Ahishar and Adoniram

In the Royal and Select Masters Degrees we are introduced to Ahishar and Adoniram and their roles in teaching us the lessons that these two degrees have to offer.

In the Royal Master degree we are introduced to Adoniram and the role he plays in teaching us about the death of Hiram Abiff and the Master’s word being lost. It is believed among individuals who are not Masons that Adoniram and Hiram Abiff are one in the same.

Adoniram was a high ranking official in King Solomon’s court. He was responsible for overseeing the collection of taxes throughout Israel, a portion of which went into the building of King Solomon’s Temple. He was also responsible for and oversaw the labor force in the construction of the Temple. Adoniram was also responsible for acquiring and getting the resources needed for the Creation of the Temple to the Temple Mount.

Adoniram is described in the Talmud as having great wisdom and dedication. He was the principal tax collector of Israel under King Solomon. He was a tax collector for Israel for over forty years beginning under the reign of King David, and continuing under King Solomon and extending into the reigns of Kings Rehoboam and Jeroboam. In the Talmud, Adoniram is ordered by King Solomon to retrieve a legendary Shamir, which could cut through any material. He is portrayed as having obtained the Shamir by outwitting the demons guarding it.

In the Select Master Degree, Adoniram is represented by the Captain of the Guard, whose duties are to be present at the introduction of strangers among the workmen, to aid in preserving order and decorum and to be one of King Solomon’s right hand men and see that his orders are obeyed and executed, which describes the roles Adoniram played in the building of King Solomon’s Temple.

Given this information, it is somewhat understandable how one can confuse Adoniram and Hiram Abiff as being the same individual. However, we learn In the Royal Master Degree, Adoniram is one of the Fellow crafts who is desirous of receiving the Secrets of a Master Mason and the Master’s word, a somewhat different description of the Adoniram portrayed in the Talmud. We know that Adoniram is represented by the candidate and the Conductor of the Council. We also know that after the death of Hiram Abiff that the Royal Master is first conducted on Adoniram, proving that they are not one in the same.

The fact that after the death of Hiram Abiff, Adoniram is made a Royal Master shows his importance in the building of King Solomon’s Temple as well as the degree of esteem King Solomon placed in Adoniram.

Ahishar was another high ranking official in King Solomon’s Court. He was a son of King David, whose mother was Bathsheba; making him a brother to King Solomon.

Ahishar was in charge of the Palace including the management and oversight of the household including the staff and servants. Ahishar had direct access to King Solomon. He was what we would nowadays call a Chief of Staff.

Ahishar was also likely in charge of the day to day functions as well as the ceremonial functions of  King Solomon’s Palace. Ahishar was also possibly involved in state affairs as overseer of the Palace as individuals in his position were often known to be involved in. This role required a high degree of trust and confidence to be placed in Ahishar by King Solomon.

Ahishar being in charge of King Solomon’s court and Palace likely freed King Solomon up to focus primarily on the domestic interests of Israel and also in relations with neighboring Kingdom’s. The reign of King Solomon was noted for being an era of peace and prosperity and Ahishar no doubt helped King Solomon play a key role in this.

In the Select Master Degree, Ahishar is a guard to prevent cowans and eavesdroppers from seeing and knowing about the work occurring in the secret vault. Knowing the background of his day to day duties, it is understandable as to why he may have gotten bored and fallen asleep either accidentally or deliberately. As we know from the Select Master Degree, King Solomon orders Ahishar to be put to instant death for falling asleep and allowing someone who is not a Select Master entry into the Secret Vault, but more importantly for losing King Solomon’s trust in him completely. The events of the Select Master Degree show us the deleterious effects of letting down our guard. These events also show us the potential deleterious effects of losing the trust of our fellow companions, friends, family members and supervisors, many of whom place great trust in us.

By knowing the history of Ahishar and Adoniram and their relationship to King Solomon; it helps us know more about their roles they play in both the Royal and Select Master Degrees and in the building of King Solomon’s Temple. This can also help us attain a deeper understanding of the lessons that these two degrees are trying to teach us.