Greetings, brethren! As some of you may know, May is Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In the spirit of this, and to both celebrate as well as shed some light on what may be a lesser-known corner of Masonic history, I’m going to take this time to highlight some important...

The Masonic lewis is an ancient, stone-working tool that symbolizes a Master Mason whose father is also a Master Mason. This honor extends to grandfathers, stepfathers, and other patriarchs within the Master Mason’s family tree. The lewis tool, and variations of it, are still in use by operative masons today....

by Walter M. Macdougall, PGM This author’s first Short Talk Bulletin article was published in 1965, when he was Master of his Lodge. During the past 65 years, Brother Macdougall has written, taught, been a faculty member at the University of Maine, and served as Grand Master of the Grand...

Legendarily, we trace the origins of Freemasonry to the building of King Solomon’s Temple in approximately 950 B.C.E. Historically, Freemasonry evolved from the medieval stonemasons guilds which some believe emerged at the building of the Gothic Cathedral of Strasbourg in France in the year 1275 C.E. While it is unclear...

Whether in caves or quarries, masons have been known to meet in some unusual spaces​. By David Harrison, Ph.D. The lights are dim and there’s a distinct echo as shoes crunch over the dirt floor of this Masonic hall. Of course, it’s no ordinary lodge: This is Zedekiah’s Cave, the...