Glossary
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Alphabetically Arranged with
Cyclopedic Meanings and Bible References
Tabernacle
The Tabernacle,
Tent, or Portable Temple, was constructed so that it
could be readily taken down, moved from place to place, and erected at
will. It was especially adapted to the needs of a nomadic
people. Being constructed on geometrical and scientific principles, it
readily lent itself to a practical system of removal and erection which was
essential in the case of so large and costly a structure. The Tabernacle
consisted of an oblong or rectangle, called the Court, in the rear half of
which was the tent or covering of the Sanctuary. Under this Tent, the Holy and
Most Holy Places were defined by partitions of boards and pillars, securely
joined by means of rods, rings, etc. A careful study of the entire structure
reveals an architectural gem, serviceably conceived, beautifully designed,
mystically embellished, celestially canopied, and inspiring the beholder with
profound reverence and peaceful security in the thought of an ever present and
Indwelling God, and typifying the encampment of the Angels of the Lord around
about them that fear Him. A study of the ceremonies, the
sacrificial offerings, and the priestly ministrations of the Tabernacle will
reveal the great spiritual mystery of the Indwelling God, as made manifest by
Moses during the sojourn in the wilderness. EXAMPLE
Table of Shewbread
- See Shewbread
Tall Cedars of Lebanon
In Scriptural symbology, the cedar-tree,
says Wemyss (Symbolic Language of Scripture), was the symbol of eternity,
because its substance never decays nor rots. Hence, the Ark of the Covenant
was made of cedar; and those are said to utter things worthy of cedar who
write that which no time ought to obliterate. The Cedars of Lebanon are
frequently referred to in the legends of Freemasonry, especially in the
advanced Degrees; not, however, on account of any symbolical signification,
but rather because of the use made of them by Solomon and Zerubbabel in the
construction of their respective Temples. Phillott (Smith's Bible Dictionary)
thus describes the grove so Celebrated in Scriptural and Masonic history: "The
grove of trees known as the
Cedars of Lebanon consists of about four hundred trees, standing quite
alone in a depression of the mountain with no trees near, about six thousand
four hundred feet above the sea, and three thousand below the summit.
Talmud
The Hebrew
word rendered "Talmud" signifies doctrine. It is the given
name to a collection of Jewish laws, traditions, and commentaries of the early
centuries of the Christian Era. First, about the beginning of the Third
century, Rabbi Jehuda put into written form what was known as the oral law
handed down from Moses, but did not put into written form many Jewish
traditions and customs and essential parts of the written law, which was
called the Mishna. Toward the end of the Fourth century,
extensive commentaries and discussions on the Mishna by various Rabbis were
published, and the combined publication of the Mishna and these commentaries
were called the Talmud. While the Talmud contains many trifles, and much
controversial material, it preserves an elaborate compendium of Jewish customs
and some valuable historical data, and is widely used by critics in Bible
research. In many passages of the Talmud, illustrations of the Masonic
System are furnished. Traditions and legends, especially of the higher
degrees, are either found in or corroborated by the Talmud. For example,
the treatise entitled Middoth gives us the best description of King
Solomon's Temple now available. However, it must be remembered that in
no sense is the Talmud a Masonic document.
Tarot
A playing card, seventy-eight to the pack; fifty-six are
called the Lesser Arcana and are divided into four suits; the wands or clubs,
the cups or hearts, the Swords or spades, and the pentacles or diamonds. Each
suit contains four court cards, the King, Queen, Knight and Page, with ten
spot cards, numbered from ace to ten. The spots are usually presented in
geometrical designs and sometimes combined with pictures illustrating the
inner meaning of the cards. The rest of the cards, known as the Greater
Arcana, comprises a series of symbolic pictures. Each of the cards has a
special title and a number. The doctrine behind these symbols has many forms
and meanings; veiled as it is by symbols, it speaks many languages, and its
emblems convey a message to students of alchemy and astrology. As one writer
upon the Subject says "it is full of meaning no matter by what path the
student may have approached the truth which is at the head of the ancient
mysteries, and though its symbolism expresses Universal ideas it also
represents a particular version of sacred science, being a Symbolic alphabet
of the occult philosophy of Israel.;' In its present form the Tarot dates from
the fourteenth century, but many authorities believe it to have come down to
us from a much earlier Source. Those who credit the cards with a more modern
origin derive the name from Tarote, meaning spotted, and in French frequently
applied to the checker work on the backs of playing cards.
