbalistic writings–Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai–The great Qabbalistic books–The divisions of the Qabbalistic system–The Sepher Yetzirah. 113
FUNDAMENTALS OF QABBALISTIC COSMOGONY AIN SOPH and the Cosmic Egg–The Qabbalistic system of worlds–The Qabbalistic interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision–The great image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream–The Grand Man of the universe–The fifty gates of life. 117
THE TREE OF THE SEPHIROTH The thirty-two paths of wisdom–The Greater and the Lesser Face–Kircher’s Sephirothic Tree–The mystery of Daath–The three pillars supporting the Sephirothic Tree–The four letters of the Sacred Name. 121
QABBALISTIC KEYS TO THE CREATION OF MAN Gematria, Notarikon, and Temurah–The Elohim–The four Adams–Arabian traditions concerning Adam–Adam as the archetype of mankind–The early Christian Church on the subject of marriage. 125
AN ANALYSIS OF THE TAROT CARDS The origin of playing cards–The rota mundi of the Rosicrucians–The problem of Tarot symbolism–The unnumbered card–The symbolism of the twenty-one major trumps–The suit cards. 129
THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS Moses, the Egyptian initiate–The building of the Tabernacle–The furnishings of the Tabernacle–The Ark of the Covenant–The Robes of Glory–The Urim and Thummim. 133
THE FRATERNITY OF THE ROSE CROSS The life of Father C.R.C.–Johann Valentin Andreæ–The alchemical teachings of the Rosicrucians–Significance of the Rose Cross–The Rosicrucian Temple–The adepts of the Rose Cross. 137
ROSICRUCIAN DOCTRINES AND TENETS The Confessio Fraternitatis—The Anatomy of Melancholy–John Heydon on Rosicrucianism–The three mountains of the wise–The philosophical egg–The objects of the Rosicrucian Order. 141
FIFTEEN ROSICRUCIAN AND QABBALISTIC DIAGRAMS Schamayim, the Ocean of Spirit–The Seven Days of Creation–The symbolic tomb of Christian Rosencreutz–The regions of the elements–The New Jerusalem–The grand secret of Nature. 145
ALCHEMY AND ITS EXPONENTS The multiplication of metals–The medal of Emperor Leopold I–Paracelsus of Hohenheim–Raymond Lully–Nicholas Flarnmel–Count Bernard of Treviso. 149
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALCHEMY The origin of alchemical philosophy–Alexander the Great and the talking trees–Nature and art–Alchemical symbolism–The Song of Solomon–The Philosopher’s Gold. 153
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALCHEMY, PART II The alchemical prayer–The Emerald Tablet of Hermes–A letter from the Brothers of R.C.–The magical Mountain of the Moon–An alchemical formula–The dew of the sages. 157
THE CHEMICAL MARRIAGE Christian Rosencreutz is invited to the Chemical Wedding–The Virgo Lucifera–The philosophical Inquisition–The Tower of Olympus–The homunculi–The Knights of the Golden Stone. 161
BACON, SHAKESPEARE, AND THE ROSICRUCIANS The Rosicrucian mask–Life of William Shakspere–Sir Francis Bacon–The acrostic signatures–The significant number thirty-three–The philosophic death. 165
THE CRYPTOGRAM AS A FACTOR IN SYMBOLIC PHILOSOPHY Secret alphabets–The biliteral cipher–Pictorial ciphers–Acroamatic ciphers–Numerical and musical ciphers–Code ciphers. 169
FREEMASONIC SYMBOLISM The pillars raised by the sons of Seth–Enoch and the Royal Arches–The Dionysiac Architects–The Roman Collegia–Solomon, the personification of Universal Wisdom–Freemasonry’s priceless heritage. 173
MYSTIC CHRISTIANITY St. Iranæus on the life of Christ–The original name of Jesus–The Christened man–The Essenes–The Arthurian cycle–Merlin the Mage. 177
THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION The Aurea Legenda–The lost libraries of Alexandria–The cross in pagan symbolism–The crucifixion, a cosmic allegory–The crucifixion of Quetzalcoatl–The nails of the Passion. 181
THE MYSTERY OF THE APOCALYPSE The sacred city of Ephesus–The authorship of the Apocalypse–The Alpha and Omega–The Lamb of God-The Four Horsemen-The number of the beast. 185
THE FAITH OF ISLAM The life of Mohammed–The revelation of the Koran–The valedictory pilgrimage–The tomb of the Prophet–The Caaba at Mecca–The secret doctrine of Islam. 189
AMERICAN INDIAN SYMBOLISM The ceremony of the peace pipe–The historical Hiawatha–The Popol Vuh–American Indian sorcery–The Mysteries of Xibalba–The Midewiwin. 193
THE MYSTERIES AND THEIR EMISSARIES The Golden Chain of Homer–Hypatia, the Alexandrian Neo-Platonist–The “divine” Cagliostro–The Comte de St.-Germain–The designing of the American flag–The Declaration of Independence. 197
CONCLUSION 201
BIBLIOGRAPHY 205
INDEX 207

