A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Hiram Abiff is, according to the Freemasons’ legend, the master and chief architect at the building of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.
No doubt, Hiram - the widow’s son - is an extraordinary figure in modern Freemasonry and he is known to all members of the Fraternity. Those who were involved in the construction of Solomon's temple organized the first skilled Masons and as the Order maintains, Hiram Abiff was the only one who was consecrated in the secret knowledge required to build this unique structure.
St John's Church, Chester (England). Stained glass window (1900) showing Hiram, the architect of the temple in Jerusalem. Credit: Wolfgang Sauber, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
There were some very curious fellow-craftsmen who tried (in vain) to obtain the hidden knowledge that Hiram possessed. When Hiram refused, they murdered him.
Importance Of Hiram Abiff's Death
The legend of Hiram Abiff's death is important to members of the Fraternity and it is said to be one of the reasons why objects related to death are used when new members are adopted in a Masonic Law.
However, Charles William Heckethorn (c. 1829 – 1902), a Swiss-born, naturalized British, the author best known for his history of secret societies, wrote in his book “The Secret Societies of all Ages and Countries” that:
"Taken literally, the story of Hiram offers nothing as extraordinary as to deserve to be commemorated after three thousand years throughout the world by solemn rites and ceremonies…”
Did Hiram Abiff construct King Solomon's temple? Credit: masonicpath.com
Legend Of Hiram Abiff, Descendent Of Tubal-Cain
In his book “The Story of Hiram Abiff”, William Harvey cites the legend, given at length in Heckethorn's work.
"Hiram, the descendent of Tubal-Cain, who first constructed a furnace and worked in metals, erected a marvelous building, the Temple of Solomon, raised the golden throne of Solomon, and built many glorious edifices. But, melancholy amidst all his greatness, he lived alone, understood and loved by few, hated by many, including Solomon, who was envious of his genius and glory.
When Balkis, the Queen of Sheba, came to Jerusalem, Solomon led her to behold the Temple, and the Queen was lost in admiration. The King, captivated by her beauty, offered his hand, which she accepted. On again visiting the Temple she repeatedly desired to see the architect. Solomon delayed as long as possible, but at last was forced to present Hiram Abiff to the Queen.
Left: Solomon and the plan for the First Temple, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Co. Credit: Public Domain - Right: Artist's interpretation of the first Temple in Jerusalem. Credit: Israel Truths
When she wished to see the countless host of workmen that wrought at the Temple, Solomon protested the impossibility of assembling them all at once; but, Hiram, leaping on a stone to be better seen, with his right hand described in the air the symbolical Tau, and immediately the men hastened from all parts of the work into the presence of their master. At this the Queen wondered greatly, and secretly repented of the promise she had given the King, for she felt in love with the mighty architect. Solomon set himself to destroy this affection, and to prepare his rival's humiliation and ruin.
For this purpose, he employed three fellow-crafts, envious of Hiram, because he had refused to raise them to the degree of masters on account of their want of knowledge and their idleness. The black envy these three projected that the casting of the brazen sea, which was to raise the glory of Hiram its utmost height, should turn out a failure. The day for the casting arrived and Queen Sheba was present. The doors that restrained the molten metal were opened, and torrents of liquid fire poured into the casting mold, wherein the brazen sea was to assume its form. But the burning mass flowed like lava over the adjacent aces.
The terrified crowd fled from the advancing stream of fire, while Hiram, calm, like a god, endeavored to arrest its advance with ponderous columns of water, but without success. "The dishonored artificer could not withdraw himself from the scene of his discomfiture. Suddenly he heard a strange voice coming from above and crying, 'Hiram, Hiram, Hiram;' He raised his eyes and beheld a gigantic human figure.
The apparition continued, `Come, my son, be without fear, I have rendered thee incombustible, cast thyself into the flames.' Hiram threw himself into the furnace, and where others would have found death, he tasted ineffable delights nor could he, drawn by an irresistible force, leave it, and asked him that drew him into the abyss, `Who art thou?' `I am the father of thy fathers,' was the answer, `I am Tubal-Cain.' "Tubal-Cain introduced Hiram into the sanctuary of fire, and into the presence of Cain, the author of his race.
When Hiram was about to be restored to the earth, Tubal-Cain gave him the hammer with which he himself had wrought great things, and said to him, `Thanks to this hammer and the help of the genii of fire, thou shalt speedily accomplish the work left unfinished through man's stupidity and malignity.' Hiram did not hesitate to test the wonderful efficacy of the precious instrument, and the dawn saw the great mass of bronze cast. The artist felt the most lively joy.
Bronze statue of Hiram Abiff by Nickolaus-Otto Kruch, Berlin, Germany. Credit: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Queen exulted. "One day after this, the Queen, accompanied by her maids, went beyond Jerusalem, and there encountered Hiram, alone and thoughtful. They mutually confessed their love. Solomon now hinted to the fellow-crafts that the removal of his rival, who refused to give them the master's word, would be acceptable unto himself; so when the architect came into the temple he was assailed and slain by them.
They wrapped up his body, carried it to a solitary hill, and buried it, planting over the grave a sprig of acacia. "Hiram, not having made his appearance for seven days, Solomon, to satisfy the clamor of the people, was forced to have him searched for.
The body was found by three masters, and they, suspecting that he had been slain by the three fellow-crafts for refusing them the master's word, determined nevertheless for greater security to change the word. The three fellow-crafts were traced, but rather than fall into the hands of their pursuers, they committed suicide, and their heads were brought to Solomon…."
Hiram Abiff In The Bible
As the construction of the Temple of Solomon is described in the Holy Bible, there have been attempts to identify Hiram, but no such master and chief architect is mentioned with that name.
In the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, there are three other persons named “Hiram” that were involved in the construction of the temple of Solomon:
The first one is Hiram, King of the realm of Tyre (today, in Lebanon), who reigned during the time of King David and his son King Solomon. He is mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:1:
“Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David…”
In 1 Kings 7:13–14, we find the second “Hiram”, the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali and a Tyrian bronze worker. He was sent for by Solomon to cast the bronze furnishings and ornate decorations for the new temple.
Finally, we have yet another “Hiram” mentioned in 2 Chronicles 2:13-14 saying about a formal request from King Solomon of Jerusalem to King Hiram I of Tyre, for workers and for materials to build a new temple.
King Hiram responds "And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Ḥuram 'abi (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father."
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
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