Tassel
The
"Tassel" consists of a cord with tassels on the end. It
represents the "Mystic Tie"; that bond which unites men of diverse
opinions into one sacred band of Friends and Brothers.
Tasting
and Smelling
Of the
five
senses, hearing, seeing and feeling are only deemed essential to
Freemasons. Tasting and Smelling are therefore not referred to in the
instructions, except as making up the sacred number five. Preston
says: "Smelling and Tasting are inseparably connected; and it is by
the unnatural kind of life which men commonly lead in society that these
senses are less fit to perform their natural duties."
Tatnai
Recorded in the book of Ezra as the governor beyond the river, he was governor
of a province west of the river Euphrates in the time of Darius Hystaspis.
And was part of the chief opposition to the rebuilding of the temple, by the
Jews on their return from captivity. He and Shethar-boznai was ordered
by Darius to get thee far from thence and let the work on this house of God
alone. Ezra 5: 1-17 - Ezra 6:1-15
Tau
Cross
The Tau Cross, or
Cross of Saint Anthony, is a cross in the form of a Greek T.
The Triple Tau is a figure formed by three of these crosses meeting
in a point, and therefore resembling a letter T resting on the
traverse bar of an H. This emblem, placed in the center of a Triangle
and Circle--both emblems of the Diety--constitutes the jewel of the Royal Arch
as practiced in England, where it is so highly esteemed as to be called the
"emblem of all emblems," and "the grand emblem of Royal Arch
Masonry." The Prophet Ezekiel speaks of the tau or tau cross
as the Mark distinguishing those who were to be saved, on account of their
sorrow for their sins, from those who, as idolaters, were to be slain.
It was a mark or sign of favorable distinction; and with this allusion we may,
therefore, suppose the triple tau to be used in the Royal Arch Degree as a
mark designating and separating those who know and worship the true name of
God from those who are ignorant of that august mystery. EXAMPLE
Temperance
One of the four
cardinal virtues, the practice of which is inculcated in the First
Degree. The Mason who properly appreciates the secrets which he has
solemnly promised never to reveal, will not, by yielding
to the unrestrained call of appetite, permit reason and judgment to lose their
seats, and subject himself, by the indulgence in habits of excess, to discover
that which should be concealed, and thus merit and receive the scorn and
detestation of his brethren. And lest any brother should forget the
danger to which he is exposed in the unguarded hours of dissipation, the
virtue of temperance is wisely impressed upon his memory, by its reference to
one of the most solemn portions of the ceremony of initiation. Some
Freemasons, very properly condemning the vice of intemperance and abhorring
its effects, have been unwisely led to confound temperance with total
abstinence in a Masonic application, and resolutions have sometimes been
proposed in Grand Lodges which declare the use of stimulating liquors in any
quantity a Masonic offense. Put the law of Freemasonry authorizes no such
regulation. It leaves to every man the indulgence of his own tastes within due
limits, and demands not abstinence, but only moderation and temperance, in
anything not actually wrongs. EXAMPLE
Tempering
Imparting a
certain degree of hardness to a steel tool or spring. The item is heated to a
cherry red and allowed to cool until the tip becomes yellow down to grey, and
then is quenched in oil or water. The color at which quenching occurs governs
the degree of tempering required for the item.
Temple
The Greeks had temenos, a sacred enclosure, a plot of
ground marked off to be a holy place; the Latins had templum, a consecreated
place. A temple is a building set apart because it is holy, dedicated to
religious uses. It has its place in Masonry largely because of the prominence
of Solomon’s Temple in the Ritual. It is interesting to note that in Masonic
nomenclature the ideal life, here and hereafter, is described metaphorically
as a temple, one of a thousand examples of the extent to which Freemasonry is
saturated with religious language and emotions.
Temple
Builder
The legend of the third degree is an important landmark,
the integrity of which has been well preserved. There is no rite of
Masonry, practiced in any country or language, in which the essential elements
of this legend are not taught. The lectures may vary, and indeed are
constantly changing, but the legend has ever remained substantially the
same. And it is necessary that it should be so, for the legend of the
Temple Builder constitutes the very essence and identity of Masonry.
1
Kings 7:13-37
Temple
of Herod
This was not the
construction of a third temple, but only a restoration and extensive
enlargement of the second, which had been built by Zerubbabel. To the
Christian Mason it is interesting, even more than that of Solomon, because it
was the scene of our Lord's ministrations, and was the temple from which the
Knights Templar derived their name. It was begun by Herod 7 B.C.,
finished A.D. 4, and destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, having subsisted only
seventy-seven years.
