New Maonic Blog

New Masonic Blog.

The Level and Pen Society.

Don't expect the usual with this Blog. But he is saying something important.

Heard Around The Campfire

I stole this picture from my Lodge Brother Doug Petty's Blog - Heard Around The Campfire. He has a couple of interesting posts up right now. Doug blogs sporadically. Usually when he has something to share or say. (Unlike me who just tends to babble on about everything) and much of it is about his trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota with groups of Lodge Brothers. These guys get it in their blood and they can't wait for the spring trip. Doug is the ringleader and if you go back through his blog you can see lots of pictures of the past trips.

One of the "trippers" just joined the Lodge so he is now a Brother Mason. - Since I don't have much of my own to offer right now I recommend you go look at Doug's Blog.

Click the Menorah to learn about Chanukkah

The eighth day of Chanukkah

The story of Chanukkah begins in the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks, in much the same way that Jews in America today blend into the secular American society.

More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs (a non-kosher animal) on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees (no direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism). They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Seleucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. Note that the holiday commemorates the miracle of the oil, not the military victory: Jews do not glorify war.

Dianne pointed me to a new blog. If you like Cats go take a look at the entries Cats Rule I and II. Well done. Oh, and Dianne, thanks for the compliment but I think you may need your prescription changed. j

The Papers of Robert G. Davis

Robert G. Davis has a new Paper up It is worth a Read. Me and the Grail. He always makes me think,

My Friend's Blog

My friend and Brother Kurt has started a Blog. Click on the picture to be taken there for a look see. j

CAMPUS BIKES, L.L.C

Trevor (See below) has a business called Campus Bike, L.L.C. Click on the Logo on the left to be taken to his Web Site.