The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Which Have Influenced Modern Masonic Symbolism | Chapter 1

by | Aug 21, 2011 | Secret Teachings of All Ages

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WHEN confronted with a problem involving the use of the reasoning faculties, individuals of strong intellect keep their poise, and seek to reach a solution by obtaining facts bearing upon the question. Those of immature mentality, on the other hand, when similarly confronted, are overwhelmed. While the former may be qualified to solve the riddle of their own destiny, the latter must be led like a flock of sheep and taught in simple language. They depend almost entirely upon the ministrations of the shepherd. The Apostle Paul said that these little ones must be fed with milk, but that meat is the food of strong men. Thoughtlessness is almost synonymous with childishness, while thoughtfulness is symbolic of maturity.

There are, however, but few mature minds in the world; and thus it was that the philosophic-religious doctrines of the pagans were divided to meet the needs of these two fundamental groups of human intellect–one philosophic, the other incapable of appreciating the deeper mysteries of life. To the discerning few were revealed the esoteric, or spiritual, teachings, while the unqualified many received only the literal, or exoteric, interpretations. In order to make simple the great truths of Nature and the abstract principles of natural law, the vital forces of the universe were personified, becoming the gods and goddesses of the ancient mythologies. While the ignorant multitudes brought their offerings to the altars of Priapus and Pan (deities representing the procreative energies), the wise recognized in these marble statues only symbolic concretions of great abstract truths.

In all cities of the ancient world were temples for public worship and offering. In every community also were philosophers and mystics, deeply versed in Nature’s lore. These individuals were usually banded together, forming seclusive philosophic and religious schools. The more important of these groups were known as the Mysteries. Many of the great minds of antiquity were initiated into these secret fraternities by strange and mysterious rites, some of which were extremely cruel. Alexander Wilder defines the Mysteries as “Sacred dramas performed at stated periods. The most celebrated were those of Isis, Sabazius, Cybele, and Eleusis.” After being admitted, the initiates were instructed in the secret wisdom which had been preserved for ages. Plato, an initiate of one of these sacred orders, was severely criticized because in his writings he revealed to the public many of the secret philosophic principles of the Mysteries.

Every pagan nation had (and has) not only its state religion, but another into which the philosophic elect alone have gained entrance. Many of these ancient cults vanished from the earth without revealing their secrets, but a few have survived the test of ages and their mysterious symbols are still preserved. Much of the ritualism of Freemasonry is based on the trials to which candidates were subjected by the ancient hierophants before the keys of wisdom were entrusted to them.

Few realize the extent to which the ancient secret schools influenced contemporary intellects and, through those minds, posterity. Robert Macoy, 33°, in his General History of Freemasonry, pays a magnificent tribute to the part played by the ancient Mysteries in the rearing of the edifice of human culture. He says, in part: “It appears that all the perfection of civilization, and all the advancement made in philosophy, science, and art among the ancients are due to those institutions which, under the veil of mystery, sought to illustrate the sublimest truths of religion, morality, and virtue, and impress them on the hearts of their disciples.* * * Their chief object was to teach the doctrine of one God, the resurrection of man to eternal life, the dignity of the human soul, and to lead the people to see the shadow of the deity, in the beauty, magnificence, and splendor of the universe.”