Temple
of Solomon
The first
Temple
of the Jews was called hecal Jehovah or beth Jehovah, the palace
or house of Jehovah, to indicate is splendor and magnificence, and that it was
intended to be the perpetual dwelling place of the Lord. It was King
David who first proposed to substitute for the nomadic tabernacle a permanent
place of worship for his people; but although he had made the necessary
arrangements, and even collected many of the materials, he was not permitted
to commence the undertaking, and the execution of the task was left to his son
and successor, Solomon. See ARTICLE.
Temple
Of The Body
Of what, is the
Solomonic Temple a symbol? To the Master Mason, the Temple of Solomon is
truly the symbol of human life; for, like life, it was to have its end.
Masonic teachings are not intended to convey a historical fact concerning the
erection of a building, but ever to keep in sight, the beauty of that temple
as a symbol of life in which he should live as a man and Mason.
St. John
2:19 - 1 Cor. 6:19
Temple, Spiritual
- See Spiritual Temple
Ten Commandments
Freemasonry,
throughout all the Christian world and among all Hebrews, recognize the Ten
Commandments as the fundamental laws given by God to Israel and to mankind, as
the moral code by which they should regulate their lives, both in relation to
God and to their fellowman. Ex. 20:1-18 -
Deut. 5:1-21
Tent
The tent,
which constitutes a part of the furniture or paraphernalia of a Commandery of
Knights Templar symbolizes duties of Knights. They were the protectors
of Christian pilgrims on the plains, the hills, and the desert. To them
the Knight gave the crust of bread, the draught of water, and the protection
of the sword, without which they could not survive. In performance of
these perilous duties the Knight lived in a lonely tent.
Terra-cotta
A red
earthenware, usually unglazed.
Tessellated
Border
From the Latin
word tessella, a little squared stone. Applied in Freemasonry to
the Mosaic pavement of the Temple, and to the border surrounding the
Tracing-Board, probably incorrectly in the latter case. Browne says in
his Master Key, which is supposed to present the general form of the
Prestonian lectures, that the ornaments of a Lodge are the
Mosaic Pavement,
the Blazing Star, and the Tessellated Border; and he has defined the Tessellated
Border to be "the skirt-work round the Lodge."
Testimony
What was the
custom in Israel with reference to putting off the shoes? Among the
ancient Israelites, the shoe was made use of in several significant
ways. To put off the shoes imported reverence, and was done in the
presence of God, or on entering a dwelling of a superior. To unloose
one's shoe and give it to another was the way of confirming a contract.
Thus we read in the book of Ruth, that Boaz having proposed to the nearest
kinsman of Ruth to exercise his legal right by redeeming the land of Naomi
which was offered for sale, and marrying her daughter-in-law, the kinsman,
being able to do so, resigns his right to Boaz. Ruth 4:7-8 - Exo. 3:5 - Deut. 25:5-10 - Josh. 5:15
Tetractys, Sacred
The Greek word signifies, literally, the
number four, and is therefore synonymous with the quaternion; but it has been
peculiarly applied to a symbol of the Pythagoreans, which is composed of ten
dots arranged in a triangular form of four rows.
This figure was in itself, as a whole,
emblematic of the Tetragrammaton,
or sacred name of four letters, for tetractys, in Greek, means Four, and was
undoubtedly learned by Pythagoras during his visit to Babylon. But the parts
of which it is composed were also pregnant symbols. Thus the one point was a
symbol of the Active Principle or Creator, the two points of the Passive
Principle or Matter, the three of the world proceeding from their union, and
the four of the liberal arts and sciences, which may be said to complete and
perfect that world.
This arrangement of the ten points in a
triangular form was called the
tetractys or number four, because each of the sides of the triangle
consisted of four points, and the whole number of ten was made up by the
summation of the first four figures, 1 + 2 + 3 +4= 10.
Hierocles says, in his Commentaries on
the Golden Verses (v, page 47): "But how comes God to be the Tetractys? This
thou mayst learn in the sacred book ascribed to Pythagoras, in which God is
celebrated as the number of numbers. For if all things exist by His eternal
decrees, it is evident that in each species of things the number depends on
the cause that produces them.... Now the power of ten is four; for before we
come to a complete and perfect decade, we discover all the virtue and
perfection of the ten in the four. Thus, in assembling all numbers from one to
four inclusive, the whole composition makes ten," etc.
