The "Three Unworthy Craftsmen." Revered or Reviled?

Jubelo, Jubela, and Jubelum. The three "unworthy craftsmen" responsible for the death of Freemasonry's central character, Hiram Abiff.

Are these characters reviled in Masonic circles for the killing of the Temples architect, or are they revered for having committed a necessary act that led to the formation of the Craft? Playing the part of the sacred executioner (as was common with many of the Mystery Religions), and are thusly "marked" as being special and apart from the typical murderer.

It is a welll known fact that many of these "sacred executioners" committed acts that wound up founding civilisations, religions, etc...
Were the "Ruffians" the sacred executioners of Freemasonry, playing a central role in its founding?

Much like the role Cain played in the slaying of his brother, and being rewarded with his "mark."

Or for that matter the role Judas Iscariot played in the founding of Christianity (Though poor ol' Judas didn't seem to get off as lightly as Cain).

Are the three "ruffians" designated with a "mark?"

Can anyone expand on this?





[edit on 18/2/2008 by Beelzebubba]

reply to post by Beelzebubba


Let's just say King Solomon was less than pleased with them and justice was swift and decisive.

The "Ruffians" certainly hold a place adversary to the Candidate, and therefore by extension the Craft. Their treacherous acts and what the Ruffians represent are the struggles we all face in our lives, and Masons are encouraged to meet those challenges head-on, as Hiram did, and stand on our principles, even unto death (literally or metaphorically), as Hiram did.

This is what we mean when we say the ritual is used to teach lessons. Hiram was faced with is death. He had 2 choices: succumb to evil, compromise his honor, and betray the Trust he had been given by King Solomon and Hiram of Tyre; or stand his ground and face the demons unafraid, even if it meant his death.

Obviously, he chose the latter.

This is an example of the kind of lessons Masonry teaches. Everything in Masonry has a purpose -- it is meant to convey an idea to someone in a meaningful and very tangible way. When it is done properly, it works most efficiently to that end.

A few things are left for the Candidate to ponder, but there are lengthy lectures after each of the degrees that explain most of the symbols and symbolisms of the degree you've just been through. And the lecturers do it all from memory. We're talikng 15-20 minute lectures by heart. It really is impressive to see.

Anyway, the answer is most definitely reviled.

This should help in order to clarify:

