Section 36

RosicRuciANS. A sect of hermetical philosophers, founded in
the fifteenth century, who were engaged in the study of
abstruse sciences. It was a secret society much resembling
the Masonic in its organization, and in some of the subjects
of its investigation; but it was in no other way connected
with Freemasonry. It is, however, well worth the study
of the Masonic student on account of the light that it throws
upon many of the symbols of the fraternity. . . . 155

Royal Art. Freemasonry is so called because it is supposed
to have been founded by two kings — the kings of Israel
and Tyre — and because it has been subsequently encour-
aged and patronized by monarchs in all countries. . 69

S

Sabianism, or Sabaism. The worship of the sun, moon, and
stars, the D^'QTUn i<12, isaw-hawhxish-maw-yaw'mj "the host
of heaven." It was practised in Persia, Chaldea, India,
and other Oriental countries, at an early period of the
world's history. Sun-worship has had a powerful influence
on subsequent and more rational religions, and relics of it
are to be found even in the symbolism of Freemasonry. 26

Sacellum. a sacred place consecrated to a god, and con-
taining an altar 148

Sainte Croix. The work of the Baron de Sainte Croix, in two
volumes, entitled, "Recherches Historiques et Critiques
sur les Myst^res du Paganisme," is one of the most val-
uable and instructive works that we have in any language
on the ancient Mysteries — those religious associations
whose history and design so closely connect them with
Freemasonry. To the student of Masonic philosophy and
symbohsm this work of Sainte Croix is absolutely essential. 17

Salsette. An island in the Bay of Bombay, celebrated for
stupendous caverns excavated artifically out of the solid
rock, and which were appropriated to the initiations in the
ancient Mysteries of India 107

Senses, Five Human. A symbol of intellectual cultivation. 224

Synoptical Index 861

Seth. It is the Masonic theory that the principles of the
pure or primitive Freemasonry were preserved in the race
of Seth, which had always kept separate from that of Cain,
but that after the Flood they became corrupted, by a seces-
sion of a portion of the Sethites, who established the
spurious Freemasonry of the Gentiles 14

Seven. A sacred number among the Jews and the Gentiles,

and called by Pythagoras a "venerable number." . . 120

Shem Hamphorash. ©"^""DTQil DtU, or the declaratory name.
The tetragrammaton is so called, because, of all the names
of God, it alone distinctly declares His nature and essence
as seK-existent and eternal 181

Shoe. See Investiture, Rite of.

Signs. There is abundant evidence that they were used in the
ancient Mysteries. They are valuable only as modes of
recognition. But while they are absolutely conventional,
they have, undoubtedly, in Freemasonry, a symbolic ref-
erence. 215

Siva. One of the manifestations of the supreme deity of the

Hindoos, and a symbol of the sun in its meridian. . 108

Sons op Light. Freemasons are so called because Lux, or
Light, is one of the leading characteristics of Speculative
Freemasonry 157

Solomon. The king of Israel, and the founder of the temple of

Jerusalem and of the temple organization of Freemasonry. 81
That his mind was eminently symbolic in its propensities, is
evident from all the writings that are attributed to him. 82

Speculative Freemasonry. Freemasonry considered as a
science which speculates on the character of God and man,
and is engaged in philosophical investigations of the soul
and a future existence, for which purpose it uses the terms

of an operative art. 84

It is engaged symboUcally in the construction of a spiritual

temple 161

There is in it always a progress — an advancement from a
lower to a higher sphere. 264

Spiritual Temple. The body of man; that temple alluded to
by Christ and St. Paul; the temple, in the construction of
which the Speculative Freemason is engaged, in contra-
distinction to that material temple which occupies the
labors of the operative workman 160

362 Synoptical Index

Spurious Freemasonry op Antiquity. A term applied to the
initiations in the Mysteries of the ancient pagan world, and
to the doctrines taught in those Mysteries. See Mysteries. 32