Dacier, in his notes on these
Commentaries and on this particular passage, remarks that "Pythagoras, having
learned in Egypt the name of the true God, the Mysterious and Ineffable Name
Jehovah, and finding that in the original tongue it was composed of four
letters, translated it into his own language by the word tetractys, and gave
the true explanation of it, saying that it properly signified the source of
nature that perpetually rolls along."
So much did the disciples of
Pythagoras venerate tetractys, that
it is said that they took their most solemn oaths, especially that of
initiation, upon it. The exact words of the oath are given in the
Golden Verses, and are referred to by
Jamblichus in his Life of Pythagoras.
I swear it by Him who has transmitted
into our soul the sacred tetractys The source of nature, whose course is
eternal.
Jamblichus gives a different phraseology
of the oath, but with substantially the same meaning. In the symbols of
Freemasonry, we will find the sacred Delta bearing the nearest analogy to the
tectractys of the Pythagoreans.
The
outline of these points form, it will
be perceived, a triangle; and if we draw short lines from point to point,
we will have within this great triangle nine smaller ones. Doctor Hemming, in
his revision of the English lectures, adopted in 1813, thus explains this
symbol:
The great triangle is generally
denominated Pythagorean, because it served as a principal illustration of that
philosopher's system. This emblem powerfully elucidates the mystical relation
between the numerical and geometrical symbols. It is Composed of ten points so
arranged as to form one great equilateral triangle and at the same time to
divide it into nine similar triangles of smaller dimensions. The first of
these, representing unity, is Called a monad, and answers to what is
denominated a point in geometry, each being the principle by the
multiplication of which all Combinations of form and number are respectively
generated. The next two points are denominated a dead, representing the number
two, and answers to the geometrical line which, consisting of length without
breadth, is hounded by two extreme points. The three following points are
called the triad, representing the number three, and may be considered asks
having an indissoluble relation to all superficies which consist of length and
breadth, when Contemplated as abstracted from thickness. Doctor Hemming does
not appear to have improved on the Pythagorean symbolization.
Tetragrammaton
In Greek, it signifies, a word of four
letters. It is the title given by the Talmudists to the name of God,
Jehovah, which in the original
Hebrew Consists of four letters.
Theism
This is the
doctrine of one God, eternal, self-sufficient, omniscient, omnipotent,
pervading all creation, Creator, Preserver, Protector, and Benefactor of all
things and of man. It is a denial of atheism -- the doctrine that there
is no God, of polytheism -- the doctrine that there are many gods, of deism --
the doctrine that there is no God of supernatural revelation, of pantheism --
that all nature is God and that God is all nature. It is in this one God
that Masons confess their faith and trust, and upon recognition of the
revelations of this one God Masonry is founded.
Threefold Cord
A triple cord whose strands are of different colors; it is
used in several Rites as an instructive symbol. A striking allusion to the
strength of a triple cord is found in Ecclesiastics (iv, 12) "And if one
prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not
quickly broken." Yet we must remember, as Whittier says in the Moral
Warfare of the cause at heart, So let it be in God's own might - We gird us
for the coming fight - And, strong in Him whose cause is ours In conflict with
unholy powers, We grasp the weapons He has given,- The Light, and Truth, and
Love of Heaven.
Three
Tenets of Freemasonry
Of the three
tenets of a Freemason's profession, which are
Brotherly Love,
Relief and
Truth, it may be said that Truth is the Column of Wisdom, whose rays
penetrate and enlighten the inmost recesses of our Lodge; Brotherly Love,
the Column of Strength, which binds us as one family in the indissoluble bond
of fraternal affection; and Relief, the Column of Beauty, whose
ornaments, more precious than the lilies and pomegranates that adorned the
pillars of the porch, are the widow's tear of joy and the orphan's prayer of
gratitude.
Thermoplastics
Plastic
materials which, through heating, can be re-softened and reshaped many times;
for example, celluloid, horn, shellac, amber, bitumen, tortoise shell, etc.
Thiourea
formaldehyde
A plastic
derived in 1925 that could be molded in delicate mottled colors. One of three
plastics using formaldehyde, the others being Urea which came out at about the
same time, and Phenol, commonly known as Bakelite, invented in 1907.
