- QUARANTANIA a mountain some 1,200 feet high, about 7 miles
north-west of Jericho, the traditional scene of our Lord’s temptation
(Matthew 4:8). - QUARRIES (1.) The “Royal Quarries” (not found in Scripture) is the
name given to the vast caverns stretching far underneath the northern hill,
Bezetha, on which Jerusalem is built. Out of these mammoth caverns
stones, a hard lime-stone, have been quarried in ancient times for the
buildings in the city, and for the temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel, and
Herod. Huge blocks of stone are still found in these caves bearing the
marks of pick and chisel. The general appearance of the whole suggests to
the explorer the idea that the Phoenician quarrymen have just suspended
their work. The supposition that the polished blocks of stone for
Solomon’s temple were sent by Hiram from Lebanon or Tyre is not
supported by any evidence (comp. 1 Kings 5:8). Hiram sent masons and
stone-squarers to Jerusalem to assist Solomon’s workmen in their great
undertaking, but did not send stones to Jerusalem, where, indeed, they
were not needed, as these royal quarries abundantly testify.
(2.) The “quarries” (Hebrews pesilim) by Gilgal (Judges 3:19), from which
Ehud turned back for the purpose of carrying out his design to put Eglon
king of Moab to death, were probably the “graven images” (as the word is
rendered by the LXX. and the Vulgate and in the marg. A.V. and R.V.), or
the idol temples the Moabites had erected at Gilgal, where the children of
Israel first encamped after crossing the Jordan. The Hebrew word is
rendered “graven images” in Deuteronomy 7:25, and is not elsewhere
translated “quarries.”
- QUARTUS fourth, a Corinthian Christian who sent by Paul his
salutations to friends at Rome (Romans 16:23). - QUATERNION a band of four soldiers. Peter was committed by Herod to
the custody of four quaternions, i.e., one quaternion for each watch of the
night (Acts 12:4). Thus every precaution was taken against his escape
from prison. Two of each quaternion were in turn stationed at the door
(12:6), and to two the apostle was chained according to Roman custom. - QUEEN No explicit mention of queens is made till we read of the “queen
of Sheba.” The wives of the kings of Israel are not so designated. In Psalm
45:9, the Hebrew for “queen” is not malkah, one actually ruling like the
Queen of Sheba, but shegal, which simply means the king’s wife. In 1