The Lost Keys of Freemasonry or The Secret of Hiram Abiff by Manly P. Hall

"...We may first consider the murderers of Hiram. These three ruffians, who, when the Builder seeks to leave his temple, strike him with the tools of his own Craft until finally they slay him and bring the temple down in destruction upon their own heads, symbolize the three expressions of our own lower natures which are in truth the murderers of the good within ourselves. These three may be called thought, desire, and action. When purified and transmuted they are three glorious avenues through which may manifest the great life power of the three kings, the glowing builders of the Cosmic Lodge manifesting in this world as spiritual thought, constructive emotion, and useful daily labor in the various places and positions where we find ourselves while carrying on the Master's work. These three form the Flaming Triangle which glorifies every living Mason, but when crystallized and perverted they form a triangular prison through which the light cannot shine and the Life is forced to languish in the dim darkness of despair, until man himself through his higher understanding liberates the energies and powers which are indeed the builders and glorifiers of his Father's House. Now let us consider how these three fiery kings of the dawn became, through perversion of their manifestation by man, the ruffians who murdered Hiram - the energizing powers of cosmos which course through the blood of every living being, seeking to beautify and perfect the temple they would build according to the plan laid down on the tracing board by the Master Architect of the universe. First in the mind is one of the three kings, or rather we shall say a channel through which he manifests; for King Solomon is the power of mind which, perverted, becomes a destroyer who tears down with the very powers which nourish and build. The right application of thought, when seeking the answer to the cosmic problem of destiny, liberates man's spirit which soars above the concrete through that wonderful power of mind, with its dreams and its ideals. When man's thoughts rise upon the wings of aspiration, when he pushes back the darkness with the strength of reason and logic, then indeed the builder is liberated from his dungeon and the light pours in, bathing him with life and power. This light enables us to seek more clearly the mystery of creation and to find with greater certainty our place in the Great Plan, for as man unfolds his bodies he gains talents with which he can explore the mysteries of Nature and search for the hidden workings of the Divine. Through these powers the Builder is liberated and his consciousness goes forth conquering and to conquer. These higher ideals, these spiritual concepts, these altruistic, philanthropic, educative applications of thought power glorify the Builder; for they give the power of expression and those who can express themselves are free. When man can mold his thoughts, his emotions, and his actions into faithful expressions of his highest ideals then liberty is his, for ignorance is the darkness of Chaos and knowledge is the light of Cosmos. In spite of the fact that many of us live apparently to gratify the desires of the body and as servants of the lower nature, still there is within each of us a power which may remain latent for a great length of time. This power lives eternities perhaps, and yet at some time during our growth there comes a great yearning for freedom, when, having discovered that the pleasures of sense gratification are eternally elusive and unsatisfying, we make an examination of ourselves and begin to realize that there a re greater reasons for our being. It is sometimes reason, sometimes suffering, sometimes a great desire to be helpful, that brings out the first latent powers which show that one long wandering in the darkness is about to take the path that leads to Light. Having lived life in all its experiences, he has learned to realize that all the manifestations of being, all the various experiences through which he passes, are steps leading in one direction; that, consciously or unconsciously, all souls are being led to the portico of the temple where for the first time they see and realize the glory of Divinity. It is then that they understand the age-old allegory of the martyred Builder and feel his power within themselves crying out from the prison of materiality. Nothing else seems worth while; and, regardless of cost, suffering, or the taunts of the world, the candidate slowly ascends the steps that lead to the temple eternal. The reason that governs Cosmos he does not know, the laws which mold his being he does not realize, but he does know that somewhere behind the veil of human ignorance there is an eternal light toward which step by step he must labor. With his eyes fixed on the heavens above and his hands clasped in prayer he passes slowly as a candidate up the steps. In fear and trembling, yet with a divine realization of good, he raps on the door and awaits in silence the answer from within."

If one has even a little understanding of the symbolism of Alchemy, then we can see that Manly P. Hall describes in his writings the Building of the Solar Bodies, or the Wedding Garments of the Soul.


It is taught that these must first be Created by Raising the Kundalini Serpent through Sexual Alchemical practices, before achieving the complete fusion of the Inner Masculine and Feminine Principles, Hermes-Aphrodite, IOD-HEVE, etc. that is also sought for by the Tantric Buddhists.

The Initiatic Path in the Arcana of Tarot and Kabbalah By Samael Aun Weor

1. Demon of desire 2. Demon of the mind 3. Demon of the evil will

These three traitors are the three evil friends of Job; these are the three assassins of Hiram Abiff:

Judas, Pilate, Caiphas: Christian Symbology
Apopi, Hai, Nebt: Egyptian Symbology
Sebal, Orteluk, Stokin: Masonic Symbology

These three traitors live within the mind. They are within ourselves. Let us remember that Dante represents Lucifer in the center of the earth with three mouths, and in each one of his mouths there is a traitor. The Bible cites these three traitors in the book of the Revelation of Saint John, “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.” Revelation 16:13 These three unclean spirits like frogs are the three traitors that betray the Internal Christ from moment to moment and constitute the foundation of the reincarnating ego, the psychological “I,” the Satan which must be dissolved in order to incarnate the Internal Christ... Absolute sanctity cannot be achieved until the three traitors that assassinated Hiram Abiff, the Master Constructor of the temple of Solomon, are completely terminated.

Sebal: Demon of Desire (Apopi, Judas)
Ortelut: Demon of the Mind (Hai, Pilate)
Stokin: Demon of the Evil Will (Nebt, Caiaphas)

To stop being demons is the objective of our studies.