Those
That Look Out Of The Windows Be Darkened
Refers to man, when the eyes
become dimmed with old age. Eccles. 12:3
Three
A sacred number
in Freemasonry, with which all labor is commenced and finished. This
number reminds us of the three great lights, the three kingdoms of nature, the
Holy Trinity, or the words of Christ: "Where two or three are
assembled in my name, there will I be in the midst of you." The
Christian can also take the number three as the grand distinguishing doctrine
of his faith. There are three principal parts in a man: body, soul, and
spirit. Faith, love, and hope support and adorn life.
Three
Burning Tapers
The
"Three
Burning Tapers" symbolically represent the Sun, Moon and Worshipful
Master and are placed in a triangular position about the Altar and are thus
explained: As the Sun rules the day, so does the Moon govern the night,
and so should the Worshipful Master, with equal regularity, endeavor to rule
and govern the Lodge.
Three
Great Lights
The
"Three
Great Lights" in Masonry are the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses.
The Holy Bible is dedicated to the service of God because it is the
inestimable gift of God to man, and on it we obligate our Brethren. The
"Square" to the Worshipful Master because it is the proper Masonic
emblem of his office, and the "Compasses" to the Craft because by a
due attention to their use we are taught to circumscribe our desires and keep
our passions within due bounds toward all mankind, especially a Brother Mason.
Threshing Floor
Among the Hebrews, circular spots of
hard ground were used, as now, for the purpose of threshing corn. After they
were properly prepared for the purpose, they became permanent possessions. One
of these, the property of Oman the Jebusite, was on Mount Moriah
(First Chronicles xxi, 15 28). It was purchased
by David, for a place of sacrifice, for six hundred shekels of gold, and on it
the Temple was afterward built. Hence it is sometimes used as a symbolic name
for the Temple of Solomon or for a Master's Lodge. Thus it is said in the
instructions that the Freemason comes "from the lofty tower of Babel, where
language was confounded and Masonry lost" and that he is traveling "to the
threshing-floor of Oman the Jebusite, where language was restored and Masonry
found."
The interpretation of this rather
abstruse symbolic expression is that on his initiation the Freemason comes out
of the profane world, where there is ignorance and darkness and Confusion as
there was at Babel, and that he is approaching the Masonic world, where, as at
the Temple built on Oman's threshing floor, there is knowledge and light and
order.
Tiler
- Tyler
An officer of a
symbolic lodge, whose duty is to guard the door of the Lodge, and to permit no
one to pass or repass, except such as are duly qualified, and have permission
of the Worshipful Master. A necessary qualification of a Tiler is,
therefore, that he should be a Master Mason. Although the Lodge may be
opened in an inferior degree, no one who has not advanced to the third degree
can legally discharge the functions of Tiler. The Tiler need not be a
member of the Lodge which he tiles; and in fact, in large cities, one brother
very often performs the duties of Tiler of several Lodges. This is a
very important office, and, like that of the Masters and Wardens, owes it
existence, not to any conventional regulations, but to the very landmarks of
the Order; for, from the peculiar nature of our Institution, it is evident
that there never could have been a meeting of Masons for Masonic purposes,
unless a Tiler had been present to guard the lodge from intrusion.
Tin-plate
Thin sheet iron
or steel which has been thinly coated with tin by being dipped in a molten
bath of that metal. Tin is a metallic element, used to alloy with other
metals, such as copper to produce bronze, or lead to produce pewter, and as a
component of solder. But the term tin should not, strictly speaking, be used
to refer to tin-plate. Tin-plate may be painted or bear printed design work,
particularly lithography.
Tokens
Signs, tokens, and words do not constitute
Freemasonry, but are local marks whereby Masons know each other, and may be
altered, or entirely done away, without the least injury to scientific
Freemasonry. It is with many Freemasons to absurd a belief, and still
more absurd practice, to build our science upon so shallow a foundation as
signs, tokens, and words, which I fear constitute with some the only
attainment they look for in Freemasonry. That certain signals may be
necessary, I do readily allow; but deny that such mechanism shall constitute a
principal part of our Institution. Gen. 9:12 -
Gen. 17:11 - Job 21:29 A token is generally a numismatic
item similar to a coin and unofficially issued as a unit of exchange or for
advertising or other purposes.
Tole
Tin-plate
decorated with painted or stenciled designs. The word derives from the French taule,
meaning sheet iron.
