Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

We are told in the First part of the Traditional History that, fifteen fellow crafts of that superior class, conspired, etc. At the moment, however, of carrying their conspiracy into execution, twelve of them recanted, but three, of a more determined and atrocious character than the rest persisted in their impious design etc., resulting in the death of our Master Hiram Abiff. We are also told of the manner in which our Master was slain.

We are further informed in the Second part of the Traditional History of the utter confusion that prevailed in the absence of Hiram Abif and of the overseers deputing some of their eminent numbers to acquaint King Solomon of the situation. Being perturbed with the news, King Solomon orders a master of all workmen when three overseers of the same class are found missing. On the same day the twelve F.C.s who had recanted came before the king and made a voluntary confession of all they knew down to the time of their withdrawal from the intended crime. King Solomon then selected fifteen trusty craftsmen and ordered them to make a diligent search over the person of our Master. They formed into three craft Lodges and went in search; the second batch was lucky in finding the body of our Master very indecently buried and the third batch could catch the murderers and produce them before King Solomon. King Solomon put them to that death which the heinousness of their crime amply meritted.

It is curious that during this long narration we are not told the names of the three Ruffians are given as Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum. We do not find these names in the Bible and so they must have been from other source. It is very interesting to note that some western writers attribute these names of Hindu origin. According to them the last letters of the three names viz, Jubla, Jubelo, and Jubelum form the word AGM, pronounced OUM or Om the word very highly prized and greatly revered by the Hindus. Hindus attribute this word to creation itself and to cosmos. This word being so auspicious what has it got to do with three Ruffians? According to these writers OUM represents the creative, preservative and destructive aspects of creation alluding to brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and here it should be taken to represent Lord Shiva, the destroyer. Curious and interesting indeed ! A deeper research requires to be made of this. Does it mean that Freemasonry has a Hindu origin?

According to ancient irish Rituals, the second part of the Traditional History is somewhat different from ours, and I personally feel and it is more logical and gives meaning, According to it, King Solomon does not select a separate team of fifteen trusty craftsmen. He is so appreciative of the innocence and honesty of the twelve recanters that he asks them alone to make a diligent search after the person of our Master. It may also be his reason that these twelve have seen and known the Three Ruffians and so would be easier for them to trace the culprits. They form in to four Lodges of three each (not three of five each) and go in search in all the four directions, North, South, East and West. One of these batches travelled down to the sea of Joppa, in the west. When one of them sat himself down to rest by the side of luck he heard frightful lamination in a cloft of the rocks. One of the laminators was saying "oh that I have had my throat cut across and my tongue torn out by the root and then buried in the sands of the sea at low water mark a cables length from the shore where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty four hours rather than I had been concerned in the death of our Master Hiram Said the other, "Oh I that I had had my heart torn from under my naked left breast and given to the vultures of the air as prey, rather than I had been concerned in the death of so good a Master "But oh" says Jubatum the third lamentor "I struck him harder than you both and I killed him Oh I that I had had my body severed in two, my bowels burnt to ashes and the ashes scattered before the four winds of the earth rather than I had been concerned in the death of our Master,, Hiram". Hearing these sorrowful lamentations of the three, the Brother who was resting hailed the other two and they went into the cleft of the rock, recognised than, took them, bound them and brought them before King Solomon. They owned what had passed and what they had done and did not desire to live. Therefore King Solomon ordered their own sentences to be laid upon them. Says he, they have signed their own death and let it be up on them as they have said "Accordingly Jubela was taken out, and his throat cut across, etc., Jabelo's heart was tom from under his naked left breast, etc., and Jubelum’s body was severed in two, etc.

Don't these give a clue and a meaning to the traditional penalties which at one time were include in our obligations of the first, second and third degrees respectively and to the signs of three degrees? How interesting?

1. The Master Mason's Handbook by W. Bro. J. S. M. Ward
2. The Three Distinct Knocks on the Door of the Most Ancient Freemasonry by Samuel Pritchard