Square. A geometric figure consisting of four straight lines of
equal length and having right angles. In Freemasonry it
is a symbol of morality, or the strict performance of every
duty. The Greeks deemed it a figure of perfection, and the
"square man" was a man of unsulUed integrity. . .162

Square, Trying. One of the working-tools of a Fellow Craft,

and a symbol of morality 93

Stone of Foundation. A very important symbol in the Ma-
sonic system. It is like the word, the symbol of divine truth. 283

Stone Worship. A very early form of fetichism. The Pelas-
gians are supposed to have given to their statues of the gods
the general form of cubical stones, whence in Hellenic times
came the Hermae, or images of Hermes 295

Substitute Word. A symbol of the unsuccessful search after
divine truth, and the discovery in this fife of only an approx-
imation to it 228

Sun, Rising. In the Sabian worship the rising sun was adored
on its resurrection from the apparent death of its evening
setting. Hence, in the ancient Mysteries the rising sun
was a symbol of the regeneration of the soul. . . . 233

Sun- Worship. The most ancient of all superstitions. It pre-
vailed especially in Phoenicia, Chaldea, and Egypt, and
traces of it have been discovered in Peru and Mexico. Its
influence was felt in the ancient Mysteries, and abundant
allusions to it are to be found in the symbolism of Free-
masonry 108

Swedenborg. a Swedish philosopher, and the founder of a
religious sect. Clavel, Ragon, and some other writers have
sought to make him the founder of a Masonic rite also,
but without authority. In 1767 Chastanier established
the rite of Illuminated Theosophists, whose instructions are
derived from the writings of Swedenborg, but the sage
himself had nothing to do with it. Yet it cannot be denied
that the mind of Swedenborg was eminently symbolic in
character, and that the Masonic student may derive many
valuable ideas from portions of his numerous works, espe-
cially from his "Celestial Arcana" and his "Apocalypse
Revealed." ... 276

Synoptical Index 363

Symbol. "A visible sign with which a spiritual feehng, emotion,
or idea is connected . ' ' — Miiller. Every natural thing which
is made the sign or representation of a moral idea is a
symbol 73

Symbol, Compound. A species of symbol not unusual in Free-
masonry, where the symbol is to be taken in a double sense,
meaning in its general apphcation one thing, and then in a
special application another 308

Symbolism, Science op. To what has been said in the text,
may be added the following apposite remarks of Squier:
"In the absence of a written language or forms of expres-
sion capable of conveying abstract ideas, we can readily
comprehend the necessity, among a primitive people, of a
symboUc system. That symbolism in a great degree re-
sulted from this necessity, is very obvious; and that, asso-
ciated with man's primitive rehgious systems, it was after-
wards continued, when in the advanced stage of the human
mind, the previous necessity no longer existed, is equally
undoubted. It thus came to constitute a kind of sacred
language, and became invested with an esoteric significance
understood only by the few." — "The Serpent Symbol in
America," p. 19 71

Tabernacle. Erected by Moses in the wilderness as a tempo-
rary place for divine worship. It was the antetype of the
temple of Jerusalem, and, like it, was a symbol of the
universe 79

Talisman. A figure either carved in metal or stone, or delin-
eated on parchment or paper, made with superstitious
ceremonies under what was supposed to be the special in-
fluence of the planetary bodies, and beUeved to possess
occult powers of protecting the maker or possessor from
danger. The figure in the text is a tahsman, and among the
Orientals no taUsman was more sacred than this one where
the nine digits are so disposed as to make 15 each way. The
Arabians called it zahal, which was the name of the planet
Saturn, because the nine digits added together make 45,
and the letters of the word zahal are, according to the nu-
merical powers of the Arabic alphabet, equivalent to 45.
The Cabalists esteem it because 15 was the numerical power

364 Synoptical Index

of the letters composing the word JAH, which is one of the

names of God 227

Talmud. The mystical philosophy of the Jewish Rabbins is
contained in the Talmud, which is a collection of books
divided into two parts, the " Mishna," which contains the
record of the oral law, first committed to writing in the
second or third century, and the "Gemara," or commen-
taries on it. In the Talmud much will be found of great
interest to the Masonic student 286

