Page 26 - MFM Nov Dec 2017.indd
P. 26

Freemasonry and the Wise Men

                               Douglas Messimer, PM, LEO Tuckahoe Lodge No. 347
         2YHU  WKH  SDVW  VL[W\  SOXV  \HDUV   ,  KDYH  KHDUG  WKH   7KH\ DOO EURXJKW WKHLU RZQ JLIW  WKUHH JLIWV DQG WKXV
        &KULVWPDV VWRU\ PDQ\  PDQ\ WLPHV  MXVW DV \RX KDYH   WKUHH ZLVH PHQ  3HUKDSV  :H DOVR NQRZ WKDW WKH\ ZHUH
        ,¶P  VXUH   :LWKLQ  LWV  EHDXWLIXO  QDUUDWLYH   WKHUH  LV   RI  ZDUQHG QRW WR UHWXUQ WR +HURG DQG VKDUH WKH QHZV RI
        FRXUVH  RQH NH\ SOD\HU DQG QXPHURXV VXSSRUWLQJ UROHV   WKLV KLVWRULF HYHQW
        %XW  WKHUH DUH DOVR WKUHH SHUIRUPHUV WKDW SOD\ ZKDW ,
        FRQVLGHU D UDWKHU VLJQL¿ FDQW  DOWKRXJK VRPHZKDW EULHI
        UROH   ,  GHFLGHG  LW  ZDV  WLPH  WR  OHDUQ  PRUH  DERXW  WKH
        ³:LVH 0HQ´  DQG WKXV EHJDQ P\ UHVHDUFK

