King Solomons Quarry

KING SOLOMON'S QUARRIES 

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, in mount Moriah where the Lord appeared unto David. 2 Chronicles Chapter 3; Verse 7.

The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, whilst it was in building. Kings Chapter 6 Verse 7.

Author’s Note: This Short Talk is based upon an article written by R.W.Bro. Leon Zeldis, Editor of The Israel Freemason. Full acknowledgement of the material used is hereby made with congratulations to him for such an informative paper. 

The Quarries of King Solomon or Cave of Zedekiah is a deep cavern which opens beneath the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, and actually extends for hundreds of meters below the surface of the city in the direction of The Temple Mount.

This entrance became lost over the centuries because of vandalism and neglect and was not rediscovered until 1854 - a mere 150 years ago.

Putting this into historical perspective; King Solomon's Temple was completed in about 826 BC - some 2830 years ago! Thus making the discovery of the quarries a matter of profound and significant importance to Freemasonry in the twenty-first Century AD.

The opening to the quarry lies at the base of a wall, some 100 meters north of the Damascus Gate and close to King Herod's Gate. It is one of the most extensive caves in Israel, measuring about 220 meters in length and a massive 900 meters in circumference.

It is traditionally reported that the cave extends all the way to the plain of Jericho. The last King of Judah, Zedekiah, is said to have fled through the cavern when Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 701 BC.

Author’s Note: This takes some believing - since the distance between the site of the caves and the Plain of Jericho scales 5 miles on a Historical Map of the area!

From the first Century AD it was called "The Royal Cavern", but this may have been due to the name given locally to the white limestone found in the cave that was called melech or "Royal Stone". Later the site became known as King Solomon's Quarries. Whatever truth there may be in that designation, the fact remains that the cave did serve as a quarry for building stones. As a testimony to that fact there remains in place half sawn blocks of stone. Two other types of stone were worked in the quarry. A softer stone that could be worked in large blocks; known as mizzi-helou or "Sweet Stone". There was also a red decorative stone known as mizziahmar. The layout inside the cave is divided into chambers, these are separated by broad columns to support the ceilings. In some of the chambers can be found traces of the techniques used by the workmen. Broad slits were hewn along the wall and dry wooden wedges were then driven into them. Water was then poured over the wedges until eventually they expanded, cracking the stone along the splits.

Without a doubt the location of these underground caves quite close to Temple Mount (referred to in the Bible as The Holy Mount Moriah) and to The City of David would have made the material handling problems much easier than the alternative of importing stone from far afield, involving the difficult road conditions between Jerusalem and the sea port of Jaffa.

Author’s Note: Before we proceed any further it is important to put into historical perspective, an overview of the building works that has taken place down through history; either below or upon surrounding sites in the close proximity to The Temple Mount the site of the Ancient Jewish Temples.

This brief Chronology of the Building and Destruction of no less than five Temples that have been constructed during the past 2830 years!

CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM

1000-961 BC: Reign of King David

961-922 BC: Reign of King Solomon

826 BC: Completion of King Solomon's Temple - (Building No.1)

701 BC: Destruction of King Solomon's Temple by Nebuchadnezzar

539 BC: Exiles return from their Babylonian captivity.

349 BC: Second Temple built by Zerubbabel is dedicated. - (Building No.2)

63 BC: Roman Conquest of Jerusalem Second Temple is destroyed. 37-4 BC: Herod begins the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem

63 AD: Herod's Temple finally completed - (Building No.3)

70 AD: Destruction of the remains of Herod's Temple

100 AD: Roman Emperor builds Temple to Jupiter on the site of Temple Mount - (Building No.4) 

684 AD: El Aktza Mosque and the Dome of the Rock built on top of the remains of the Roman Temple by Islamic occupiers. - (BuildingNo.5) 

This remarkable situation makes it reasonable to assume that the raw materials may well have been used from the Quarries below the site over a very long period of time. It would therefore be a mistake to assume that what has been discovered during the past 150 years specifically relates to the building operations carried out in the name of King Solomon.

The extent of the work undertaken during this fascinating period of history may well explain why the quarries are so large. It also makes their discovery such a precious contribution to the history of our ancient Craft.

Returning to the story surrounding the re-discovery of the quarry in 1884; it was at this location that the first recorded Masonic ceremony took place in Palestine.

This achievement was down to an American Freemason - M.W. Bro. Robert Morris, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, who had come to the Holy Land in search of traces of our ancient craft from the time of King Solomon.

During his visit he met an English Freemason in the person of Bro. Charles Warren, a British Engineer and archaeologist (he eventually became the first Worshipful Master of the Quatour Coronati Premier Lodge of Research No. 2076 in London) and who had been sent by the Palestine Exploration Fund.

By chance a British navel vessel arrived in Jaffa at this time. The Captain and several other officers were Masons. Morris invited them all to attend the Ceremony in The Secret Monitor, which took place on 13th May 1868.

It appears from the records that other distinguished Brethren attended: The Governor of Jaffa, the Consul of Prussia based in Jerusalem, and an American Vice-Consul.

From then on the cave continued to be used occasionally by a few local Freemasons, in particular the Mark Master Masons degree for which the surroundings are remarkably well suited.

This tradition was interrupted in 1948 when the Old City of Jerusalem was captured by the Arab Legion who promptly sealed off the entrance to the quarry.

Only in 1967 were Masonic ceremonies resumed after once again the Holy City had been re-united.

It was on 2nd July 1969 that the most memorable ceremony took place at the Consecration of the Supreme Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Israel. 

The cave is now an official tourist site, open to the public. Several times a year The Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of the State of Israel organise and conduct Ceremonies, sometimes in Hebrew and from time to time in English for the benefit of visiting Brethren.

To perform a Masonic Ceremony in the quarry situated in Jerusalem so close to the historic location of our Masonic history carries a profound and deep symbolic meaning; and no-one who has been privileged to attend is likely ever to forget.

Author’s Note: Further information in order to arrange a visit can be obtained by contacting: The Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Israel P.O. Box 33206,61331, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

In conclusion a final word about the actual location of King Solomon's Temple. Amongst the numerous controversies about the Temple is its location! - Nobody really knows!

There are three primary conjectures under active discussion in recent years. These three areas of interest on The Temple Mount have been the focus of intense investigation, much debate and discussion and growing controversy.

• The present site of the Dome of the Rock. This is the so-called traditional location.
• North of the Dome of the Rock. Proposed by Physicist Asher Kaufman twenty years ago.
• South of the Dome of the Rock by Tuvia Sagiv, a leading Israeli Architect, following his ground penetrating radar and thermal infra red imaging surveys during the last five years.

Behind many of these discussions lie serious plans by a number of Orthodox Jewish Groups for the building of a Third Jewish Temple on the site, when or if the political situation permits.