The Quest for Judas Maccabeus

The Quest for Judas Maccabeus

A New Obsession

Founder of the Order of Judas Maccabeus, Brother Herman Sarachan:

My latest obsession is one that I've touched on before in the article I shared by R∴W∴ Raymond Beardsley. For those of you that have not yet heard of the Order of Judas Maccabeus, it was an order founded in New York State by a group of brothers seeking a non-Christian alternative to Commandery. The founding of the Order did involve Masons from many aspects of the Craft, including representatives and leaders from the NYS grand bodies of Chapter, Council, and Commandery.

One of my goals has been to reach out to brothers that were involved in the Order. This has proved to be very difficult. Many of the men involved in OoJM have passed away, or don't have an online presence, which makes reaching out a lot more difficult! When I first read the article by Brother Beardsley, I figured that I should try and see if I could contact him. That is when I found out that he had passed away about two weeks before I had found the article. No luck there, unfortunately, and may Brother Beardsley rest easy in the arms of the Creator.

Initially, I thought I had reached a dead end. However, having read the article, I had a jumping-off point: the home Chapter and home Council of the OoJM founder, Brother Herman Sarachan. I sent out emails to the recorder of Doric Council #19 and to the recorder of Hiram Chapter #62. My email to Hiram Chapter was a little bit of a Hail Mary, because I wasn't sure if this was a reformation of Hamilton Chapter, or if it was a different entity entirely. As of yet, I still have to hear back from their recorder, so my assumption is that it is a different Chapter entirely.

However, I was able to hear back from Brother John Dudley, the Recorder of Doric Council (also the Secretary of Northfield Lodge #426). He informed me that he had been a member of the Order and had watched it slowly die. At the time of his joining, he was the 71st member of the Genesee Valley Assemblage #1, which is is shown on the scan of his last dues card for the Order, which he sent to me:

Brother Dudley then put me in contact with (R∴W∴) Brother John Gallant, who was not a member of the Order, but had been in contact with Brother Beardsley. I emailed Brother Gallant to talk to him and see what I could learn, and ended up with an incredible surprise. Not only did Brother Gallant inform me that there was an Assemblage operating in Texas, he sent me a copy of the Texas ritual! I don't feel comfortable posting/sharing the ritual in such an accessible format, so I will try to describe the document. The "Standard Work" was written by Brother Sarachan in 1974 in New York State, and the Texas ritual's latest revision, according to the document, was in August 2007, by the late Brother Cliff Cameron. Brother Cameron was a Knight of the York Cross of Honor, and the 2007 Grand Historian of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Texas.

The Order conferred two degrees, the Order of David and the Order of Judas Maccabeus. There would have been a third order, the Order of the Temple, but Brother Sarachan died before he could finish it. From what I have been told, my understanding is that there were/are some efforts to finish the Order of the Temple, but I cannot verify this.

The Order of David teaches the lessons of love and devotion through the story of Jonathan and David planning David's escape from King Saul's grasp. The degree opens the Volume of Sacred Law (VSL) to Samuel 1 18:1. The officers of the Order of David are:

• Sovereign Master
• Companion Senior Warden
• Companion Junior Warden
• Companion Captain of the Guard
• Companion Marshall
• Companion Warder
• Companion Sentinel

After the candidate is made a Companion of the Order of David and has observed the drama, the new Companion retires without the Assemblage's room, and the Assemblage resumes labor in the Order of Judas Maccabeus, due to having called down to the Order of David for the purpose of conferral, and the Companion is made a Valiant Prince. The Order of Judas Maccabeus teaches the lessons of fidelity and devotion (to faith) through the story of the Maccabean revolt against the Hellenistic regime of Antiochus IV. The degree opens the VSL to either Psalm 23 or Ecclesiastes 12. The officers of the Order of Judas Maccabeus are:

• Sovereign Prince Commander
• Valiant Prince Chancellor
• Valiant Prince Orator
• Valiant Prince Cohen
• Valiant Prince Treasurer
• Valiant Prince Recorder
• Valiant Prince Captain of the Guard
• Valiant Prince Marshall
• Valiant Prince Warder
• Valiant Prince Sentinel

They are seated in the Assemblage room as such:

There, dear readers, is where I had to go from. My next step was to find out how to contact Brother Cameron, so I reached out to the Grand Recorder of the Grand Council of Texas. I was informed that he had passed away, but that there was a Grand Chapter/Council History and Preservation Committee. I have yet to hear back from either of the emails that I sent to the committee members, unfortunately. I also reached out to the Grand College of Rites, as I am a member ("Fellow"). No dice there, either. Radio silence.

