in the rock. Into these, dry wood was driven, where it was then made to swell with water until the rock split along its cleavage lines. In Roman times stones weighing as much as five or ten tons were quarried some distance from the building sites. These were then moved on rollers or on sledges, the power being supplied by great armies of slave labor.

QUART

After the opening of the “third seal,” as referred to at Revelation 6:5, 6, both a khoiʹnix of wheat and three khoiʹni·kes of barley are said to sell for a denarius. Estimates as to the size of the khoiʹnix range from one and a half pints to about one quart. Generally, however, scholars believe it to be slightly more than a liter or a little less than a U.S. dry quart. Since a denarius was a day’s wage in John’s time (Matt. 20:1-12), grains selling at such prices would indicate famine conditions.

QUARTERMASTER

[Heb., sar m^enu·hhahʹ].

Possibly the officer in charge of rations and supplies for the troops. A literal translation is “prince of the resting-place,” and may mean the one in charge of the king’s caravan when on a campaign or journey. Seraiah as quartermaster for King Zedekiah of Judah accompanied him on the trip to Babylon in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign, carrying with him Jeremiah’s written prophecy against Babylon. After reading it aloud in that city, Seraiah pitched it, tied to a stone, into the Euphrates, as a symbol of Babylon’s future fall, never to rise again.—Jer. 51:59-64.

QUARTUS

(Quarʹtus) [fourth].

One living in Corinth whose greetings Paul included in his letter to the Romans, about 56 C.E. (Rom. 16:23) Having a Roman name and knowing the brothers in Rome, he may have formerly been of that congregation.

QUATERNION

(qua·terʹni·on).

A group of four persons or things; a squad of four soldiers. The only occurrence of the word is at Acts 12:4, which reads “four quaternions of soldiers” in older English translations. (AV, AS, Ro, ER, ED) Modern translations render the expression in various ways: “sixteen soldiers,” We; “guard of sixteen soldiers,” Mo; “four squads of soldiers,” RS; “a guard of four Soldiers, relieved four times a day,” Kx; “four shifts of four soldiers each,” NW.

In the Roman army four soldiers often worked together, the smallest military unit mentioned in the Bible. Four soldiers impaled Jesus. (John 19:23) Four made up the customary night guard. Each quaternion stood watch for three hours before changing shifts with another. Such an arrangement of sixteen men and frequent relief would lessen the possibility of bribery or escape. So it was that Peter was chained between two soldiers, while two others stood guard as “first” and “second” sentinels. (Acts 12:6, 10) Herod attributed Peter’s miraculous escape to negligence of the quaternion on duty at the time and ordered them punished.—Acts 12:18, 19.

QUEEN

In the modern sense, a title given either to a wife of a king or to a female monarch. In the Bible the title has a usage limited to women outside the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The Hebrew word most nearly expressing the idea of “queen” as it is understood today is mal·kahʹ. But it was rare in the Orient for a woman to possess ruling authority. The queen of Sheba may have been one with such power. (1 Ki. 10:1; Matt. 12:42) In the Christian Greek Scriptures “queen” is translated from the word ba·siʹlis·sa, the feminine form of the word for “king.” The title is applied to Queen Candace of Ethiopia.—Acts 8:27.

In the Hebrew Scriptures mal·kahʹ is more often used with reference to a queen consort, or the leading wife of a king of a foreign power. Vashti, as the chief wife of King Ahasuerus of Persia, was a consort queen rather than a ruling one. She was replaced by the Jewess Esther, making Esther consort queen and, while Esther had royal dignity, she was not an associate ruler (Esther 1:9, 12, 19; 2:17, 22; 4:11) and any authority she might have had was by the king’s grant.—Compare Esther 8:1-8, 10; 9:29-32.

ISRAEL

The Hebrew word g^evi·rahʹ translated “queen” in some versions, means, more correctly, “lady” or “mistress.” In the instances where the title is used it seems to apply mainly to the mother or grandmother of the king, such women being given royal respect, for example, Jezebel the mother of King Jehoram of Israel. (2 Ki. 10:13) When Solomon’s mother approached him with a request, he bowed to her and had a throne set for her at his right. (1 Ki. 2:19) The “lady” could be deposed by the king, as was Maacah the grandmother of King Asa of Judah, whom he removed from being “lady” because she had made a horrible idol to the sacred pole.—1 Ki. 15:13.

No woman could legally become head of state in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. (Deut. 17:14, 15) However, Athaliah, the daughter of wicked King Ahab of Israel and his wife Jezebel, after the death of her son Ahaziah king of Judah, destroyed all the kingdom heirs except Ahaziah’s son Jehoash, whom Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba hid. She then reigned illegally for six years, until executed on orders from High Priest Jehoiada.—2 Ki. 11:1-3, 13-16.

BABYLON

In Babylon the throne was confined to kings. At Daniel 5:10, the “queen” (mal·kaʼʹ) was apparently, not the wife, but the mother of Belshazzar, as indicated by the fact that she was familiar with events regarding Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar’s grandfather. As the queen mother, she possessed a certain amount of royal dignity and was greatly respected by all, including Belshazzar.

EGYPT

Early Egyptian heads of state were men. “Queens” were actually consorts. Tahpenes the wife of Pharaoh is called “lady” at 1 Kings 11:19. Hatshepsut ruled as queen only because she refused to surrender her regency when the heir, Thutmose III, became of age. After her death, Thutmose III obliterated or destroyed all her monuments. Later, however, during the time of Ptolemaic (Macedonian) reign over Egypt, there were ruling queens.

IN FALSE WORSHIP

The apostate Israelites of Jeremiah’s day forsook Jehovah, their real King, and idolatrously made cakes, drink offerings and sacrificial smoke to the “queen [Heb., m^eleʹkheth] of the heavens,” possibly the pagan goddess Ashtoreth.—Jer. 7:18; 44:17, 18.

Babylon the Great is shown, at Revelation 18:7, to be saying boastfully, “I sit a queen [Gr., ba·siʹlis·sa],” sitting on “peoples and crowds and nations and tongues.” (Rev. 17:15) She maintains her control through her immoral relations with earthly rulers, even as did many queens of the past.—Rev. 17:1-5; 18:3, 9; see BABYLON THE GREAT.

CHRIST’S BRIDE

As “bride” of the King Christ Jesus, his congregation in effect becomes his “queenly consort” in heaven, enjoying royal dignity. (Eph. 5:23-27, 32, 33; Rev. 19:7, 8; 21:9-14) Since Hebrews 1:8, 9 applies Psalm 45:6, 7 to Christ Jesus, it seems likely that the “queenly consort” (Heb., she·ghalʹ) of verse 9 is prophetic of his bride class.

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

The title of a goddess worshiped by apostate Israelites in the days of Jeremiah. Although the women were primarily involved, apparently the entire family participated in some way in worshiping the “queen of the heavens.” The women baked sacrificial cakes, the sons collected the firewood and the fathers lit the fires. (Jer. 7:18; 44:15, 19) That the worship of this goddess had a strong