john-r-bennett-the-origin-of-freemasonry-and-knights-templar
john-r-bennett-the-origin-of-freemasonry-and-knights-templar
john-r-bennett-the-origin-of-freemasonry-and-knights-templar
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FREEMASONRY AND KNIGHTS TEMPLARJoseph was <strong>the</strong> eleventh <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> twelve sons <strong>of</strong>Jacob, <strong>and</strong> was born at Haran, in Mesopotamia,about 1745 B. C. He wa^<strong>the</strong> favorite son <strong>of</strong> hisfa<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>and</strong> envied by his brethren on that account.Their enmity was fur<strong>the</strong>r excited by two 'dreamsin which his future greatness was foreshadowed,<strong>and</strong> this led <strong>the</strong>m to sell him as a slave to someMidianite* traders, by whom he was carried intoEgypt, <strong>and</strong> sold to Potiphar, an <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> king.The Midianite traders were an ancient Arabianrace, <strong>the</strong> descendants <strong>of</strong> Midian, <strong>the</strong> fourth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>six sons <strong>of</strong> Abrahani by Keturah.They appear tohave dwelt mainly to <strong>the</strong> south <strong>of</strong> Moab, <strong>and</strong> covereda territory extending to <strong>the</strong> neighborhood <strong>of</strong>Mount Sinai. Joseph acquired <strong>the</strong> confidence <strong>of</strong>his master, who set him as overseer over all hisproperty, but, having repelled dishonorable proposalsmade to him by his mistress, she accused himfalsely to her husb<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> caused him to be throwninto prison. Here he interpreted <strong>the</strong> dreams <strong>of</strong>two <strong>of</strong> his fellow-prisoners, <strong>the</strong> chief baker <strong>and</strong>chief butler <strong>of</strong> Pharaoh, <strong>and</strong> when his predictionshe was summonedhad been justified by <strong>the</strong> result,by King Pharaoh, at <strong>the</strong> instance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> butler,interpret two dreams which portended seven years<strong>of</strong> prosperity followed by seven <strong>of</strong> famine. The<strong>the</strong> wisdom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>king was so much struck byadvice given by <strong>the</strong> young Hebrew that he adoptedall his suggestions for making preparations for <strong>the</strong>time <strong>of</strong> famine, <strong>and</strong> appointed him ruler over <strong>the</strong>whole l<strong>and</strong>. The measures taken by Joseph asvizier or viceroy resulted greatly to <strong>the</strong> advantage<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> king <strong>and</strong> his people, securing an abundantprovision for <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> famine. This calamity21to