Babel. Babel was a city in the
Land of Shinar in Chaldea, where, in 1775 A. M., and, hence, 2229 B. C., or 140
years after Noah’s Flood according to Hebrew Scripture, the people sought to
erect a tower, some say high enough to save them from a second flood, others
say to erect a monument to their pride, with the result that the work was interrupted
by a confusion of tongues which afflicted the builders. Such is the story as
told in Genesis Ch. 11 but, like most legends, it undoubtedly took on different
interpretations as time went on. That Jahweh (Jehovah) would have punished them
for their inordinate pride is plausible, but it is not so apparent why they
would have been prevented from avoiding the consequences of another Flood, if
they could.
The Tower of Babel (or Babylon, as it is also
called, for it was probably in Babylon) is connected with Freemasonry only by
reason of the fact that the story is alluded to in the legendary history of
Masonry as set forth in the Gothic Constitutions (q.v.) which
seem to make that place the starting point of the Science. For example, the Regius
MS. of about 1390 A. D. states (stanzas 44-45: lines 535-550):
”You may hear as I do read,
That many years after, for
great dread
That Noah’s flood was all
run,
The tower of Babylon was
begun,
As plain work of lime and
stone,
As any man should look upon;
So long and broad it was
begun,
Seven miles the height
shadoweth the sun.
King Nebuchadnezzar let it
make
To great strength for man’s
sake,
Though such a flood again
should come,
Over the world it should not
nome; *
For they had so high pride,
with strong boast,
All that work therefore was
lost;
An angel smote them so with
divers speech,
That never one knew what the
other should reche.”
* take
The Cooke MS. of early 15th century states:
”Every chronicle and history and many other writers and the Bible especially
relate the building of the tower of Babel; and it is written in the Bible,
Genesis, chap. 10 how that Ham, Noah’s son, begot Nimrod, who grew a mighty man
upon the earth and waxed strong, like unto a giant. He was a great king and the
beginning of his kingdom was the Kingdom of Babylon proper, and Arach and
Archad and Calneh and the land of Shinar. And this same Ham began the tower of
Babel and taught his workmen the Craft of Masonry, and he had with him many
masons, more than 40,000, and he loved and cherished them well. And it is
written in Polychronicon, and in the Master of History, and in other
histories, and beyond this
the Bible, witnesses in the same 10th chapter, as it is written, that Ashur who
was of near kindred to Nimrod went forth from the land of Shinar and built the
city of Nineveh and Plateas and many more. For it is written ’De terra
illa.’ It is but reasonable that we should plainly say how and in what
manner the charges of the Masons’ Craft were first founded, and who gave it the
name of Masonry. And you must know that it is stated and written in the
Polychronicon, and in Methodus Episcopus and Martiris that Ashur who was a
worthy lord of Shinar sent to Nimrod the king to send him Masons and workmen of
the Craft that they might help him make his city which he was minded to make.
And Nimrod sent him 3000 masons. And as they were about to depart and go forth,
he called them before him and said to them, ’Ye must go to my cousin Ashur to
help him build a city, but see to it, that ye be well governed, and I will
give you a Charge that shall be to your and my profit. When you come to that
land, look that you be true to him, even as you would be true to me, labor at
your Craft honestly, and take a reasonable payment for it, such as you may
deserve. Love each other as though you were brothers and hold together
staunchly. Let him that hath most skill teach his fellow, and be careful that
your conduct among yourselves and towards your lord may be to my credit, that I
may have thanks for sending you and teaching you the craft.’ And they received
the charge from him, being their lord and master, and went forth to Ashur and
built the city of Nineveh in the country of Plateas and other cities also that
are called Calah and Resen which is a great city between Calah and Nineveh. And
in this manner the Craft of Masonry was first instituted and charged as a
science.”
The account of the Grand Lodge MS. is
somewhat shorter as follows: ”And at the making of the tower of Babylon there
was Massonry made muche of. And the Kyng of Babylon that height Nemroth was a
Masson himself and loved well the Crafte as yt was said with maisters of
stories. And when the Citte of Nynyvie & other cities of the East should be
made Nemroth Kyng of Babylon sent thither fortie Massons at the vogacon of the
Kyng of Nynyvie his cossin, and when he sent them forth he gave them a chardge
in this mann. That they should be true to one another, and that they should
live truely together, and that they should serue their Lorde truely for their
paye so that their Mr. may have worship and all yt long to him, and other moe
chardges he gave them and this was the first time that evr any Masson had any
chardge of his Crafte.”
Harleian MS. of about 1670 states: ”At the tower of
Babell Masonry was much made on, for the King of Babylon, who was Nemorth was A
Mason, and loved the science & when the Citty of Ninneveh, and other
Cittyes of the East should be builded Nemorth sent thither three score Masons,
at the desire of the King of Ninneveh. And when they went forth, hee gave them
charge after this manner. That they should bee true one to another that hee might
have worship by them in sending
them to his Cozen the King:
hee alsoe gave them charge, concerning theire science; and then was it, that
any Mason had charge of his science;”.
The Legend as it appears in other copies of the Gothic
Constitutions is much the same, varying in details but generally reciting
that the first organized workmen known as Masons were at the Tower of Babel or
Babylon or at Nineveh under Nebuchadnezzar, Ham, or Nimrod (Nimroth), King of
Babylon or of Nineveh or possibly both, and that, in sending 3000 (or 40 or 60
as reduced in later MSS.), the King gave the Masons their first charges. Dr.
Anderson’s digest of this legend, which he set forth in the Constitutions of
1723 (p. 3) is as follows: ”Noah and his three sons, Japhet, Shem, and Ham,
all Masons true, brought with them over the Flood the Traditions and Arts of
the Antediluvians, and amply communicated them to their growing Offspring; for
about 101 Years after the Flood, we find a vast number of ’em, if not the whole
Race of Noah, in the Vale of Shinar, employed in building a City and large
Tower, in order to make to themselves a Name and to prevent their Dispersion.
And tho’ they carry’d on the Work to a monstrous Height, and by their Vanity
provoked God to confound their Devices, by confounding their Speech, which
occasion’d their Dispersion; yet their Skill in Masonry is not the less to be
celebrated, having spent above 53 Years in that prodigious Work, and upon their
Dispersion carry’d the mighty Knowledge with them into distant Parts, where
they found the good use of it in the Settlement of their Kingdoms,
Commonwealths and Dynasties. And tho’ afterwards it was lost in most Parts of
the Earth, it was especially preserv’d in Shinar and Assyria, where Nimrod,
the Founder of that Monarchy, after the Dispersion, built many splendid Cities
as Ereck, Accad, and Calneh, in Shinar; from whence afterwards he went forth
into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Reboboth, Caleh, and Rhesin.”
Dr. George Oliver (q.v.) tried to draw some allegorical lessons from the Tower of Babel, but the Fratenity was not sufficiently impressed to preserve them, so that now the subject is scarcely ever mentioned.
