Myths and Truths of Masonry?

I'm pretty curious what a lot think about these several things that are usually speculated highly by both masons and non-masons alike.

They are:

Did Freemasonry exist before 1717's official uniting of 4 lodges into one Grand Lodge?

Did the Templars really merge with Masonry in any way.

Did Hiram Abiff ever actually exist?

My responses to the above are:

Yes it did, because of the next answer.

Yes Templars did permeate Masonry, though how much is little known, however the proof Templars did share influences with Masonry, is written invariably, of all things, in stone. Western Scotland, can't think of the name off hand...Kilmartin?

And I find it funny that a personage would be in the Bible if he didn't exist, Hiram of course is to whom I refer, but if he ever had anything to do with masonry, directly, who can say.

So what is anyone elses comments on this?

PS. Looking for more places in the Bible where Hiram is mentioned, so far I've found him in Chronicles 2 and Kings 1, any one else know of anywhere else?

2SA 5:11 And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons: and they built David an house.
1KI 5:1 And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.
1KI 5:2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
1KI 5:7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD this day, which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people.
1KI 5:8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: [and] I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.
1KI 5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees [according to] all his desire.
1KI 5:11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat [for] food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
1KI 5:12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.
1KI 5:18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew [them], and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
1KI 7:13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
1KI 7:40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:
1KI 7:45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, [were of] bright brass.
1KI 9:11 ([Now] Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
1KI 9:12 And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.
1KI 9:14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
1KI 9:27 And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.
1KI 10:11 And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
1KI 10:22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
1CH 14:1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars, with masons and carpenters, to build him an house.

Ycon thanks but you're cutting out too much.

For instance Hiram in Kings1 7:14 is not Hiram King of Tyre. He's simply called Hiram and in Chronicles 2 the same man is refered to under a different name "Huram-abi".

But yeah, cool beans, any more places?


*EDIT* Actually I don't understand why in all your quotes it is "Hiram King of Tyre" when in the Oxford bible I have, and several others the two are distinguished between, what bible you using?

[Edited on 2-5-2003 by HKoT]