Temple. The importance of the temple in the symbolism of
Freemasonry will authorize the following quotation from
the learned Montfaucon, "Antiquities," ii. 1 ii. ch. ii.;
"Concerning the origin of temples, there is a variety of
opinions. According to Herodotus, the Egyptians were
the first that made altars, statues, and temples. It does
not, however, appear that there were any in Egypt in the
time of Moses, for he never mentions them, although he had
many opportunities for doing so. Lucian says that the
Egyptians were the first people who built temples, and
that the Assyrians derived the custom from them, all of
which is, however, very uncertain. The first allusion to
the subject in Scripture is the Tabernacle, which was, in
fact, a portable temple, and contained one place within it
more holy and secret than the others, called the Holy of
Holies, and to which the adytum in the pagan temples cor-
responded. The first heathen temple mentioned in Scrip-
ture is that of Dagon, the god of the Philistines. The
Greeks, who were indebted to the Phoenicians for many
things, may be supposed to have learned from them the art
of building temples; and it is certain that the Roman bor-
rowed from the Greeks both the worship of the gods and the
construction of temples." 271

Temple Builder. The title by which Hiram Abif is sometimes

designated. 231

Temple op Solomon. The building erected by King Solomon
on Mount Moriah, at Jerusalem, has been often called "the
cradle of Freemasonry," because it was there that that
union took place between the operative and speculative
Craftsmen, which continued for centuries afterwards to
present the true organization of the Masonic system. . 18

Synoptical Index 365

As to the size of the temple, the dimensions given in the text
may be considered as accurate so far as they agree with the
description given in the First Book of Kings. Josephus
gives a larger measure, and makes the length 105 feet, the
breadth 35 feet, and the height 210 feet; but even these
win not invalidate the statement in the text, that in size it
was surpassed by many a parish church. ... 81

Temple Symbolism. That symbolism which is derived from
the temple of Solomon. It is the most fertile of all kinds
of symboHsm in the production of materials for the Masonic
science 85

Terminus. One of the most ancient of the Roman deities. He
was the god of boundaries and landmarks, and his statue
consisted only of a cubical stone, without arms or legs, to
show that he was immovable 169

Tetractys. a figure used by Pythagoras, consisting of ten
points, arranged in a triangular form so as to represent the
monad, duad, triad, and quarterniad. It was considered as
very sacred by the Pythagoreans, and was to them what the
tetragrammaton was to the Jews. 185

Tetragrammaton. (From the Greek rerpas, four, and ypafxixa,
a letter.) The four-lettered name of God in the Hebrew
language, which consisted of four letters, viz., niH'',
commonly, but incorrectly, pronounced Jehovah. As a
symbol it greatly pervaded the rites of antiquity, and was .
perhaps the earliest symbol corrupted by the spurious

Freemasonry of the pagan Mysteries 176

It was held by the Jews in profound veneration, and its origin
supposed to have been by divine revelation at the burning

bush 177

The word was never pronounced, but wherever it was met
with Adonai was substituted for it, which custom was de-
rived from the perverted reading of a passage in the Penta-
teuch. The true pronunciation consequently was utterly
lost. This is explained by the want of vowels in the
Hebrew alphabet, so that the true vocaUzation of a word
cannot be learned from the letters of which it is composed. 178
The true pronunciation was intrusted to the high priest;
but lest the knowledge of it should be lost by his sudden
death, it was also communicated to his assistant. The
word was known also, probably, to the kings of Israel. . 180

366 Synoptical Index

The Cabalists and Talmudists enveloped it in a host of super-
stitions 181

It was also used by the Essenes in their sacred rites, and by

the Egyptians as a pass-word 183

CabaHstically read and pronounced, it means the male and
female principle of nature, the generative and prolific
energy of creation 188

Thammuz. a Syrian god, who was worshipped by those women
of the Hebrews who had fallen into idolatry. The idol was
the same as the Phoenician Adonis, and the Mysteries of the
two were identical 42

Traveling Freemasons. See Freemasons, Traveling.