Toleration
The grand
characteristic of Masonry is its toleration in religion and politics. In
respect to the latter, its toleration has no limit. The question of a
man's political opinions is not permitted to be broached in the Lodge; in
reference to the former, it requires only that, to use the language of the Old
Charge, Masons shall be of "that religion in which all men agree,
leaving their particular opinions to themselves." (Constitutions,
1723, p. 50) The same Old Charges say, "No private piques or
quarrels must be brought within the door of the Lodge, far less any quarrels
about religion, or nations, or state policy, we being only, as Masons, of the
Universal religion above-mentioned; we are also of all nations, tongues,
kindreds, and languages, and are resolved against all politics, as what never
yet conducted to the welfare of the Lodge, nor ever will."
Tongue
In the early rituals of the
eighteenth century, the tongue is called the key to the secrets of a
Freemason; and one of the toasts that was given in the Lodge was in these
words: "To that excellent key of a Mason's tongues which ought always to speak
as well in the absence of a Brother as in his presence; and when that cannot
be done with honor, justice, or propriety, that adopts the virtue of a Mason,
which is Silence."
Tongue
of Good Report
Being
"under the tongue of good report" is equivalent, in Masonic
technical language, to being of good character or reputation. It is
required that the candidate for initiation should be one of whom no tongue
speaks evil. The phrase is an old one, and is found in the earliest
rituals of the eighteenth century.
Tooled
Having the
device, lettering, or numbers on a phaleristic item brought out in higher
relief by use of a graver.
Tortoiseshell
A thermoplastic
organic material that can be molded under heat and pressure. Taken from the
thirteen epidermic plates covering the marine hawksbill turtle. Worked
in a similar manner to horn, but at a lower temperature, as high heat tends to
darken and camouflage the richly mottled tones. Often difficult to distinguish
from horn, and later reproduced in celluloid. Sadler Bros., South
Attleboro, Mass. made imitation Tortoisene. Tortoise was used primarily
for combs and hair ornaments as well as fine examples of Art Nouveau
jewelry. EXAMPLE
Touch
(or Touch mark)
Maker's mark,
impressed with a punch.
Touchstone
A hard siliceous
stone or modern square of Wedgwood on which a piece of silver or gold of known
quality can be rubbed to compare its mark with that of a piece being assayed.
Town
mark
The mark
assigned to a city Assay Office in Britain and applied as a hallmark.
The mark is no guarantee that the maker had premises in that city. A
number of London and Birmingham makers are known to have had their products
assayed at Chester.
Trademark
A symbol or
trade name by which a manufacturer may be identified. Not much used on match
holders in Britain, but quite extensively used in the United States,
particularly on items in silver and gold. Trademarks were registered in
Britain, the United States, and elsewhere. A distinction should be made
between a trademark and a hallmark, as required by English and other European
countries. Because the United States has never had a goldsmith's or
silversmith's hall, there are no true hallmarks on American silver.
Tradition
In Masonry,
there are two kinds of tradition; First, those which relate to events, either
historical and authenticated, or legendary; both of which are employed almost
entirely for allegorical or symbolical teachings. Second, those which
refer to customs and usages of the Fraternity, especially in matters of ritual
observances. These traditions constitute the unwritten law of Masonry;
they have been handed down by oral preservation; they are confined almost
entirely to the Ritual of the Institution, although they are sometimes of
value in interpreting doubtful points in written laws and regulations.
They must be preserved and passed on in Ancient and Accepted form; they are
not to be altered or modified. Emblematically and symbolically, they
represent much that is most basic and vital in Masonry.
Tramping Masons
This is an
opprobrious title given to men using their Masonic membership for mercenary
purposes, traveling from city to city and from Lodge to Lodge seeking aid by
tales of fictitious misfortune or distress. Such unworthy men should be
turned away from every Lodge, and denied by every Mason. Transient
Masons whose vocations force them from place to place and who are worthy,
tested, tried and true should be given the fellowship and companionship of
Lodges wherever they may be.
Transfer
ware
Transferring
designs and patterns from paper to ceramics. Items were first glazed and
fired. The print was then placed ink side down on the ceramic and left
to dry. The print was then sponged and the paper rubbed off with a damp
cloth. Transfer ware began in the early 1800s, reaching its peak of
popularity between 1860 and 1900, but then began to drop off with the
introduction of photographic illustrations, probably largely from France.
Used extensively on Sunderland Lustre Pitchers and Liverpool Pitchers. EXAMPLE
Travel
In the symbolic
language of Freemasonry, a Freemason always travels from West to East in
search of light--he travels from the lofty tower of Babel, where language was
confounded and Freemasonry lost, to the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,
where language was restored and Freemasonry found. The Master Mason also
travels into foreign countries in search of wages. All this is pure
symbolism, unintelligible, in any other sense.
