Why is Hiram Abiff Regarded as a Central Figure in Freemasonry?
Hiram Abiff is a name that is synonymous with Freemasonry. In fact, this mystical historical figure is even credited with inspiring the inception of the Craft, and many of the Masonic rituals and teachings conducted within Masonic lodges today seek to tell the story of his work.
But who was he? And why was his work so significant to the origins of Freemasonry? Let’s find out.
As always, this writing is not an expression of the official views of the Freemasons Community, but simply the reflections of one Co-Mason. We do not condone or attempt to reveal the any of the secret practices and rituals of Freemasonry.
Hiram as the chief architect
Hiram Abiff was the chief architect of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Soon after his arrival in Jerusalem, Hiram was appointed as the Master of Works at the temple’s construction site, such was his reputation as an esteemed architect.
As Masons are told through allegory, during the construction of the temple, Hiram was ambushed by three thieves who tried to steal the Master Mason’s password. As Hiram was a man of integrity, he refused, before he was struck with a Masonic tool that killed him.
His death is symbolic in modern-day Freemasonry
Upon hearing of the murder of Hiram Abiff, King Solomon ordered his body to be exhumed from the shallow grave in which it was buried by the thieves, underneath a sprig of acacia. At his formal burial, King Solomon remarked that the Masonic password had been lost forever.
Hiram’s murder symbolises the certainty of death, but also teaches the importance of integrity and discipline, even in the most trying of times. The allegory of Hiram Abiff is taught to brothers in the third degree of Freemasonry.
Hiram’s legacy is King Solomon’s Temple
Although no architectural remains of King Solomon’s Temple have ever been recovered, it is believed the temple was built in the 9th or 10th century, and its existence is documented within the Hebrew Bible. The temple has become a metaphor for building the individual into a better person.
The materials used to construct the elaborate temple are a representation of the knowledge that a Mason accumulates throughout his life and Masonic journey, and are commonly referred to within Masonic teachings in his lodge.
The story of Hiram Abiff is central to Freemasonry
As you can see from this short post, the story of Hiram Abiff and the magnificent temple that he constructed before his untimely and brutal death, is essential to the core teachings of Freemasonry.
Many of the values, rituals, and symbols of Freemasonry stem from the work of Hiram and his fellow Masons at the site of King Solomon’s Temple, and therefore one must understand his story to fully appreciate the depths of Freemasonry.