At this point, I think I stalled out for a two weeks, because I was pretty stumped about what to do next. I talked about it with my brothers in lodge, and online, on Reddit, etc, etc, etc. It was then that someone suggested that I email Brother Arturo de Hoyos, who is an expert historian on most anything and everything Masonic. Brother de Hoyos was very friendly and informed me that this was actually an avenue of investigation that one of his associates was pursuing! The running theory is that the group is totally defunct. If so, the rituals will be printed as Collectanea for the Grand College of Rites. I emailed him what I had in terms of general materials, contact information, and so forth. Hopefully something will turn up soon!

In the meanwhile, I am continuing my search. I'm not sure where this will lead me. Honestly, I am really hoping that there's still an active Assemblage somewhere in Texas. All you would need is to to grab five companions of the Royal Arch, and then have them inducted into the Order. That being the required number of Valiant Princes for an Assemblage to form and meet, perhaps there is hope for the future of Judas Maccabeus?

"The Order of Judas Maccabeus" by R∴W∴ Raymond Beardsly

"The Order of Judas Maccabeus" by R∴W∴ Raymond Beardsly

Swords and Jesus no, Swords and Jews yes.

I was trying to find out some more info about this Order when it came up a couple of days ago. Found a PDF called "The Pyramid Texts" and figured it would be useful to have this in a more web-friendly format.

If you want to read more articles like this, I think that the Philalethes Society actually offers an optional CD with a massive back catalogue of articles.

THE ORDER OF JUDAS MACCABEUS

Raymond R. Beardsley

The Philalethes - October 1991

In the mid-1970's, a group of York Rite Masons met in the Rochester area of upstate New York to consider the initiation of a new organization with the purpose of eventually proposing it as a new Body to be incorporated in the York Rite of Freemasonry. The inception of this idea had emanated from the fertile brain of the late Brother Herman Sarachan, often referred to as Mr. Mason in the Rochester area. Brother Sarachan had a distinguished Masonic record, having actively participated in both the Scottish and York Rites, as well as having served as a District Deputy Grand Master in the Monroe County area. He had been the High Priest of Hamilton Chapter #62 and the Illustrious Master of Doric Council #19.

For many years, Brother Sarachan edited a column in the Monroe Masonic News (the monthly Masonic publication in the Rochester area) entitled: "Dear Brother Herman," in which he answered questions regarding Masonry - history, biography, definition, procedure, law, ritual, protocol, etc. His articles were later incorporated into a book under the same title, published in 1979; in addition, Brother Sarachan had previously published a book on the history of Freemasonry in the Rochester and Monroe County area of New York.

Brother Sarachan believed that there was a need for an additional body in the York Rite for those Masons who either could not for religious reasons or would not for personal reasons join the Commandery of Knights Templar. The first two York Rite Bodies, the Royal Arch Chapter and the Council of Cryptic Masons, like the Symbolic Lodge, are non-sectarian; however, the Commandery of Knights Templar is distinctly a Christian Order of Masonry and is also a military-type organization with uniforms, drills and inspections. As a result, Members of the Chapter and Council who are not Christians or who do not favor the militaristic atmosphere of the Commandery do not have a comparable body to join, which would be more suitable to their religious or personal beliefs and mores. With this in mind, Brother Sarachan proposed that a new body be initiated to meet the needs and desires of these particular Masonic Brethren but which would welcome all Masons who wished to participate. The organization would be known as The Order of Judas Maccabeus.

Judas Maccabeus was the renowned leader of the Jews when they revolted against Roman hegemony in the second century, B.C., particularly after the Romans had desecrated the Temple at Jerusalem by erecting a statue of Zeus over the altar. Under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and the Temple for a period of time celebrated in Jewish history. Because of his prestige and stature in Hebrew history and tradition, the name of Judas Maccabeus was considered most appropriate for the new body. The Order of Judas Maccabeus would be founded on a non-sectarian basis and without military accouterments, with the goal that it would eventually become a parallel Body to the Commandery.

