The Imprint of Hebrew on the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
By: Rui Samarcos Lóra
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, a cornerstone of speculative Freemasonry, constitutes a complex tapestry woven from threads of ancient wisdom, philosophical inquiry, and profound symbolism.
Among the most vibrant and enduring of these threads is the Hebrew language. Its presence is fundamental, infusing the Rite with a layer of sacrality and historical depth drawn directly from the wellspring of Judeo-Christian tradition.
This article posits that a nuanced comprehension of Hebrew is indispensable for any serious student of the AASR. It will explore the historical resilience of the language, address the common hermeneutical challenges posed by its integration into Masonic liturgy, and demonstrate how a return to linguistic precision can illuminate the path toward a more authentic and enriched Masonic experience.
The ultimate aim is to move beyond a superficial recitation of words towards a deeper, more meaningful engagement with the language that so powerfully shapes the identity and teachings of the Rite.
A Phoenix from the Ashes: The Historical Odyssey of Hebrew
Appreciating Hebrew’s role in the AASR requires an understanding of its remarkable historical journey. The term “Hebrew” ( Ivrit ) is traditionally traced to Éber, a patriarch descended from Noah through Shem, from whom the term “Semitic” also derives (GOROVITS; FRIDLIN, 2006).
Jewish tradition maintains that Éber retained the pristine Adamic language after the confusion of Babel, thus preserving it for his descendants.
This origin story establishes Hebrew not merely as a language of men, but as Lashon HaKodesh the Sacred Language believed to be the very medium through which Divine law was revealed.
Hebrew, a member of the Northwest Semitic language family, flourished as the vernacular of the ancient Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Its destiny, however, was irrevocably altered by the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE.
During the captivity, Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Near Eastern empires, began to supplant Hebrew as the common tongue (OSTLER, 2006). Although Hebrew experienced a revival upon the return to Zion, the relentless currents of history Hellenistic, Roman, and Islamic conquests saw Aramaic and later Greek solidify their positions as the languages of commerce and administration.
Consequently, Hebrew gradually retreated into the sanctified space of synagogue and study hall, becoming primarily a liturgical and literary language.
For nearly seventeen centuries, Hebrew persisted as a sacred vessel preserving Jewish identity across the Diaspora.
Its triumphant revival as a modern spoken language in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, culminating in its status as the official language of the State of Israel, represents a linguistic phenomenon without parallel.
This resilience from vernacular to sacred vessel and back to a living tongue mirrors the Masonic journey of rediscovery and restoration, rendering its incorporation into the AASR profoundly resonant.
Beyond Babel: Distinguishing Hebrew from Aramaic
A common source of confusion within Masonic studies is the conflation of Hebrew with Aramaic. While both are Semitic siblings, their historical roles within the narrative underpinning the AASR are distinct.
Aramaic was the language of international diplomacy and daily life during the Second Temple period; it was, notably, the vernacular spoken by Jesus of Nazareth (Yeshua). Hebrew, by contrast, remained the language of scripture, priesthood, and sacred tradition.
This distinction is crucial for Masonic symbolism. The AASR’s allegories are deeply rooted in the Solomonic narrative and the construction of the First Temple a distinctly Hebrew milieu.
While Aramaic influences exist, particularly in later esoteric traditions, the core vocabulary of the Rite Jachin, Boaz, Adonai is fundamentally Hebrew.
Understanding this separation allows the Freemason to better contextualize the ritual’s historical and symbolic setting, ensuring that the tools of the Builder’s Craft are applied with correct historical reference.
The Massoretic Key: Unlocking Correct Pronunciation
The primary challenge to the accurate transmission of Hebrew within Masonry lies in the nature of the language itself. Ancient Hebrew was written with a consonantal alphabet (an abjad), wherein vowel sounds were transmitted solely through oral tradition.
The fear that this living tradition would be lost during the diasporic upheavals led Jewish scribes, known as the Massoretes (circa fifth to tenth centuries CE), to develop a system of diacritical marks points and accents to codify pronunciation.
This Massorah ensured the precise vocalization of the sacred texts for future generations.
The absence of these Massoretic signs in Masonic rituals has been a perennial source of variation and error. A quintessential example is the pillar Boaz ( בֹּעַז ). In many lodges, it is rendered as Booz, a mispronunciation that would be immediately clarified by the Massoretic vowel points ( cholam followed by a patah ).
Similarly, the sacred Tetragrammaton ( יהוה ) the ineffable name of the Divine has spawned a multitude of transliterations (Yahweh, Jehovah, Jahve) due to interpretive variations in vowel placement, a practice further complicated by theological prohibitions against its utterance.
The Masonic student must therefore become attentive to the precise form and sound of the words that are the very cornerstone of the ritual. This is not an exercise in pedantry but a faithful effort to recover the authentic voice of the Rite.
The Pillars of the Rite: Hebrew’s Foundational Influence
The influence of Hebrew on the AASR is both overt and subtle. Its most visible manifestations are the pillars Jachin ( יָכִין “He Establishes”) and Boaz ( בֹּעַז “In Him is Strength”), which stand as silent sentinels in every lodge, their Hebrew names a constant reminder of the Temple’s archetype.
The language permeates the Degrees, providing Sacred Words, Passwords, and phrases of recognition that are overwhelmingly Hebrew in origin.
This was a deliberate choice. As Albert Pike, the great jurist and revitalizer of the Southern Jurisdiction of the AASR, articulated in Morals and Dogma, the Rite’s early rituals were “heavily laden with biblical stories” and, “encouraged by the mystical speculations of the Kabbalah,” are “heavily laden with Jewish symbolism and folk narratives” (PIKE, 2011, p. 1003).
