title: King Solomon's Temple in the Masonic tradition
author:  Alex Horne 
description: King Solomon's Temple in the Masonic tradition by Alex Horne.
zlib_text: The Hiramic Legend  
   
  Manly Palmer Hall  
  When Solomon--the beloved of God, builder of the Everlasting House, and Grand Master of the 
  Lodge of Jerusalem--ascended the throne of his father David he consecrated his life to the 
  erection of a temple to God and a palace for the kings of Israel. David's faithful friend, Hiram, 
  King of Tyre, hearing that a son of David sat upon the throne of Israel, sent messages of 
  congratulation and offers of assistance to the new ruler. In his History of the Jews, Josephus 
  mentions that copies of the letters passing between the two kings were then to be seen both 
  at Jerusalem and at Tyre. Despite Hiram's lack of appreciation for the twenty cities of Galilee 
  which Solomon presented to him upon the completion of the temple, the two monarchs 
  remained the best of friends. Both were famous for their wit and wisdom, and when they 
  exchanged letters each devised puzzling questions to test the mental ingenuity of the other. 
  Solomon made an agreement with