Thus, in 1974, a group of some 30 York Rite leaders in the local area met in the Rochester Temple to formally consider The Order of Judas Maccabeus. Present were Masons prominent in all the York Rite Bodies, including past heads of all of the Grand Bodies in the State of New York: M∴ E∴ Frank Allen of the Grand Chapter, M∴ I∴ Bruce Dayton of the Grand Council and R∴ E∴ Ward Ekas of the Grand Commandery. All in attendance were unanimously in agreement as to the desirability of instituting a complementary Body to the Commandery that would more appropriately meet the needs of our Jewish and other non-Christian or non-military-minded Companions. It should be born in mind that the majority of York Rite Masons present were Christians and members of the local Commanderies.

The Order of Judas Maccabeus was originally to encompass three Orders: The Order of David, The Order of Judas Maccabeus and The Order of the Temple (referring to the Jewish Temple). The Order of David teaches the lesson of unselfish love and devotion and uses as its framework the story of David and Jonathan, as depicted in the Old Testament in the Book of First Samuel. The Order of Judas Maccabeus teaches the lesson of fidelity and devotion to faith and uses as its framework the revolt of the Jews in 168 B.C. against the Roman hierarchy of Antiochus, who had prohibited the practice of the Jewish faith and had desecrated the Temple, as related in the Apocryphal Books of the Maccabeus.

These first two Orders were prepared under the aegis of Brother Sarachan, and, to date, have formed the basis for initiation into the Order. The Order of the Temple, which ultimately is to form the final phase of initiation into the Order, has not been completed. Brother Sarachan's health failed and he passed on before he could turn his attention to the proposed Order of the Temple. However, it is now in the process of formulation, and much thought is going into its preparation, in order that it may take its place on a level with such awe-inspiring exemplifications as the Royal Arch Degree of the Chapter, the Super Excellent Degree of the Council and the Order of the Temple of the Commandery.

Members of The Order of Judas Maccabeus are titled "Valiant Princes" and constituent Bodies are termed "Assemblages," whose principal officers are Commander, Chancellor, Orator, Treasurer, Recorder, Captain of the Guard, Lecturer, Marshall, Warden and Sentinel. The premier Assemblage, inaugurated in the Rochester area, is known as Genesee Valley Assemblage #1.

A number of other Assemblages have been instituted in New York State, specifically in New York, Long Island and Buffalo. Also, Assemblages have been inaugurated in the States of Connecticut and New Jersey. Numerous inquiries have been received from interested York Rite Masons from such States as Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and California, to name a few.

Although the early years of Genesee Valley Assemblage #1 did not always run smoothly and for awhile the original enthusiasm was somewhat abated, it is now prospering with a large number of new members. Whereas the charter membership was largely Christian, in recent years a number of our Jewish and other non-Christian Brethren have joined. In the meantime, with the emergence of other Assemblages about New York and adjoining States, a Grand Assemblage was instituted a few years ago with the presiding officer designated to be "The Most Sovereign Grand Commander of North America."

Any inquiries and questions should be forwarded to the above address. Although there may be those who question the desirability of a new Masonic organization, the criterion that should be applied is the need for and function of such a new Masonic entity. Over the past 35 years, we have experienced the inception of two new Masonic organizations which met specific needs and desires and, as a result, have been highly successful. These are The York Rite Sovereign College of North America and The National Camping Travelers. The first originated for Masons active in all four York Rite Bodies, and the second for Masons and their families interested in camping. Both of these Masonic organization have, in a relatively few years, grown tremendously with both of them having well over 100 constituent Bodies throughout the United States and Canada.

In like manner, The Order of Judas Maccabeus was founded to meet a distinct need in York Rite Masonry. Because of this, those of us who have been intimately connected with its formulation and establishment feel that it will play a unique and increasingly important role in The York Rite of Freemasonry.

Raymond R. Beardsley (December 8, 1925 - December 28, 2016) was a member and Past Master of Northfield Lodge #426 F. & A.M. in Pittsford, NY. He was the Past Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Grand Council of the State of New York, Past District Deputy Grand High Priest, Past Commander of Cyrene-Monroe Commandery #12, and Past District Deputy Grand Master 2nd Monroe District. He was a Scottish Rite Mason and a member of Damascus Shrine in Webster, NY.