Treasurer
Although this
officer takes no part in the ritual or ceremonial labors of the Lodge, yet the
due administration of his duties is closely connected with its welfare.
He is the financial officer or banker of the Lodge; and to prevent the
possibility of any collusion between himself and the presiding officer, while
they give the appointment of all other officers to the Master, have prudently
provided that the Treasurer shall be elected by the Lodge. His duties
are threefold: He is to receive all moneys due the Lodge from the
Secretary. He is to make due entries of the same and he is to pay them
out at the order of the Master, and with the consent of the Lodge. As
the banker simply of the Lodge, he has nothing to do with the collections
which should be made to the Secretary, and handed over to him. These
funds he retains in his hands, and disburses them by the order of the Lodge,
which must be certified to him by the Master. His accounts, so far as
the receipts of the money are concerned, are only with the Secretary. Of
his disbursements, of course, he keeps a special account. His accounts
should be neatly and accurately kept, and be always ready for the inspection
of the Lodge or of the Master. For all the funds he receives from the
Secretary he should give a receipt to that officer, and should take receipts
from all persons to whom he pays money. The emblem of his office are
crossed keys.
Trench
Art
Trench Art is any 3-D object
made by soldiers, POWs, the wounded, and civilians, in the context of armed
conflict and its aftermath. Most famously such objects are engraved
artillery shell-cases from the First World War (from whence the genre takes
its misleading name), but objects can also be made from bullets, shrapnel,
bone, stone, wood and various kinds of textiles. Such objects include
talismanic jewelry, writing equipment, smoking equipment, ornaments for the
home, or simple keepsakes and souvenirs - all items resonate with the human
emotions and reactions to war of their maker and in a different sense of the
buyer or inheritor. EXAMPLES
Trestle-Board / Tracing
Board
The Trestle-Board is defined to
be the board upon which the Master inscribes the designs by which the Craft
are to be directed in their labors. The French and German Freemasons
have confounded the Trestle-Board with the Tracing Board. The two
things are entirely different. The trestle is a framework for a
table--in Scotch, trest; the Trestle-Board is the board placed
for the convenience of drawing on that frame. It contains nothing but a
few diagrams, usually geometrical figures. The Tracing-Board is a
picture formerly drawn on the floor of the Lodge, whence it was called a Floor-Cloth
or Carpet. It contains a delineation of the symbols of the Degree
to which it belongs. The Trestle-Board is to be found only in the
Entered Apprentice's Degree. There is a Tracing-Board in every
Degree, from the first to the highest. And, lastly, the Trestle-Board is
a symbol. the Tracing-Board is a piece of furniture or picture
containing the representation of many symbols. See
The
Builder - January 1923 for a more definitive article.
Triangle
The equilateral triangle
appears to have been adopted by nearly all the nations of antiquity as a
symbol of the Deity, in some of his forms or emanations, and hence, probably
the prevailing influence of this symbol was carried into the Jewish system,
where the yod within the triangle was made to represent the Tetragrammaton, or
sacred name of God. EXAMPLE
Trowel
The "Trowel" is an
instrument made use of by operative Masons to spread the cement which unites
the building into one common mass; but we as Free and Accepted Masons, are
taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the
cement of brotherly love and affection; that cement which unites us into one
sacred band, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention
should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best
can work and best agree. EXAMPLE
Trowel
and Sword
Based upon the
practice of the workmen in post-exilic times in the rebuilding of the walls of
Jerusalem, under Nehemiah, in which they carried in one hand the trowel as an
instrument of construction and the sword in the other as a means of protection
against enemies of the enterprise, this combination has been adopted as a
symbol in the Fifteenth Degree of the Scottish Rite. "Next to obedience
to lawful authority, resistance to lawless violence is an essential part of
social duty." Example of the Jews under Nehemiah...
