Whence do you come?

Whence do you come?

• A. From a lodge in Edinburgh
• B. From a lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem
• C. From a temple in Alexandria
• D. From a guild of Masons in London

Answer: (B)

In this ritual language, origin is shown through a symbolic link to the fraternity’s oldest roots. When asked “Whence do you come?” the proper reply places you in a lodge connected to Jerusalem—the lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem. This phrasing ties the initiate to the legendary beginnings of the Craft, rooted in the builders of Solomon’s Temple and the tradition of Saint John’s lodge in that sacred city. The other locations aren’t part of the standard ceremonial lineage used in this question, so the phrase about a lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem best reflects the traditional ritual origin.

In this ritual language, origin is shown through a symbolic link to the fraternity’s oldest roots. When asked “Whence do you come?” the proper reply places you in a lodge connected to Jerusalem—the lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem. This phrasing ties the initiate to the legendary beginnings of the Craft, rooted in the builders of Solomon’s Temple and the tradition of Saint John’s lodge in that sacred city. The other locations aren’t part of the standard ceremonial lineage used in this question, so the phrase about a lodge of the Holy Saints John at Jerusalem best reflects the traditional ritual origin.