On the day of the Sabbath, the builders were exiting the temple after they had worshiped to return to their homes. It was the law among the Jewish builders that they could not work on the Sabbath, but they noticed one of their fellow craftsmen, a man named Amon who was born in Gebal, mixing […]
Continue readingAuthor Archive: The Euphrates
Two Schools of Masonic Thought: Part 2-Individualism
This is the second article in a two part series on how Masons believe that Freemasonry should be governed. If you haven’t read the first article, please read it here. There are essentially two schools of thought when it comes to how Freemasonry operates: collectivism and individualism. These are obviously the two extremes in the […]
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Any man of any faith that reads the Gospels of the Christian faith will agree that many of the lessons that Jesus taught were excellent reflections on morality. He was a revolutionary figure that portrayed God as a fatherly figure, leveled himself with the poor, taught men to love their neighbors, and is remembered […]
Continue readingTwo Schools of Masonic Thought: Part 1-Collectivism
Robert Frost once wrote “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both.” This opening line to his poem “The Road Not Taken” accurately describes the decision that Masons have continually had to make about how their fraternity operates. One road leads to Masonic collectivism and the other leads to […]
Continue readingThe Portrayal of the Capitular Arch
An important part of the capitular degrees is the completion of an arch found in King Solomon’s Temple. In the Mark Master and Most Excellent Master degrees, the discovery of the keystone as well as putting it at the apex of the arch constitutes a large part of the ceremonies of those degrees. However, the […]
Continue readingThe Best of the Middle Chamber Online
In a cooperative effort with Phoenixmasonry, the best articles from my work on The Middle Chamber are now available online. This compilation is called Freemasonic Fables and can be found at Phoenixmasonry. Executive Director Frederic L. Milliken says this about the website’s new feature: Phoenixmasonry is pleased to announce the publication of “Freemasonic Fables” by […]
Continue readingThe Rite of Purification
The other morning, I was enjoying my daily shaving ritual. As I lathered the shaving soap with my badger hair brush and spread the rich, white lather over my jaw, I thought about how my morning shave had become a daily routine of renewal and purification. When I took my razor in hand and removed […]
Continue readingNobly Born and The Compasses and the Cross by Stephen Dafoe
Note: Stephen Dafoe is a contributor to this site, but this review was conducted independently. In fact, the author of this review has no personal relationship with Bro. Dafoe. Therefore, this critique is that of an unbiased reader. Stephen Dafoe has two recent releases on the Knights Templar: Nobly Born and The Compasses and the […]
Continue readingNon-Masonic Education
A hot topic in the on-line Masonic community is lodge education. Many ideas are presented for educational subjects or how to implement educational programs. Most of this discussion is limited to Masonic topics such as Masonic symbolism or history. There is no shortage of information on these subjects available through the Internet or in hard […]
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The Chronicles of Philosophus
At that time in the land of Gebal, the builders would gather at high twelve on the day before the Sabbath. They would meet in the temple to discuss the work of the craftsmen and to study the ancient arts. The master builders filled the higher offices, with the craftsmen joining them on the floor. […]
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