The Second Degree Board represents the entrance to King Solomon's Temple. It suggests, writes MacNulty, that “the individual who embarks on the Second Degree is about to undertake some interior journey, an ascent through the soul and spirit.” [1]  

          The central symbols in this Board are the Winding Staircase, leading to the Middle Chamber, the two great Pillars, B and J, and the ear of grain or corn growing near a fall of water.  

          The basis for representing the winding staircase as such is found in the First Book of Kings, Chapter 6 verse 8:

          “The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the temple; a ‘lulim’ led up to the middle level and from there to the third”. The word lulim has been translated as ‘spiral staircase’, but this is a hapax legomenon, a word occurring only once, and its etymology and meaning are obscure. Brothers A. L. Shane and Edgar Jones, in two exhaustive articles dealing with this issue, [2] demonstrate, to my own satisfaction, at least, that the translation is wrong, and that no winding staircase existed in Jerusalem’s Temple. The question then arises, as Bro. Jones points out, about the reason for including this symbol in our iconography. He advances the theory that the spiral, as a symbol of spiritual advancement or development, is an ancient symbol, part of that ‘perennial philosophy’ that was much in vogue among 17th century Masonic ritualists. Amazingly, the spiral or helix is a pattern that appears both in the microcosm at the foundation stone of life, the DNA’s double helix, and in the macrocosm of the galaxies. It is a basic pattern of all forms of living growth.

          The staircase is traditionally represented with flights of three, five and seven steps, referring to the symbolic ages of the Mason as he ascends from the First to the Third Degree.  

          The sum of the three numbers – 3, 5, 7 - gives a total of 15, which has a symbolic meaning as well, since in Gematria this is the value of the name of God:  Yod-Heh (10+5). More about 15 in the next chapter, on the Third Degree T.B.

          Seven is related to the Master Mason. Why should a symbol of the Third Degree appear on the board of the Second? This is explained by the fact that the Third and the Second Degree actually were a single unit until sometime after the creation of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717. Another hint about this is the fact that in European rituals, when Master Masons meet in Lodge, it is called the Middle Chamber. Also, in British lodges, the Installation ceremony for the new Master of the Lodge is held in the Second Degree.

          While the Entered Apprentice works on the Rough Ashlar, the Fellow Craft has measuring and testing instruments to prove the quality of the Perfect Ashlar.

          The Fellow Craft’s symbolic age is five, and we find several references to the number five in its symbolism. The number five is also important in the Master’s Degree: the Five Points of Fellowship. This is another example of the mingling of symbols in the Second and Third degrees.

          The letter G that stands for Geometry, or Gnosis and hangs in the center of the lodge; it is usually depicted within a pentagram (pentacle), the five-pointed star.

          This figure appears often in alchemical drawings, representing the five elements (the four material ones plus the quintessence), five senses, the man with open arms and legs.

          Inverted, pointing down, the pentacle is a magic symbol.

          The pentacle has many interesting properties, such as the fact that each line is divided by another in the golden section. Entire volumes have been written on this geometrical feature that appears to be a fundamental element in the creations of visual art, architecture and even music. [3]

          About the meaning of the letter G, there is no agreement among Masonic scholars. Some claim it refers to the initial of God, others prefer Geometry which, as we know, was considered synonymous with Mathematics and with Architecture. In old rituals of the Second Degree, the Great Architect of the Universe is called the Great Geometrician.

          There are many paintings showing God as Geometrician, holding compasses. This image is much older than Speculative Freemasonry. For instance, a miniature painting by Jean Fouquet, dated c. 1470, shows the Great Architect on top, holding compasses. Another illustration is from the 14th century (Olkham Bible Picture Book).

          Those inclined to Esotericism may prefer a reference to Gnosis. In the well-known 1754 picture of a Free Mason formed out of the Mason’s symbols, we find that on the cover of the Bible that forms his trunk is a triangle with the Hebrew letter “gimmel”, equivalent to our G. “Gimmel” has the numerical value of three.

          In the T.B. of this degree we find the two great columns that stood before the entrance of the Temple: Yachin and Boaz. According to the Biblical story, they were hollow, cast in bronze, and held large capitals with various ornaments. In Masonic tradition, however, the pillars, or columns, are topped with globes, one representing the earth and the other, the starry canopy of the heavens, or sometimes an armillary sphere.  

          The reason for erecting these pillars is uncertain. Some scholars consider them simply abodes of the divinity, claiming that the upright monoliths (menhirs) common in many parts of the world were worshiped as such. Stones erected as memorials are mentioned several times in the Bible. Egyptian obelisks, according to Herodotus, were erected to honor the sun.

          Masonic literature also mentions that the columns in Jerusalem were memorials for the pillars of fire and cloud that accompanied the Israelites during their wanderings in the desert, while escaping from Egyptian bondage. Thus, the columns represent Divine Providence. The literal meaning of their names is “Shall establish” and “In strength”.  The possible explanation for their names is a reference to the verse that says: “In strength will I establish this mine house that it may stand forever”.

          Brother R. B. Y. Scott suggests that the names refer to the inscription engraved on the top of the columns:

          “May the Lord establish the throne of David and His kingdom for his seed forever” and also: “In the strength of the Lord shall he rejoice”.

          The conjoined columns, then, denote stability.  “That stability of character and of purpose which should be apparent in the life of the Freemason who would stand fast in the faith. He must be stable in friendship... he must be stable to withstand the assaults of evil... he must be stable in the defense of truth and honor so that men, seeing him and testing him, may learn what Freemasonry is”. [4]

          To conclude this section, I would like to explain that the Hebrew word shibbolet, connected with this degree, has a double meaning: both as an ear of corn, and a stream of water. There is a saying in Hebrew that goes: Hatovea b’shibbolet ieachez b’shibbolet. A play on the double meaning of the word, meaning that a drowning man will clutch at a straw.

 

 

 

[1]             W. Kirk MacNulty, ‘Masonic Tracing Boards and the Western Metaphysical Tradition”,

              paper published in the Internet:  www. Kabbalansociety.org/papers/km-mason.htm.

[2]             A. L. Shane, “The Mystery of the Winding Staircase”, AQC, Vol. 81 (1968), pp. 340-348               and         Edgar Jones, “The Mysteries and the Winding Staircase, AQC, Vol. 103 (1990), p.            169-       174.

[3]             See, for instance, Matila C. Ghyka, Le Nombre d’Or, 2 vols., Gallimard, 1931 (13th edition).

[4]             William Harvey, “The Pillars of Freemasonry - Their Origin and Meaning”, leaflet, Dundee,   1944.