Q. How did you gain admission?  A. By a pass, and token of a pass.

Q. What was the name of the pass?  A. Shibboleth.

Q. What does it denote?  A. Plenty.

Q. Why so?  A. From an ear of corn being placed at the water-ford.

Q. Why was this pass instituted?  A. In consequence of a quarrel which had long existed between Jephthah, Judge of Israel, and the Ephraimites, the latter of whom had long been a stubborn, rebellious people, whom Jephthah had endeavored to subdue by lenient measures, but to no effect.  The Ephraimites being highly incensed against Jephthah, for not being called to fight and share in the rich spoils of the Ammonitish war, assembled a mighty army, and passed over the river Jordan to give Jephthah battle; but he, being apprised of their approach, called together the men of Israel, and gave them battle, and put them to flight; and to make his victory more complete, he ordered guards to be placed at the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, and commanded, if the Ephraimites passed that way, that they should pronounce the word Shibboleth; but they, being of a different tribe, pronounced it SIBBOLETH, which trifling defect proved them spies, and cost them their lives; and there fell that day, at the different passes on the banks of the river Jordan, forty and two thousand.  This word was also used by our ancient brethren to distinguish a friend from a foe, and has since been adopted as a proper pass-word, to be given before entering any well-regulated and governed Lodge of Fellow Craft Masons.

Q. What did you next discover?  A. The inner door of the middle chamber of King Solomon’s Temple, which I found partly open, but closely tyled by the Senior Warden.

Q. How did you gain admission?  A. By the grip and word.

Q. How did the Senior Warden dispose of you?  A. He ordered me to be conducted to the Worshipful Master in the East, who informed me that I had been admitted into the middle chamber of King Solomon’s Temple for the sake of the letter G.

Q. Does it denote anything?  A. It does; deity—­before whom we should all bow with reverence, worship, and adoration.  It also denotes Geometry, the fifth science; it being that on which this degree was principally founded.

Thus ends the second degree of Masonry.

* * * * *

THE THIRD, OR MASTER MASON’S DEGREE.

The traditional account of the death, several burials, and resurrection of Hiram Abiff, the widow’s son (as hereafter narrated), admitted as facts, this degree is certainly very interesting.  The Bible informs us that there was a person of that name employed at the building of King Solomon’s Temple; but neither the Bible, the writings of Josephus, nor any other writings, however ancient, of which I have any knowledge, furnish any information respecting his death.