Neh. 4:17
Trust in God
Every candidate on his initiation is
required to declare that his trust is in God. He who denies the
existence of a Supreme Being is debarred the privilege of initiation, for
atheism is a disqualification for Freemasonry. This pious principle had
distinguished the Fraternity from the earliest period; and it is a happy
coincidence, that the Company of Operative Masons instituted in 1477 should
have adopted, as their motto, the truly Masonic sentiment, "The Lord is
all our Trust." Psalms 56:11-13 -
Psalms 91:1-16 - Isa. 26:3,4
Truth
The real object of Freemasonry, in a
philosophical and religious sense, is the search for
truth. This truth
is, therefore, symbolized by the Word. From the first entrance of the
Apprentice into the Lodge, until his reception of the highest degree, this
search is continued. It is not always found and a substitute must
sometimes be provided. Yet whatever be the labors he performs, whatever
the ceremonies through which he passes, whatever the symbols in which he may
be instructed, whatever the final reward he may obtain, the true end of all is
the attainment of Truth. This idea of truth is not the same as that
expressed in the lecture of the First Degree, where
Brotherly Love,
Relief,
and Truth are there said to be the "three great tenets of a Mason's
profession." In that connection, Truth, which is called a
"Divine Attribute, the foundation of every virtue," is synonymous
with sincerity, honesty of expression, and plain dealing. The higher
idea of truth which is symbolized by the Word, is that which is properly
expressed to a knowledge of God. Jesus Christ is the Truth; to know the
Truth, which means to know him, makes men free; his is manifest in the written
word... John 14:6 - John 8:31,32 - John
17:17 - 2 John 1:4
Tubal-cain
Q.
Who
was Tubal-cain?
A.
He was the son of Lamech,
a descendant of Adam's son Cain, and noted as an "artificer in brass and
iron." Masonic tradition makes him the founder of smith-craft," and
Josephus tells us that "he exceeded all men in strength," and was renowned for
his war-like achievements. Son of Lamech; an artificer...
Gen. 4:19-22
Turquoise
A delicate light
blue stone found in Persia (now Iran), Mexico, and in the United States in New
Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. It was used for ornamental purposes. Often used
on pocket match holders as a small rounded element forming a part of the thumb
lifter on the front edge of the lid.
Tuscan Order Of Architecture
The simplest of
the five Orders of Architecture, as its columns are never fluted, and it
does not allow the introduction of any kind of ornament. It is one of the two
modern Orders, not being found in any ancient example. Hence it is of no value
in Masonic symbolism.
Twelve
Original Points
They were in the ancient English lectures, used in the
ritual from 1738 till 1813, when they were taken out, and the four perfect
point, substituted. They constituted the basis of the system, and
without which no man ever was or can be legally and essentially received into
the Order. Every candidate must pass through these forms and
ceremonies. The are--opening, preparation, report, entrance, prayer,
circumambulation, advancing, obligation, entrusting, investiture, placing in
the northeast corner and
closing. These points were symbolized by each one of the twelve tribes
of Israel, the sons of Jacob. Gen. 49:1-3
Twentieth
Landmark
What is the
doctrine of the Twentieth Landmark? Subsidiary to the nineteenth
landmark and this belief in God, as a landmark of the Order, is the
resurrection to a future life. This landmark is not so positively
impressed on the candidate by exact words as the preceding; but the doctrine
is taught by very plain implication and runs through the whole symbolism of
the Order. St. John 11:25-26
Twenty-four
Inch Gauge
The twenty-four inch gage is a rule
two feet long, which is divided by marks into twenty-four parts each one inch
in length. The Operative Mason uses it to take the necessary dimensions
of the stone that he is about to prepare. It has been adopted as one of
the working-tools of the Entered Apprentice in Speculative Freemasonry, where
it divisions are supposed to represent hours. Hence its symbolic
use is to teach him to measure his time so that, of the twenty-four hours of
the day, he may devote eight hours to the service of God and a worthy
distressed Brother, eight hours to his usual vocation, and eight hours to
refreshment and sleep. In the twenty-four inch gage is a symbol of time
well employed, following as best we can the example of the lines told to us by
Longfellow in the Psalm of Life: Lives of great men all remind
us, We can make our lives sublime, And departing leave behind us, Footprints
on the sands of time. The
Masonic essence of the lesson is ability, preparedness and readiness,
recalling the suggestion of William Shakespeare to the workmen in Julius
Ceasar (act 1, scene i, line 5), "Where is thy leather apron and thy
rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on?" EXAMPLE
Tyre
An ancient city
of Phenicia, which in the time of King Solomon was celebrated as the residence
of King Hiram, to whom that monarch and his father David were indebted for
great assistance in the construction of the Temple at Jerusalem. Tyre
was distant from Jerusalem about one hundred and twenty miles by sea, and was
thirty miles nearer by land. An intercourse between the two cities and
their respective monarchs was, therefore, easily cultivated. The
inhabitants of Tyre were distinguished for their skill as artificers,
especially as workers in brass and other metals; and it is said to have been a
principal seat of that skillful body of architects known as the Dionysian
Fraternity.
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