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     CIS: 71202,22

          An Appeal for Information
          
          I am researching the history of Freemasonry in the Holy
          Land, and had very much exhausted the sources of
          information available in Israel. My research has revealed to
          me that there might be some additional information available
          abroad. In the following paragraphs I'll try to briefly outline
          what is already known and specify what information is still
          needed. Brethren who can assist in finding such information
          are requested to contact me at my home address:
          Ron Berger
          2 Shahray St.
          Jerusalem
          96470 ISRAEL
          
          Naturally, I'll be happy to refund photocopying expenses etc.
          
          1. The first Lodge, "Reclamation", 1868
          The first lodge we know of in the Holy Land (not including
          Lebanon, where lodges are known earlier, such as the
          "Palestine" Lodge # 415 Scottish constitution that was
          founded in 1861) was a moot lodge that held only one
          meeting in Jerusalem in 1868. M. W. Bro. Rob. Morris, Past
          Grand Master of Freemasons in Kentucky, came to the Holy
          Land in that year on a Masonic pilgrimage, looking for
          "proofs" for the demands of the "Conservators" to establish
          one general ritual for all lodges in the U. S. A., based on
          "Historic facts". He was accompanied by V. W. Bro David W.
          Thompson, Past Grand Chaplain of Illinois, and Bro. Nazif
          Mesharka of Beirut was his local guide. On their way to
          Jerusalem they met four officers (?) of H. M. S. Lord Clyde
          (the flag ship of Lord Clarence Paget, commander of the
          British navy in the Mediterranean), then docked off Jaffa,
          namely Lindesay Goodrich, John Oxland R. N., Edward
          Gladstone and Rev. J. Every. In Jerusalem they also met
          Prof. Heinrich Petermann (the Prussian Consul) and Capt.
          Charles Warren, R. E., (later Sir and General Ch. Warren,
          founding Master of Quatour Coronati Lodge). These nine
          people, and possibly some more, met twice in Morris' hotel
          in Jerusalem and eventually held a moot lodge meeting in
          the quarries beneath the old city known as "King Solomon
          Quarries". A few speeches where made there about the
          import of "reintroducing" Freemasonry to the Holy Land, and
          Morris conferred the degree of Secret Monitor on the
          present brethren. A report on the meeting appears in Morris'
          book "Freemasonry in the Holy Land", and it is also
          mentioned by Warren in his "Underground Jerusalem".
          Information needed: 1. Is there any documentation of
          previous Lodges that brethren know of? if so, I'd appreciate
          very much receiving bibliographic references and
          photocopies of documents. 2. The list of brethren above is
          only inferred, and so is the supposition that the degree of
          Secret Monitor was conferred. Is there any other description
          of the lodge in Morris' published works? 3. Morris left his
          Masonic library to the library of the Grand Lodge of New
          York. Among the many items there, there is probably a set of
          the various bulletins and periodicals Morris edited and
          wrote. Is there any mention of "Reclamation" lodge in them?
          Any information will be welcome. 4. Is there any information
          to be found in Warren's diaries, correspondence, etc.? 5.
          Did any other participant leave any written documentation?
          
          2. The first regular Lodge, "Royal Solomon's Mother Lodge"
          # 293 in Jerusalem, Canadian Constitution.
          Five years after he returned from the Holy Land Morris
          finally managed to get a charter for a regular lodge in the
          Holy Land, from the Grand Lodge of Canada (now in the
          Province of Ontario). The lodge worked in very irregular
          fashion from the very beginning, and It's charter was
          withdrawn finally in 1903, but it is known that the lodge still
          met some years after that date. Among the founders Appear
          the names of Morris (supposedly the first W. M.), Rolla
          Floyd (a survivor of the "American Colony" in Jaffa, an agent
          of the Thomas Cook Co., a guide and probably the first W.
          M.), John Sheville (another survivor of the "American
          Colony" in Jaffa) and Charles Netter (founder of the first
          agricultural school in the Holy Land). A member and W. M.
          in later years was William Hyatt (or Khayat), an employee of
          the British consulate.
          
          
          
          Information needed: 1. Photocopies from the files of the
          Grand Lodge of Canada of any papers relating to this lodge,
          including correspondence, the minutes book that was sent
          to Canada in 1901 or 1902, references in Grand Lodge year
          books etc. 2. Any information regarding the role of Rob.
          Morris in procuring the charter, attempts to receive a charter
          earlier from other jurisdictions, possible participation in the
          consecration of the lodge (highly unlikely). A possible
          source is Morris' writings and publications in the library of
          the Grand Lodge of New York. 3. Any other information
          about the lodge.
          
          3. The "Moriah" Lodge in Jaffa, Turkish constitution
          Very short lived, I know of very little documentation
          regarding this lodge, everything we have today being
          second hand. Even the number of the lodge is not certain
          and the names of members or any other details are not
          known.
          Information needed: Anything whatsoever. Possible sources:
          Turkish archives, if those survived.
          
          4. The "Port du Temple de Salomon" Lodge of the Order of
          Mizraim in Jaffa
          Going through quite a few phases of existence, this is
          Israel's oldest Lodge. The exact date of consecration is not
          known. It was once believed that the lodge was created in
          1890 by French engineers working on the Jaffa-Jerusalem
          railway, but we now know it already existed in 1889, before
          they arrived in Israel. It lasted until 1905, when it changed
          loyalties and received a new charter as the lodge "L'aurore"
          # 3077 of the Grand Orient of France. It remained under this
          jurisdiction until it joined the National Grand Lodge of
          Palestine in 1942, following the closing of the French Grand
          Lodges by the Nazis. It changed it's name to Hebrew and
          still works today as Lodge "Barkai" # 17 of the Grand Lodge
          of the state of Israel.
          Information needed: 1. Anything regarding it's consecration
          and years under l'Ordre de Mizraim. possible source - the
          order's archives in France and contemporary publications of
          the order. 2. Any documents regarding the years under the
          Grand Orient of France. Possible source - the archives of
          the Grand Orient. 3. Lists of members and officers, minutes
          etc. for both eras. 4. Also from Grand Orient sources - Any
          Information of the French "Moriah" lodge (Arab speaking) in
          Jerusalem.
          
          5. Egyptian Lodges - "Nur el Khikmat" # 125, "Palestine" #
          157
          Information needed: Any information available, possibly from
          Egyptian archives (if extant).
          
          6. Scottish Lodges - "Salah ed Dine" # 1071, "Carmel" #
          1085
          Information needed: Any information available, possibly from
          the archives of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
          
          All the above lodges still extant in 1916 were closed at that
          date by order of the Ottoman authorities. A permission to
          open lodges was granted by the British High Commissioner
          in 1924, but only five lodges were able to reopen their
          doors, and only with great difficulties - L'aurore, the
          Egyptian and the Scottish lodges. The French Moriah
          Lodge, as well as the three earlier lodges were all history.