The Web of Hiram

Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite

4. Secret Master

5. Perfect Master

6. Intimate Secretary

7. Provost and Judge

8. Intendant of Buildings

9. Master Elect of Nine

10. Master Elect of Fifteen

11. Sublime Master Elected

12. Grand Master Architect

13. Royal Arch of Enoch

14. Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Master Mason

15. Knight of the East or Sword

16. Prince of Jerusalem

17. Knights of the East and West

18. Knight of the Rose-Croix de Heredom

19. Grand Pontiff

20. Grand Master of all Symbolic Lodges

21. Noachite or Prussian Knight

22. Knight of the Royal Axe

23. Chief of the Tabernacle

24. Prince of the Tabernacle

25. Knight of the Brazen Serpent

26. Prince of Mercy

27 Commander of the Temple

28. Knight of the Sun

29. Knight of St Andrew, or Patriarch of the Crusades

30. Knight Kadosh

31. Grand Inspector Commander

32. Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.

33. Inspector-General

ROYAL ARCH OF ENOCH

or

MASTER OF THE NINTH ARCH

The Thirteenth Grade of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and the Tenth Degree of the Ineffable Series

ARGUMENT

This degree, in fact, forms the climax of Ineffable Masonry; It Is the keystone of the arch, and discovers that which is revealed in the succeeding degree of Perfection. It is a most important and interesting grade, and so intimately connected with its successor as to appear like a section of that degree.

The shaded beauties of the sacred words that have been hitherto revealed, and the lessons and virtues that have so gradually been inculcated, in this degree receive a climax, and culminate in the development of the great mystery of Ineffable Masonry.

The dark clouds and mists that have hitherto veiled the sacred mysteries now begin to be dispelled: the glorious dawn illuminates the East with its bright effulgence, and its rays penetrate into dark and hidden places.

DECORATIONS

This Chapter of Royal Arch of Solomon represents the audience-chamber of King Solomon., The hangings are alternately red and white.

Lights-Three in the East, three in the West, and three in the South.

OFFICERS

King Solomon is seated in the East. Hiram, King of Tyre, is also in the East, on the left of King Solomon.

Senior Warden represents Gibulum, and is seated in the West.

Junior Warden represents Stolkin, and is seated in the South.

Treasurer (who represents Joabert), Secretary, Master of Ceremonies, Captain of the Guard, and other officers, stationed as in a Lodge of Perfection.

All Officers and Companions, except the Kings, clothed in black, with apron, collar, and jewel of this degree or of their particular office.

King Solomon wears a yellow robe, purple chasuble, lined with blue, sleeves reaching to the elbows, and rich purple sash, with jewel.

King Hiram. of Tyre wears a purple robe, yellow chasuble, and rich purple sash, with jewel.

Apron-Purple silk or velvet, bordered with white; in the centre of the area, the Enochian delta, with rays.

Collar-Purple silk or velvet, and suspended to it the:

Jewel-A gold triangle, on which is engraved the delta of Enoch, with rays. On the obverse side of the jewel is a representation of the first three recipients of this degree, two of them lowering the third into the subterranean vault. Around this device, the initials of the words

"Regnante Sapientissimo Salamone, Gibulum, Joabert, et Stolkin invenerunt pretiosissimum Artiffi cum thesaurum subter ruinas Enoch A Mundi 2995."

Age-7 times 9=63

Battery- *** -***-***

There should be a separate apartment, without apparent door or window; opening overhead, covered with a trap-door, representing a flat stone with an iron ring to it.

OPENING.

T.: P.: The Lord is great in Zion. Let all the earth praise him for his great and terrible name, for it is holy.

S.: W.: Exalt the Lord our God, and worship on his holy hill.

J.: W.: He spake from the cloudy pillar and from the fire; and from the depth cometh forth the riches of secret places.

T.: P.: Exalt the Lord our God, for he is holy; and his name, for it is from everlasting to everlasting

J.: W.: What is man, that he should magnify him, or that he should set his heart upon him ?

J.: W.: We are but of yesterday, and know nothing. Our days are but a shadow: they flee and we know not.

T.: P.: Canst thou, by searching, find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection ? He is as high as heaven. What canst thou do? He is deeper than hell. What canst thou know?

S.: W.: His eyes are upon the ways of man, and lie seeth all his doings.

J.; W.: O God, let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto the children of men !

T.: P.: Let the beauty of the Lord be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands: O Jehovah, establish thou it!

S.: W.: I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises unto my God while I have my being.

J.: W.: My meditations of him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the Lord.

T.: P.: Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. "Mine eyes shall be on the perfect man." saith the Lord The perfect of the land shall dwell with me: they shall walk in my name, and serve me forever."

Companions, let us give thanks unto the Lord, who hath given us the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places.

