Intendant of the Buildings (Or I. B.)
Opening.—Most Puissant knocks three (Marshal rises) and says, “Brother Grand Marshal, are we all I. B.?” Answer—We are, Most Puissant.
Q. Your place? A. In the north.
Q. Your business there? A. To see that the Lodge is duly tyled.—“Attend to your duty, and inform the Lodge that we are about to open a Lodge of I. B. by the number five.” Marshal obeys. Most Puissant knocks four, and Wardens rise.—Q. Brother Senior Warden, what is the hour? A. Break of day.—Most Puissant knocks five, and brethren all rise. Most Puissant says, “If it is break of day, it is time to begin our labors; give notice that I am going to open a Lodge of I. B.” Senior Warden obeys. All make signs. Most Puissant knocks five, Senior Warden five, Junior Warden five, and brethren five, with their hands; and Most Puissant declares the Lodge open.
Reception.—Most Puissant knocks seven, and Senior Warden rises. Most Puissant says, “My excellent brother, how shall we repair the loss of our worthy Hiram Abiff, he is now removed from us, and we are thereby deprived of his counsel and services; can you give me any advice in this important matter?” Senior Warden answers, “The method I would propose, would be to select a chief from the five orders of architecture upon whom we may confer the degree of I. B., and by his assistance fill the secret chamber of the third story.” Most Puissant says, “I approve of your advice, and to convince you of my readiness to follow it, I appoint you and brothers Adoniram and Abda to carry the same into execution. Excellent Brothers, let Adoniram go into the middle chamber and see if he can find a chief of the five orders of architecture.” Junior Warden goes out of the Lodge into the ante-chamber, and finding the candidate, addresses him as in the Lecture.
Note.—When the alarm of five is given Senior Warden rises and says, “Most Puissant, we are disturbed in our deliberations by an alarm at the inner door of the secret chamber.” Most Puissant says, “Brother Senior Warden, see the cause of that alarm.”
Lecture.—Question—Are you an Intendant of the Buildings? A. I have made the five steps of exactness; I have penetrated the inmost parts of the temple, and have seen the great light, in which were three mysterious characters, J. J. J.
Q. How were you received? A. Being in the middle chamber, in company with the Master of Ceremonies, Adoniram entered and inquired, “Is there here a chief of the five orders of architecture?”
Q. Your answer? A. I am one.
Q. What followed? A. I was then asked, “My dear brother, have you zeal to apply yourself with attention to that which the Most Puissant shall request of you?”
Q. Your answer? A. I have, and will comply with the request of the Most Puissant, and raise this edifice to his honor and glory.
Q. What followed? Ans. Adoniram demanded of me the signs, words, and tokens of my former degrees, which being given, the Master of Ceremonies conducted me to the door of the Lodge, where he gave me five distinct knocks.
Q. To what did they allude? A. To the five orders of architecture.
Q. How were they answered? A. By five from within.
Q. What was then said to you. A. I was asked, “Who comes there?”
Q. Your answer? A. A chief of the five orders of architecture, who is to be employed in the works of the secret chamber.
Q. What was then said to you? A. I was then asked by what further right, etc.
Q. Your answer? A. By the right of a pass-word.
Q. Give me that pass-word? A. Bonahim (pronounced Bo-nau-heem).
Q. What was then said to you? A. Wait until the Most Puissant is informed, etc.
Q. What was his answer? A. Let him be introduced in due form.
Q. What followed? A. I was conducted to the altar and caused to recede five steps, and then to advance to the altar by five steps of regular exactness.
Q. What is meant thereby? A. That I should recede from vice, and advance to virtue, before I was qualified to supply the place of so good a man as the lamented Hiram Abiff.
Q. What followed? A. I was laid prostrate before the altar, with a sprig of cassia in my right hand, and my left upon the first great light of Masonry, in which posture I took the obligation of this degree.
Q. Repeat that obligation. A. (Same as Perfect Master) under penalty of being deprived of my sight. So help, etc.
Q. What followed? A. I was thus addressed by the Most Puissant: “Your present posture is that of a dead man, and is designed to remind you of the fate of our worthy Hiram Abiff. I shall now raise you in the same manner he was raised, under the sprig of cassia.” I was then raised by the Master’s grip, and further addressed, “By your being raised, our hope is signified, that in some measure you will repair his loss, by imitating his bright example.”
Q. What followed? A. I received the signs, tokens and words of this degree.
Q. Give me the signs. A. (Interlace the fingers, and place the hands over the eyes, alluding to penalty; second sign is that of grief, made like Fellow Craft’s, with left hand on the left hip.)
Q. Give me the token? A. (Take hold of each other by the right wrists with the right hand.)
Q. Give me the pass-word. A. Bonahim.
Q. What does that word signify? A. Builders.
Q. Give me the words. A. Achard, jenok (pronounced yo-kayn).
Q. Give me the mysterious word. A. Jah (pronounced yaw).
Q. What was next done? A. I was invested with the apron, gloves and jewels of this degree, and was thus addressed: “I decorate you with a red ribbon, to be worn crossing the breast from the right shoulder to the left hip, to which is suspended a triangle fastened with a green ribbon. I also present you with a white apron, lined with red, and bordered with green. The red is emblematical of that zeal which should characterize you as an I. of B., and the green, of the hope we entertain that you will supply the place of our lamented Hiram Abiff.
Q. What is meant by the letters B. A. J. in the triangle which you wear? A. They are the initials of the pass-word and words of this degree.
Q. What followed? A. I was directed to salute the Senior Warden as an Intendant of the Buildings, and return to the east for further instruction.
Second Section.—Question—What did you see in the Lodge? Answer—A triangle enclosing a circle, having on its circumference the letters J. A. I. N., and in its centre the letters J. J. J.
Q. What is signified by the circle in the triangle? A. The eternity of the powers of God, which hath neither beginning nor end.
Q. What is signified by the letters J. A. I. N.? A. They are the initials of the four Hebrew words, Jad, Ail, Jotsare, and Nogah, which are expressive of four attributes of the Deity; power, omnipresence, creation and splendor.
Q. What is signified by the letters J. J. J? A. Jah, Jokayn and Jireh, signifying “The Lord, the Creator seeth.”
Q. What else did you see? A. A blazing star with five beams, in the centre of which appeared the letter J.
Q. What is signified by the five beams? A. The five equal lights of Masonry, the Bible, the square, the compass, the key, and the triangle.
Q. What is signified by the letter J.? A. It is the initial of the ineffable name, as known by us.
Q. Are you in darkness? A. No, the blazing star is my guide.
Q. What is your age? A. 27, or 5, 7 and 15.
Q. To what do those three numbers allude? A. To the five chiefs of the five orders of architecture, to seven cubits, which was the breadth of the golden candlestick with seven branches, and the fifteen Fellow Crafts, who conspired against the life of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff.
Closing.—Most Puissant knocks three (Grand Marshal rises) and says, “Brother Grand Marshal, the last as well as the first care of I. of B.?” Answer. To see that the Lodge is duly tyled. “Attend to your duty,” etc. Most Puissant knocks four, and Warden rises; “Brother Senior Warden, what is the hour?” A. Seven at night. Most Puissant strikes five—all brethren rise. Most Puissant says, “As it is seven at night, it is time to retire: Brother Junior Warden, give notice that I am going to close this Lodge of Intendants of the Building.” Signs reversed, Most Puissant knocks five, Junior Warden seven, and Senior Warden fifteen, then the brethren five, seven and fifteen, with their hands, and the Most Puissant declares the Lodge closed.