Trestle Board. The board or tablet on which the designs of
the architect are inscribed. It is a symbol of the moral law

as set forth in the revealed will of God 89

Every man must have his trestle board, because it is the duty
of every man to work out the task which God, the chief
Architect, has assigned to him 266

Triangle. A symbol of Deity 182

This symbolism is found in many of the ancient religions. . 183
Among the Egyptians it was a symbol of universal nature, or
of the protection of the world by the male and female
energies of creation. 195

Triangle, Radiated. A triangle placed within a circle of rays
extending radially outwards. In Christian art the triangle
is a symbol of God; then the rays are called a glory. When
they surround the triangle in the form of a circle, the
triangle is a symbol of the glory of God. When the rays
emanate from the centre of the triangle, it is a symbol of
divine light. This is the true form of the Masonic radiated
triangle 195

Triliteral Name. This is the word AUM, which is the in-
effable name of God among the Hindoos, and symbolizes
the three manifestations of the Brahminical supreme god,
Brahma, Siva, and Vishnu. It was never to be pronounced
aloud, and was analogous to the sacred tetragrammaton of
the Jews 183

Trowel. One of the working tools of a Master Mason. It is

a symbol of brotherly love 98

Truth. It was not always taught publicly by the ancient phil-
osophers to the people 33

Synoptical Index 367

The search for it is the object of Freemasonry. It is never
found on earth, but a substitute for it is provided. . 305

TuAPHOLL. A term used by the Druids to designate an unhal-
lowed circumambulation around the sacred cairn, or altar,
the movement being against the sun, that is, from west to
east by the south, the cairn being on the left hand of the
circumambulator 144

Tubal Cain. 'J'^p bSin, too-bal Kah-yin, but note further
what is said of Cain and which is usually pronounced kane,
one syllable. Of the various etymologies of this name,
only one is given in the text; but most of the others in some
way identify him with Vulcan. Wellsford *' Mithridates
Minor," p. 4, gives a singular etymology, deriving the name
of the Hebrew patriarch from the definite article H, con-
verted into D, or T and Baal, " Lord," with the Arabic kayUf
"a blacksmith," so that the word would then signify "the
lord of the blacksmiths." Masonic writers have, however,
generally adopted the more usual derivation of Cain, from
a word signifying possession; and Oliver discusses Tubal
Cain as a symbol of worldly possessions. As to the identity
of Vulcan with Tubal Cain, we may learn something from
the definition of the offices of the former, as given by Dio-
dorus Siculus: "Vulcan was the first founder of works in
iron, brass, gold, silver, and all fusible metals; and he
taught the uses to which fire can be appUed in the arts."
See Genesis: "Tubal Cain, an instructor of every artificer
in brass and iron." 16

TwENTY-FOUR-iNCH Gauge. The Masonic two-foot rule. One
of the working-tools of an Entered Apprentice, and a
symbol of time well employed 92

Typhon. The brother and slayer of Osiris in the Egyptian
mythology. As Osiris was a type or symbol of the sun,
Typhon was the symbol of winter, when the vigor, heat,
and, as it were, life of the sun are destroyed, and of dark-
ness as opposed to light. 109

Tyre. A city of Phoenicia, the residence of King Hiram, the
friend and ally of Solomon, whom he supplied with men
and materials for the construction of the temple. . . 50

Tyrian Freemasons. These were the members of the Society
of Dionysiac Artificers, who at the time of the building of
Solomon's temple flourished at Tyre. Many of them were

368 Synoptical Index

sent to Jerusalem by Hiram, King of Tyre, to assist King
Solomon in the construction of his temple. There, uniting
with the Jews, who had only a knowledge of the speculative
principles of Freemasonry, which had been transmitted to
them from Noah, through the patriarchs, the Tyrian Free-
masons organized that combined system of the Operative
and Speculative Craft which continued for many centuries,
until the beginning of the eighteenth, to characterize the
institution. See Dionysiac Artificers 271