y do free masons have a checked floor?

Answer 1

the Mosaic Pavement -- Mosaic work consists properly of many little stones of different colors united together in patterns to imitate a painting. It was much practiced among the Romans who called it musivum whence the Italians get their musaico, the French their mosaique and we our Mosaic. The idea that the work is derived from the fact that Moses used a pavement of colored stones in the tabernacle has long since been exploded by etymologists. The Masonic Tradition is that the floor of the Temple of Solomon was decorated with a Mosaic pavement of black and white stones. There is no historical evidence to substantiate this statement. Samuel Lee, however, in his diagram of the Temple represents not only the floors of the building, but of all the outer courts, as covered with such a pavement. The Masonic idea was perhaps first suggested by this passage in the Gospel of St. John ( xix 13 ) " When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he brought JESUS forth, and sat down in the judgment - seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. " The word here translated Pavement is in the original lithostroton, the very word used by Piny to denote a Mosaic pavement. The Greek word, as well as its Latin equivalent, is used to denote a pavement formed of ornamental stones of various colors, precisely what is meant by Mosaic pavement.

There was, therefore, a part of the Temple which was decorated with a Mosaic pavement. The Talmud informs us that there was such a pavement in the conclave where the Grand Sanhedrin held its sessions.

By a little torsion of historical accuracy, the Masons have asserted that the ground floor of the Temple was a Mosaic pavement, and hence, as the Lodge is a representation of King Solomon's Temple that the floor of the Lodge should also be of this same pattern.

The Mosaic pavement is an old symbol of the Order. It is met with in the earliest rituals of the last century. It is classed among the ornaments of the Lodge in combination with the indented tessel and the blazing star. Its party - colored stones of black and white have been readily adopted and appropriately interpreted as the evil and good of human life.

Answer 2

It is used in the same way as a chess set the head mason sits on the king spot and the rest of the leadership follow priority .
Obvoiusly there are no pawn type positions tho

Answer 3

Black and white, old symbolism, temple floor, heraldic colours from the Templars.
Here is not where to find your answer.
Go visit a Local Lodge.

Answer 4

I heard they loved line dancin and the black and white squares were great for learning the moves. Ok boys lets hear ya dont tell ma heart ma ackey breaky heart, oooooooooooooh weeeeeeeeeee.

Answer 5

The balck and white of the chequered floor is an occult symbolism of the polarities needed in creation. Masculine and Feminine, Light and Dark.

Answer 6

So they can play human Chess/Draughts - like the one's you see in Holiday hotels.. Seriously - seemingly the Masonic idle King Solomon - had one in his Temple.

Answer 7

the exquisite grandmaster wicked willie humberdink of the antedeluvian order of the knock knees had a job lot in his shop he couldn`t get rid of any other way

Answer 8

I don't know why do Freemasons have a checked floor?(it is a joke yeah?)

Answer 9

it stops the draughts in the hall when the door is open lol

Answer 10

I have no idea! Don't ask too much though or they will smother you with their aprons!!!