         7KLV  LQWHUHVWLQJ  VXEMHFW  TXLFNO\  WRRN  RQ  DOO  RI  WKH
        XQLTXHQHVV RI PDQ\ RI P\ VWXGLHV DQG VHDUFKHV LQWR
        0DVRQLF  KLVWRU\   $IWHU  VHYHUDO  ZHHNV  RI  VRPHZKDW
        IUXLWOHVV  VHDUFKLQJ   P\  TXHVW  HYHQWXDOO\  OHDG  WR  WKH
        GLVFRYHU\ RI DQ H[FHOOHQW DUWLFOH SUHVHQWHG E\ &  )UHG
        .OHLQNQHFKW   3DVW  6RYHUHLJQ  *UDQG  &RPPDQGHU  RI
        WKH  6FRWWLVK  5LWH  RI  WKH  6RXWKHUQ  -XULVGLFWLRQ« ,¶YH
        DGDSWHG  D  VHJPHQW  IURP  KLV  SUHVHQWDWLRQ  LQWR  WKLV
        µQXJJHW ¶
         :H EHJLQ ZLWK D ELW RI %LEOLFDO KLVWRU\  7KH &KXUFK
        RI WKH 1DWLYLW\ LQ %HWKOHKHP  ZKLFK E\ WKH ZD\ VWLOO
        VWDQGV WRGD\  ZDV HUHFWHG LQ WKH \HDU     $' E\ 4XHHQ       Segment of a Mosaic of the Magi, from the
        +HOHQD DQG LV EHOLHYHG WR EH WKH SODFH ZKHUH -HVXV ZDV   Basilica of  Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.
        ERUQ  7KHUH¶V D    SRLQW 1DWLYLW\ 6WDU ORFDWHG LQVLGH
        WKDW  FKXUFK  ZKLFK   DFFRUGLQJ  WR  WUDGLWLRQ   PDUNV  WKH   7KHVH  0DJL  EHFDPH  WKUHH  YHU\  SRZHUIXO  ¿ JXUHV
        DFWXDO ELUWKSODFH RI -HVXV                        DQG  SOD\HG  D  PDMRU  SDUW  LQ  WKH  &KULVWPDV  VWRU\  DQG
                                                          D SDUW WKDW UHODWHV WR SHRSOH RI DOO IDLWKV  ,I  DV PDQ\
         $ERXW     \HDUV ODWHU  LQ     $'  WKH &KXUFK ZDV  VFKRODUV  EHOLHYH   WKH\  OLWHUDOO\  ZHUH  0DJL   0DJL  LV
        ULJKW LQ WKH SDWK RI GHVWUXFWLRQ E\ WKH 3HUVLDQ UDPSDJH   WKH SOXUDO RI 0DJXV  WKHQ DOPRVW FHUWDLQO\ WKH\ ZHUH
        EXW LW ZDV VSDUHG  :K\" %HFDXVH WKH 3HUVLDQ DWWDFNHUV  IURP 3HUVLD  IRU D 0DJXV ZDV D VHPL R൶  FLDO ¿ JXUH LQ
        GLVFRYHUHG  D  PRVDLF  SDWWHUQ  GHSLFWLQJ  WKH  0DJL   3HUVLDQ FXOWXUDO DQG ZDV KHOG LQ YHU\ KLJK HVWHHP LQ
        GUHVVHG LQ 3HUVLDQ JDUE  LQ WKH WLOHV RI WKH À RRU RI WKDW  WKHLU &RXUW OLIH  , ORRN DW WKHVH 0DJL DV ZDONLQJ WDONLQJ
        &KULVWLDQ &KXUFK  :DV WKH GLVFRYHU\ MXVW FRLQFLGHQFH   8QLYHUVLW\ SURIHVVRUV RI WKH GD\  ZKRVH VROH WDVN ZDV
        RU  SHUKDSV  'LYLQH  3URYLGHQFH   %UHWKUHQ   WKRVH :LVH  WR OHDUQ  WR NQRZ  DQG WR WHDFK  7KH\ ZHUH FRQFHUQHG
        0HQ RI WKH &KULVWPDV VWRU\ KDYH KDG DQ H൵ HFW RQ DOO  ZLWK NQRZOHGJH RI WKH VSLULWXDO DV ZHOO DV WKH SK\VLFDO
        SHRSOH   RI DOO IDLWKV ±LQ DOO WLPHV  VR OHW¶V WDNH D FORVHU  ZRUOG  ,I WKH\ REVHUYHG D VLJQ LQ WKH KHDYHQV  LW ZRXOG
        ORRN                                              PRVW FHUWDLQO\ KDYH EHHQ WKHLU UHVSRQVLELOLW\ WR GLVFRYHU
                                                          ZKDW LW PHDQW  HYHQ LI LW UHTXLUHG WUDYHOLQJ WR D JUHDW
         $OPRVW HYHU\WKLQJ ZH µWKLQN¶ ZH NQRZ DERXW WKHP  GLVWDQFH WR D IRUHLJQ FRXQWU\  7KH\ UHSUHVHQW D EOHQGLQJ
          WKHLU QDPHV  WKH IDFW WKDW WKH\ ZHUH NLQJV  WKDW WKH\  RI IDLWK DQG UHDVRQ    RI WKH DELOLW\ WR EHOLHYH  DQG WKH
        URGH FDPHOV  WKDW WKH\ ZHUH DFFRPSDQLHG E\ DWWHQGDQWV   DELOLW\ WR TXHVWLRQ  $QG WKDW VWDWH RI PLQG LV HVVHQWLDO WR
        HYHQ WKH QRWDWLRQ WKDW WKHUH ZHUH WKUHH RI WKHP²DOO RI  D KHDOWK\ IDLWK  7KH\ DOVR UHSUHVHQW D EURDGHQLQJ RI WKH
        WKLV GHWDLO FRPHV QRW IURP %LEOLFDO VRXUFHV EXW IURP  PHVVDJH RI WKLV VSHFLDO VHDVRQ ZH FHOHEUDWH  IRU WKH\
        ODWHU ZULWWHQ DQG YHUEDO WUDGLWLRQV               ZHUH RI D IDLWK YHU\ GL൵ HUHQW IURP WKDW RI WKH -HZV  RU
                                                          ZKDW ZRXOG EHFRPH &KULVWLDQLW\  RU HYHQ IURP ,VODP
         7KH  DQFLHQW  *UHHNV  DQG  +HEUHZV  NQHZ  WKHP  DV  7KH  0DJL  ZRXOG  KDYH  EHHQ  IROORZHUV  RI  =RURDVWHU
        $VWURORJHUV   ,QWHUSUHWHUV  RI  'UHDPV   DQG  JLYHUV  RI  WKH JUHDW UHOLJLRXV UHIRUPHU ZKR KDG OLYHG     \HDUV
        2PHQV  %\ DOO DFFRXQWV  ZH NQRZ WKDW WKH\ ZHUH LQGHHG  EHIRUH &KULVW  +H LV VDLG WR KDYH EHHQ D UDWKHU XQXVXDO
        ZLVH  WKDW WKH\ KDG SHUVRQDOO\ REVHUYHG VRPH XQXVXDO  FKLOG ZKR ZDV JLIWHG ZLWK KDYLQJ YLVLRQV DW DQ HDUO\
        DVWURQRPLFDO HYHQW LQ WKH KHDYHQV  DQG KDG LQWHUSUHWHG  DJH  %RUQ LQ $]HUEDLMDQ LQ 1RUWKHUQ 3HUVLD  KH WDXJKW
        WKLV DV WKH KHUDOGLQJ RI D PDMRU HYHQW LQ WKH KLVWRU\  D EHOLHI LQ RQH *RG  WKH H[LVWHQFH RI WKH GHYLO  DQG WKH
        RI WKH -HZLVK IDLWK  :H NQRZ WKDW WKH\ FRQVXOWHG ZLWK  GRFWULQH RI LPPRUWDOLW\  ,W LV DOOHJHG WKDW WKHVH SULHVWV
        +HURG   WKDW  WKH\  XOWLPDWHO\  YLVLWHG  WKH  +RO\  )DPLO\   WKH PDJL  SUHGLFWHG WKH ELUWK RI WKH &KULVW &KLOG  $V
        DQG SUHVHQWHG JLIWV   RI JROG  IUDQNLQFHQVH  DQG P\UUK   UXOLQJ PRQDUFKV  WKH SULHVWV ZHUH UHIHUUHG WR DV ³.LQJV
        3HUKDSV WKDW¶V KRZ WKH JHQHULF WHUP µ0DJL ¶ FDPH WR  RI WKH 2ULHQW´ DQG ³WKH ZLVH PHQ ´
        PHDQ µWKH WKUHH ZLVH PHQ ¶
       3DJH
   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31