PRAYER

O thou real and eternal Lord God, source of light and of love- thou Sovereign Inspector and Mighty Architect of the wonders of Creation-who from thy throne in the highest heaven in mercy looketh down upon all the dwellers of the earth - lend, we beseech thee, thine ears to the prayers and petitions of thy unworthy servants now assembled in thy presence, to teach the mysteries of that Sublime Edifice which is erected and dedicated to thy Most Holy and Glorious Name. Pour upon us, and all the members of the Mystic Craft throughout the two hemispheres, the rich blessings of thy Providence. Give us strength to overcome temptations, to subdue our passions, and to practise virtue. Fill our hearts with fear without desolation; with confidence without presumption; with piety without illusion; and with joy without licentiousness. Fill our hearts with tender affections for thy divine goodness, and love for our neighbours: make us faithful to our friends and charitable to our enemies. Dispose our hearts, O thou God Eternal! to receive the splendid impressions of Religion and Humanity; our minds, the great lights of Science; and direct our footsteps in the bright paths of virtue.

Let all our actions prove to an admiring world that our lives are sincerely dedicated to Thee, our God, and to the relief of our fellow-creatures. And finally, when we yield up our breath to Thee, the Source of Life, may we, bearing the rich harvest of good actions, be admitted into that Sublime and Eternal Lodge where happiness reigns without alloy, and where, around the throne of the Great Jehovah, we shall sing hallelujahs to his name.

Now unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only Wise God, be the kingdom, power, and glory, forever and ever. Amen!

Omnes: God grant it so may be!

RECEPTION

I shall now invest you with the apron, collar, and jewel of a Knight of the Ninth or Royal Arch.

The colour of your apron and collar is purple, and denotes the royal origin of the degree and the dignity of your station.

The jewel alludes to the delta or golden plate found in the subterranean arch, a more full description of which will be obtained by attending to the history and lecture of the degree.

HISTORY

G.: O.: Companions: this is the history and legend of this degree. Enoch, the son of Jared, was the sixth in descent from Adam. Filled with the love and fear of God, he strove to lead men in the way of honour and duty. In a vision the Deity appeared to him in the visible shape of a pure golden triangle, and said to him, " Enoch, thou hast longed to know my true name: arise and follow me, and thou shalt know it."

Enoch, accepting his vision as an inspiration, journeyed in search of the mountain he had seen in his dream, until, weary of the search, he stopped in the land of Canaan, then already populous with the descendants of Adam, and there employed workmen; and with the help of his son Methuselah, he excavated nine apartments, one above the other, and each roofed with an arch, as he had seen in his dream, the lowest being hewn out of the solid rock. In the crown of each arch he left a narrow aperture, closed with a square stone, and over the upper one he built a modest temple, roofless and of huge unhewn stones, to the Grand Architect of the Universe.

Upon a triangular plate of gold, inlaid with many precious gems, he engraved the ineffable name of God, and sank the plate into one face of a cube of agate.

None knew of the deposit of the precious treasure; and, that it might remain undiscovered, and survive the Flood, which it was known to Enoch would soon overwhelm the world in one vast sea of mire, he covered the aperture, and the stone that closed it and the great ring of iron used to raise the stone, with the granite pavement of his primitive temple.

Then, fearing that all knowledge of the arts and sciences would be lost in the universal flood, he built two great columns upon a high hill-one of brass, to resist water, and one of granite, to resist fire. On the granite column was written in hieroglyphics a description of the subterranean apartments; on the one of brass, the rudiments of the arts and sciences.

The granite column was overturned and swept away, and worn to a shapeless mass by the Deluge, but that of brass stood firm, and was found by Noah. Thenceforward the true name of God remained unknown until he said unto Moses in Egypt, when he ordered him to go to Pharaoh, and cause him to send forth the children of Israel out of Egypt: " I am that which I was and shall be: I am the God of thy fathers; the God of Abraham, of Isaac,, and of Jacob. Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, HE who is hath sent me unto you. 1 am the Lord, that appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob by my name AL-SHEDI but my name - I did not show them."

Moses engraved the ineffable name upon a plate of gold, and deposited it in the ark of the covenant. Moses made the name known to Aaron and Joshua, and afterwards it was made known to the chief priests. The word being composed of consonants only, its true pronunciation was soon lost, but the word still remained in the ark; and in the time of Othniel in a battle against the King of Syria, those who bore the ark were slain, and the ark fell to the ground. After the battle, the men of Israel, searching for it, were led to it by the roaring of a lion, which, crouching by it, had guarded it, holding the golden key in its mouth. Upon the approach of the High-priest and Levites, he laid down the key, and withdrew. Hence, upon the golden key worn by the treasurer, you see the initials of these words: "In are leonis verbum inveni"---~'In the lion's mouth I found the word." This plate of gold was melted down, and made into an image of Dagon by the Philistines, who took it in battle.

David intended to build a temple to God. but bequeathed the enterprise to Solomon, his son, and Solomon selected a place near Jerusalem; but finding overthrown columns of Enoch's temple, and supposing them to be the ruins of a heathen temple, and not wishing to select a desecrated spot, selected Mount Morlah for the site of his Temple to the true God. Under this temple he built a secret vault, the approach to which was through eight other vaults, all under ground, and to which a long and narrow passage led under the king's palace. In the ninth apartment was placed a twisted column of white marble, on which it was intended to place the ark, and in this apartment he held his private conferences with King Hiram of Tyre and Hiram Abif, they only knowing the way by which it was approached. Solomon proposed to erect a Temple of Justice, and selected as a site the spot where Enoch's temple had stood, and to that end directed that the fallen columns and rubbish should be removed. Gibulum, Joabert, and Stolkin were selected to survey the ground and lay off the foundations.