With the decline of virtue, which has preceded the destruction of every nation of history, the Mysteries became perverted. Sorcery took the place of the divine magic. Indescribable practices (such as the Bacchanalia) were introduced, and perversion ruled supreme; for no institution can be any better than the members of which it is composed. In despair, the few who were true sought to preserve the secret doctrines from oblivion. In some cases they succeeded, but more often the arcanum was lost and only the empty shell of the Mysteries remained.

The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies Part Three | Chapter 3

by | Aug 21, 2011 | Secret Teachings of All Ages

p. 29

THE most famous of the ancient religious Mysteries were the Eleusinian, whose rites were celebrated every five years in the city of Eleusis to honor Ceres (Demeter, Rhea, or Isis) and her daughter, Persephone. The initiates of the Eleusinian School were famous throughout Greece for the beauty of their philosophic concepts and the high standards of morality which they demonstrated in their daily lives. Because of their excellence, these Mysteries spread to Rome and Britain, and later the initiations were given in both these countries. The Eleusinian Mysteries, named for the community in Attica where the sacred dramas were first presented, are generally believed to have been founded by Eumolpos about fourteen hundred years before the birth of Christ, and through the Platonic system of philosophy their principles have been preserved to modern times.

The rites of Eleusis, with their Mystic interpretations of Nature’s most precious secrets, overshadowed the civilizations of their time and gradually absorbed many smaller schools, incorporating into their own system whatever valuable information these lesser institutions possessed. Heckethorn sees in the Mysteries of Ceres and Bacchus a metamorphosis of the rites of Isis and Osiris, and there is every reason to believe that all so-called secret schools of the ancient world were branches from one philosophic tree which, with its root in heaven and its branches on the earth, is–like the spirit of man–an invisible but ever-present cause of the objectified vehicles that give it expression. The Mysteries were the channels through which this one philosophic light was disseminated, and their initiates, resplendent with intellectual and spiritual understanding, were the perfect fruitage of the divine tree, bearing witness before the material world of the recondite source of all Light and Truth.

The rites of Eleusis were divided into what were called the Lesser and the Greater Mysteries. According to James Gardner, the Lesser Mysteries were celebrated in the spring (probably at the time of the vernal equinox) in the town of Agræ, and the Greater, in the fall (the time of the autumnal equinox) at Eleusis or Athens. It is supposed that the former were given annually and the latter every five years. The rituals of the Eleusinians were highly involved, and to understand them required a deep study of Greek mythology, which they interpreted in its esoteric light with the aid of their secret keys.

The Lesser Mysteries were dedicated to Persephone. In his Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries, Thomas Taylor sums up their purpose as follows: “The Lesser Mysteries were designed by the ancient theologists, their founders, to signify occultly the condition of the unpurified soul invested with an earthy body, and enveloped in a material and physical nature.”

The legend used in the Lesser rites is that of the abduction of the goddess Persephone, the daughter of Ceres, by Pluto, the lord of the underworld, or Hades. While Persephone is picking flowers in a beautiful meadow, the earth suddenly opens and the gloomy lord of death, riding in a magnificent chariot, emerges from its somber depths and, grasping her in his arms, carries the screaming and struggling goddess to his subterranean palace, where he forces her to become his queen.

It is doubtful whether many of the initiates themselves understood the mystic meaning of this allegory, for most of them apparently believed that it referred solely to the succession of the seasons. It is difficult to obtain satisfactory information concerning the Mysteries, for the candidates were bound by inviolable oaths never to reveal their inner secrets to the profane. At the beginning of the ceremony of initiation, the candidate stood upon the skins of animals sacrificed for the purpose, and vowed that death should seal his lips before he would divulge the sacred truths which were about to be communicated to him. Through indirect channels, however, some of their secrets have been preserved. The teachings given to the neophytes were substantially as follows:

The soul of man–often called Psyche, and in the Eleusinian Mysteries symbolized by Persephone–is essentially a spiritual thing. Its true home is in the higher worlds, where, free from the bondage of material form and material concepts, it is said to be truly alive and self-expressive. The human, or physical, nature of man, according to this doctrine, is a tomb, a quagmire, a false and impermanent thing, the source of all sorrow and suffering. Plato describes the body as the sepulcher of the soul; and by this he means not only the human form but also the human nature.