1. Judas is the demon of Desire. He is a terribly perverse demon. Everybody possesses him, therefore all of us are demons and only the Initiatic Mysteries can show us how we can stop being demons. We have to start recognizing that we are demons.
2. Pilate is the Demon of the Mind. This demon always washes his hands and will always do it.
3. Caiaphas is the Demon of Evil Will. The Initiate who does not do the Will of the Father is disobedient. One must perform the will of the Father here and in the Internal Worlds.

Those who are asleep must do the will of the Father. The will of the Father must be done if there is:

Upright Thought
Upright Feeling
Upright Action

If we do something wrong, it is not the will of the Father.

In conclusion, we have to totally eliminate all subjective elements. None must remain within, and one must remain with pure Spirit like Gautama the Buddha. This is why he is called the Great Illuminated One. In order to reach this state, one has to pay, and the price of this is our own life.

[edit on 18-2-2008 by Tamahu]

It is said that the average planet's population usually ends up getting about 90% less-enslaved to the Three Traitors of CHiram Abiff, during their Kali Yuga, or Iron Age that we are now in.


(Those who have studied the teachings of Gurdjieff, should also have read about the Kundabuffer or Kundartiguador organ):

Concerning The Kundabuffer Organ, Lemuria and The Fall of Humanity!

"The consequences of the Kundabuffer Organ are always the Egos, in any humanity! Other planetary humanities develop ego, up to 10% and thereafter, their Monads (through the Great Work) control the fires of desire and become Gods, Angels knowing good and evil.

"This Humanity of the Earth has 97% ego because a miscalculation of transfinite mathematics made by the Cosmocreator Sakaki. Many Cosmocreators, Avatars and angels were sent to the earth in order to correct this cosmic mistake; many of them fornicated with the women of this humanity and became demons. This mistake is very rare in the cosmos and has its roots in Karma of previous Mahamanvantaras.

"The Master-Monads that emerge from the mud of this planet Earth develop a great amount of willpower and their Mastery is above the average in the cosmos, but "Many are called and few are chosen"."

[edit on 18-2-2008 by Tamahu]

Originally posted by Beelzebubba
Are the three "ruffians" designated with a "mark?"

Can anyone expand on this?

See(highlighted):


The Perfect Matrimony


Eliphas Levi has also written about this.

"In this day and age, there are a lot of people who justify their sexual perversion; this is because their infra-consciousness is completely degenerately bipolarised in their bodies. These people carry a thief (Tubal Cain) in their mind and a whore (Lilith) in their sex."

[edit on 18-2-2008 by Tamahu]

I can't even think of a reasonable answer to this, but I will try. It is so far off the mark as to warrant my suspicion outright.

Nowhere in the ritual that I am familiar with is it ever intimated that these three are acknowledged for anything but their dastardliness in murder of possibly the greatest artist born. Greed and envy were their marks of distinction, if you would call it that.

[edit on 18-2-2008 by sharkman]

[edit on 18-2-2008 by sharkman]

Originally posted by Beelzebubba


Are these characters reviled in Masonic circles for the killing of the Temples architect, or are they revered for having committed a necessary act that led to the formation of the Craft?

Neither. They are recognized as mythological characters in the Masonic legends.

However, in the drama that is reinacted, they are of course the villains.

Light is right as usual. The only other thing I can think of is that they serve as an illustration of how important it is to face difficulties and even death with faith and conviction of your beliefs. We certainly don't hold them up as icons or paragons of virtue.

Originally posted by Beelzebubba
Jubelo, Jubela, and Jubelum. The three "unworthy craftsmen" responsible for the death of Freemasonry's central character, Hiram Abiff.

Are these characters reviled in Masonic circles for the killing of the Temples architect, or are they revered for having committed a necessary act that led to the formation of the Craft?

They are merely three ruffians who are part of a Masonic tragedy.

Your pal,
Meat.