“The Building of Solomon's Temple”
Description
A Masonic ballad referring to Solomon as a "freemason king"! The ballad details the building of the Jerusalem temple, including the vast crews which worked on it. The end of the ballad concerns modern Freemasonry
Notes
The building of the Temple occupies chapters 5-8 of 1 Kings (and 2 Chronicles chapters 2-6 with a foreshadowing in 1 Chron. 28-29). Chapter 5 describes the preparations (negotiations with Tyre, gathering of the materials, and -- in 5:13-18 -- the assembly of the laborers); Chapter 6 the building; Chapter 7 the furnishings (with an aside about Solomon's other projects), and Chapter 8 the dedication. - RBW
Historical references
- c. 960-c. 921 B.C.E. - Reign of King Solomon in Israel. (Both dates have about a ten year margin for error.) Solomon began to build the Temple early in his "fourth year" (i.e. c. 957); he finished it seven years and six months later
Broadsides
- Bodleian, Firth c.21(41), "The Free Mason King," The Poet's Box (Glasgow), 1858; also Firth c.21(40), "The Free Mason King"
References
- Laws Q39, "The Building of Solomon's Temple"
- Huntington-Whalemen, pp. 309-312, "Song of Solomon's Temple" (1 text, 1 tune)
- Mackenzie 159, "The Building of Solomon's Temple" (1 text, 1 tune)
- cf. Gardner/Chickering, p. 480, "King Solomon's Temple" (source notes only)
- DT 546, SOLTEMPL
- Roud #1018
- BI, LQ39