Atlantis and the Gods of Antiquity | Chapter 4

by | Aug 21, 2011 | Secret Teachings of All Ages

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ATLANTIS is the subject of a short but important article appearing in the Annual Report of the Board of Regents of The Smithsonian Institution for the year ending June 30th, 1915. The author, M. Pierre Termier, a member of the Academy of Sciences and Director of Service of the Geologic Chart of France, in 1912 delivered a lecture on the Atlantean hypothesis before the Institut Océanographique; it is the translated notes of this remarkable lecture that are published in the Smithsonian report.

“After a long period of disdainful indifference,” writes M. Termier, “observe how in the last few years science is returning to the study of Atlantis. How many naturalists, geologists, zoologists, or botanists are asking one another today whether Plato has not transmitted to us, with slight amplification, a page from the actual history of mankind. No affirmation is yet permissible; but it seems more and more evident that a vast region, continental or made up of great islands, has collapsed west of the Pillars of Hercules, otherwise called the Strait of Gibraltar, and that its collapse occurred in the not far distant past. In any event, the question of Atlantis is placed anew before men of science; and since I do not believe that it can ever be solved without the aid of oceanography, I have thought it natural to discuss it here, in this temple of maritime science, and to call to such a problem, long scorned but now being revived, the attention of oceanographers, as well as the attention of those who, though immersed in the tumult of cities, lend an ear to the distant murmur of the sea.”

In his lecture M. Termier presents geologic, geographic, and zoologic data in substantiation of the Atlantis theory. Figuratively draining the entire bed of the Atlantic Ocean, he considers the inequalities of its basin and cites locations on a line from the Azores to Iceland where dredging has brought lava to the surface from a depth of 3,000 meters. The volcanic nature of the islands now existing in the Atlantic Ocean corroborates Plato’s statement that the Atlantean continent was destroyed by volcanic cataclysms. M. Termier also advances the conclusions of a young French zoologist, M. Louis Germain, who admitted the existence of an Atlantic continent connected with the Iberian Peninsula and with Mauritania and prolonged toward the south so as to include some regions of desert climate. M. Termier concludes his lecture with a graphic picture of the engulfment of that continent.

The description of the Atlantean civilization given by Plato in the Critias may be summarized as follows. In the first ages the gods divided the earth among themselves, proportioning it according to their respective dignities. Each became the peculiar deity of his own allotment and established therein temples to himself, ordained a priestcraft, and instituted a system of sacrifice. To Poseidon was given the sea and the island continent of Atlantis. In the midst of the island was a mountain which was the dwelling place of three earth-born primitive human beings–Evenor; his wife, Leucipe; and their only daughter, Cleito. The maiden was very beautiful, and after the sudden death of her parents she was wooed by Poseidon, who begat by her five pairs of male children. Poseidon apportioned his continent among these ten, and Atlas, the eldest, he made overlord of the other nine. Poseidon further called the country Atlantis and the surrounding sea the Atlantic in honor of Atlas. Before the birth of his ten sons, Poseidon divided the continent and the coastwise sea into concentric zones of land and water, which were as perfect as though turned upon a lathe. Two zones of land and three of water surrounded the central island, which Poseidon caused to be irrigated with two springs of water–one warm and the other cold.

The descendants of Atlas continued as rulers of Atlantis, and with wise government and industry elevated the country to a position of surpassing dignity. The natural resources of Atlantis were apparently limitless. Precious metals were mined, wild animals domesticated, and perfumes distilled from its fragrant flowers. While enjoying the abundance natural to their semitropic location, the Atlanteans employed themselves also in the erection of palaces, temples, and docks. They bridged the zones of sea and later dug a deep canal to connect the outer ocean with the central island, where stood the palaces And temple of Poseidon, which excelled all other structures in magnificence. A network of bridges and canals was created by the Atlanteans to unite the various parts of their kingdom.

