The Vision of Nimrod

“The universal sentiment of the Freemasons of the present day is to confer upon Solomon, the King of Israel, the honor of being ‘their first Grand Master.’ But the legend of the Craft had long before, though there was a tradition of the Temple extent, bestowed, at least by implication, that title upon Nimrod, the King of Babylonia and Assyria. It had attributed the first organization of a fraternity of craftsmen to him, in saying that he gave a charge to the workmen whom he sent to assist the King of Nineveh in building his cities.

That is to say, he framed for them a Constitution, and, in the words of the Legend, ‘this was the first time that ever Masons had any charge of his science.’ It was the first time that the Craft were organized into a fraternity working under a Constitution or body of laws; and as Nimrod was the autocratic maker of these laws, it necessarily resulted that their first legislator, legislating with dictatorial and unrestricted sovereign power,  was also their first Grand Master.”’   

   

           - The History of Freemasonry by Albert Gallatin Mackey (Pg. 63)

The Biblical figure Nimrod is known as the son of Kush from Nubia, founder of Shinar (Sumer) and builder of the Tower of Babel. Nineteenth century author Charles De Kay pays tribute to the African Biblical patriarch in his book The Vision of Nimrod (1848) which is a collection of imaginatively descriptive poems written with the mythical King of the Near East in mind.

The writing style exhibited by Kay may be a bit flowery by some readers’ standards.  However, it will be highly appreciated by those who enjoy writing that paints pictures by conveying thoughts with flair and color. The book is a product of its time, so if you only enjoy reading contemporary English literature then this is 

probably not the book for you. I doubt that the reader who wants this title will have much trouble finding it.

Below are a few lines I wrote about “Nimrod.”

“My NIMble ROD was a flaring Tower of Babel that sweetened her peach and confused her speech. As it pounded her drum, it exhausted her lungs, as she rode flustered and sweaty speaking in tongues.”