The Pillars and Archives of Freemasonry

Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, Grand Archivist and Grand Historian

Three years ago the members of Étoile Polaire Lodge No. 1 of New Orleans had the foresight to ensure their records would survive hurricanes like Katrina when they placed them in storage in the archival vaults at the House of the Temple.

Of the many notable features which adorned King Solomon’s Temple, the two best known among Masons were the twin brazen pillars, Jachin and Boaz, which stood at its entrance porch. Historians have debated whether they were functional, structurally supportive features, or merely decorative. Masonic tradition informs us that were cast hollow, “the better to preserve the archives of Masonry from conflagrations and inundations”—from fire and flood. As the Archivist of the Supreme Council, I find this curious aspect satisfying. It suggests an awareness of, and even respect for, the importance of preserving our records.

Is there any support for our tradition regarding the pillars? The Hebrew Masoretic text, the source of the Authorized (King James) Version does not state the pillars were hollow. (“For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.” I Kings 7:15) Other ancient texts, cited in the Revised Standard Version, are in line with the Masonic tradition. Interestingly, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also noted that “Hiram made two [hollow] pillars, whose outsides were of brass, and the thickness of the brass was four fingers’ breadth.”

Our Masonic tradition appears to combine elements from earlier traditions. For example, Josephus also wrote that Adam predicted “that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of water.” For this reason, his son Seth caused two pillars to be made, “the one of brick, the other of stone: they inscribed their discoveries on them both, that in case the pillar of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might remain.”1 The apocryphal Armenian “History of the Forefathers” relates a similar tale. It states that Enos(h) “set up two pillars” and “made writings and wrote on stelae of baked brick and bronze, and he prophesied that the earth will pass through water and fire on account of the sins of humans. And he cast the baked brick into the water and the bronze into the fire, in order to test (them), if the fire was to come first, the bronze would melt, and if the water was to come first, the brick would be destroyed.”2

The front cover of the 1833–45 minute book of Étoile Polaire Lodge No. 1, New Orleans, is slightly blemished, but the handwritten contents are perfect.

These two ancient enemies, fire and flood, have destroyed both countless lives and innumerable irreplaceable records. The burning of the famed Library at Alexandria, Egypt, likely between the third and seventh centuries (the precise date is unknown), stands as the prime example. This library may have held as many as 700,000 parchment scrolls, some of which were the only existing copies. A case in point of the scientific knowledge lost includes the writings of Aristarchus of Samos (ca.310–230 BCE), an astronomer who, employing geometry, deduced the heliocentric nature of the Solar System from the relative sizes and distances of the sun and moon some 1,700 years before Nicholaus Copernicus. How might our world have differed today, had subsequent scientists built upon such knowledge? We also know that the library contained a history of the world from the time of the Biblical Flood, written by Prossos, a Babylonian monk. The details of this “history” are now lost to time.

Other Masonic legends referring to the preservation of records and valuable objects include the Royal Arch Degree, as practiced in both the Scottish and York Rites, where we are informed that precious items were preserved underground by forethought and planning. Similarly, the “sacred vault” of the Select Master’s Degree stored the treasures of the Temple to protect them from the impending Babylonian captivity. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between symbolic and literal instruction and between common sense and sage advice. What is important, however, is that once knowledge is obtained, we put it to use.

The author of this article, in one of two archival vaults, examines a New Orleans record book; these records are stored in acid-free bags and containers to prevent further deterioration.

Sadly, such is not always the case. We can never know how many Masonic treasures have been lost to conflagration and inundation, but on July 6, 1819, our Supreme Council lost property, records, and rituals in a tragic fire. Among the documents lost was the oldest known copy of the Secret Constitutions of the 33d Degree, and the ritual which accompanied it. Fortunately, we had previously supplied a copy to the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, who was able to return a copy. We are thankful that the Supreme Council is now in a position to properly care for such items.

In light of the catastrophic events following in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I reflected on lessons born of tragedy, and am happy to relate a story of the foresight and wisdom of some of our New Orleans Brethren. During the 2002 Leadership Conference held in New Orleans, I visited Étoile Polaire (Polar Star) Lodge No. 1, which practices a version of the Scottish Rite Blue Lodge ritual. I was excited to learn that most of Étoile Polaire’s original records, covering some 200 years, remained in the Lodge, and I was allowed to examine and evaluate them. The Lodge regretted that it did not possess adequate storage facilities to properly house these historically valuable documents. After a discussion with the principal officers of the Lodge, I offered to place these records in our climate-controlled document vault at the House of the Temple. The collection, weighing several hundred pounds, was subsequently brought to Washington, D.C. and delivered in person by Ill. T. Scott Strickland, 33°, PGM, and Woody Bilyeu, 33°, and Bros. Henry Thibodaux, 32°, KCCH, and Clayton J. Borne, 32°, KCCH. It is a tribute to the members of Étoile Polaire Lodge that their foresight has preserved these records. I shudder to think what would happened to these priceless records when Katrina struck.

The Archives of the Supreme Council are occasionally contacted by Masonic organizations that want help preserving documents and rare books, or help in saving damaged documents. A few of the basic preservation rules are: (1) Keep the storage area at a stable temperature below 70°, and at a stable relative humidity between 30° and 50°; the climate control should never be turned off; (2) Store items only in acid–free containers, separated by buffer paper, if needed; (3) Do not unnecessarily expose items to light (including scanners and photocopiers). Use only UV-filtered lights in the storage area and filter windows against UV; (4) Minimize pollutants (particulates and gasses) through mechanical filters and scrubbers, if possible. If your items are already damaged, contact a preservation archivist immediately.

If you, or your Masonic body, are unable to properly care for and/or store any rare documents, books or records, please feel free to contact us; we’d be happy to help. The House of the Temple has several large archival storage areas, including two vaults (should we rename them Jachin and Boaz?), as well as a knowledgeable staff who are ready to help. Together, we can preserve the treasures of our Fraternity for future generations to enjoy.

Notes

1. “Antiquities of the Jews,” Bk. 8, Ch. 3, vs. 4, and Bk. 1, Ch. 2, vs. 3. in William Whiston, The Works of Flavius Josephus (1737).

2. “History of the Forefathers,” pp. 40–44, in Michael E. Stone, Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Adam and Eve: Edited With Introductions, Translations and Commentary (Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha) (E.J. Brill, 1996).