The Hiramic Legend | Chapter 15

by | Aug 21, 2011 | Secret Teachings of All Ages

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WHEN Solomon–the beloved of God, builder of the Everlasting House, and Grand Master of the Lodge of Jerusalem–ascended the throne of his father David he consecrated his life to the erection of a temple to God and a palace for the kings of Israel. David’s faithful friend, Hiram, King of Tyre, hearing that a son of David sat upon the throne of Israel, sent messages of congratulation and offers of assistance to the new ruler. In his History of the Jews, Josephus mentions that copies of the letters passing between the two kings were then to be seen both at Jerusalem and at Tyre. Despite Hiram’s lack of appreciation for the twenty cities of Galilee which Solomon presented to him upon the completion of the temple, the two monarchs remained the best of friends. Both were famous for their wit and wisdom, and when they exchanged letters each devised puzzling questions to test the mental ingenuity of the other. Solomon made an agreement with Hiram of Tyre promising vast amounts of barley, wheat, corn, wine, and oil as wages for the masons and carpenters from Tyre who were to assist the Jews in the erection of the temple. Hiram also supplied cedars and other fine trees, which were made into rafts and floated down the sea to Joppa, whence they were taken inland by Solomon’s workmen to the temple site.

Because of his great love for Solomon, Hiram of Tyre sent also the Grand Master of the Dionysiac Architects, CHiram Abiff, a Widow’s Son, who had no equal among the craftsmen of the earth. CHiram is described as being “a Tyrian by birch, but of Israelitish descent,” and “a second Bezaleel, honored by his king with the title of Father.” The Freemason’s Pocket Companion (published in 1771) describes CHiram as “the most cunning, skilful and curious workman that ever lived, whose abilities were not confined to building alone, but extended to all kinds of work, whether in gold, silver, brass or iron; whether in linen, tapestry, or embroidery; whether considered as an architect, statuary [sic]; founder or designer, separately or together, he equally excelled. From his designs, and under his direction, all the rich and splendid furniture of the Temple and its several appendages were begun, carried on, and finished. Solomon appointed him, in his absence, to fill the chair, as Deputy Grand-Master; and in his presence, Senior Grand-Warden, Master of work, and general overseer of all artists, as well those whom David had formerly procured from Tyre and Sidon, as those Hiram should now send.” (Modem Masonic writers differ as to the accuracy of the last sentence.)

Although an immense amount of labor was involved in its construction, Solomon’s Temple–in the words of George Oliver–“was only a small building and very inferior in point of size to some of our churches.” The number of buildings contiguous to it and the vast treasure of gold and precious stones used in its construction concentrated a great amount of wealth within the temple area. In the midst of the temple stood the Holy of Holies, sometimes called the Oracle. It was an exact cube, each dimension being twenty cubits, and exemplified the influence of Egyptian symbolism. The buildings of the temple group were ornamented with 1,453 columns of Parian marble, magnificently sculptured, and 2,906 pilasters decorated with capitals. There was a broad porch facing the east, and the sanctum sanctorum was upon the west. According to tradition, the various buildings and courtyards could hold in all 300,000 persons. Both the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies were entirely lined with solid gold plates encrusted with jewels.

King Solomon began the building of the temple in the fourth year of his reign on what would be, according to modern calculation, the 21st day of April, and finished it in the eleventh year of his reign on the 23rd day of October. The temple was begun in the 480th year after the children of Israel had passed the Red Sea. Part of the labor of construction included the building of an artificial foundation on the brow of Mount Moriah. The stones for the temple were hoisted from quarries directly beneath Mount Moriah and were trued before being brought to the surface. The brass and golden ornaments for the temple were cast in molds in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredatha, and the wooden parts were all finished before they reached the temple site. The building was put together, consequently, without sound and without instruments, all its parts fitting exactly “without the hammer of contention, the axe of division, or any tool of mischief.”