Pike, a polyglot fluent in Hebrew, alongside erudite brethren like Albert Mackey, deeply understood the symbolic potency of the language.
They recognised that these words were not mere labels but vessels of meaning, connecting the speculative Mason to the operative traditions of Solomon’s Temple and the esoteric currents of Kabbalistic thought.
While speculation exists about the direct influence of Jewish Freemasons like Stephen Morin in seeding the Rite with Hebrew elements, the evidence remains circumstantial (CORTEZ, 2009; MACKEY, 1879).
A more compelling explanation lies in the Rite’s intrinsic draw upon the Old Testament as its primary mythological and symbolic source.
The Hebrew language is the native tongue of that source; to engage with the narrative is to engage, inevitably, with its original linguistic medium.
Towards an Authentic Practice: A Call for Scholarly Vigilance
To preserve the integrity of the ritual, we shall follow the example of José Castellani and refrain from associating specific words with their respective Degrees. However, we can highlight illustrative challenges.
The word Shibolet ( שִׁבֹּלֶת “an ear of grain”), for instance, is often misaccented as Shibolé, obscuring its meaning. Furthermore, the letter Shin ( ש ) can, with a Massoretic point (dagesh), be pronounced as Sin, leading to alternative readings like Sibolet a variation often explained by a poignant allegory within the Rite itself.
These nuances are critical. They are the subtle calibrations that ensure the symbolic machinery of the AASR functions as intended. The casual or incorrect use of Hebrew risks reducing powerful symbols to empty formulae.
The solution lies in a committed return to study a concerted effort by lodges and individual brethren to seek out authoritative sources, to consult with scholars, and to prioritise linguistic accuracy with the same fervour applied to the precise execution of the ritual’s physical movements.
Conclusion: Recovering the Lost Word
The indelible presence of Hebrew in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is a testament to the Rite’s deep roots in Western esoteric and religious tradition.
It serves as a bridge to antiquity, a key to symbolism, and a source of profound philosophical insight. The journey of Hebrew from a living tongue to a sacred relic and back to a living language echoes the Masonic quest for light, symbolising the recovery of that which was lost.
The challenges of transliteration and pronunciation are not insurmountable. They call upon the Freemason to exercise the cardinal virtues of Fortitude in study, Temperance in judgment, and Prudence in application.
By embracing a scholarly approach to the Hebrew language, the Craft can ensure that the vibrant, resonant voice of the Sacred Tongue continues to speak clearly through the rituals of the AASR, guiding each brother not merely to hear the words, but to understand their true meaning, and in so doing, to continue the eternal work of building his own spiritual temple.
Footnotes
References
BENITEZ, J. J. Operação Cavalo de Tróia. Livro 1. São Paulo: Ed. Record, 1995.
BORRÁS, J. T. Jewish Studies at the turn of the Twentieth Century. 1999.
BRIDGER, D. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Behrman House, 1962.
CASTELLANI, J. A Maçonaria e sua Herança Hebraica. Londrina: A Trolha, 1993.
CASTELLANI, J. Shemá Israel. São Paulo: Gazeta Maçônica, 1977.
CORTEZ, J. R. P. A Maçonaria Escocesa. Londrina: A Trolha, 2009.
DE SAUSSURE, W. G. History of Freemasonry in South Carolina. Charleston, 1878.
GOROVITS, D.; FRIDLIN, J. Bíblia Hebraica. São Paulo: Sefer, 2006.
GOTTWALD, N. K. Introdução socioliterária à Bíblia hebraica. Trans. Anacleto Alvarez. São Paulo: Paulinas, 1988.
MACKEY, A. G. Encyclopedia of Freemasonry And its Kindred Sciences. New York & London: The Masonic History Company, 1879.
OKA, S. Cury-Rad. Esfiha com Cajuína: Episódios do Folclore Árabe-Florianense. Teresina: Ideia, 2007.
OSTLER, N. Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World. London e New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.
PACHECO, M. G. Maçonaria. A indelável presença da cabala no REAA. Porto Alegre: Imprensa Livre, 2011.
PIKE, A. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Washington, DC: Supreme Council, 33°, S.J., 2011.
RIBEIRO, J. G. C. Os Fios da Meada. Rio de Janeiro: Zit, 2007.
RODRIGUES, R. Cartilha do Rito Escocês. Londrina: A Trolha, 2010.
SMART, J. R. Tradition and Modernity in Arabic Language And Literature, 2013.
SPOLKY, B. Jewish Multilingualism in the First century. In: Readings in the Sociology of Jewish Languages. Leiden: E.J.Brill, 1985, pp.35-50.
SPOLSKY, B.; SHOHAMY, E. G. The languages of Israel: policy, ideology and practice. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 1999.
STEVENS, A. C. Cyclopedia of Fraternities. New York: E. B. Treat and Company, 1899.
Article by: Rui Samarcos Lóra
Rui Samarcos Lora is an academic researcher of Italian and Brazilian origin, based in Spain. His work bridges international scholarship, Masonic studies, and Kabbalah.
He is a PhD Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra, holding a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Évora and a specialization in Political Science from the University of Brasília.
He has been recognized as a SYLFF Fellow by the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.
He is currently a member of Holy Land Lodge No. 50 under the Grand Lodge of Israel and a corresponding member of the Dom Bosco Research Lodge No. 33 (GLMDF of Brazil).
In the field of Jewish mystical thought, he is a disciple of Prof Dr. Meir Sabán. Currently is the founder of the Roy Luria Institute, dedicated to the study of Hebrew and Kabbalah, and an active writer and translator of key Masonic works.
The core of his work lies in fostering a dialogue between traditional Kabbalistic wisdom and the challenges of contemporary social thought.
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