In biblical times, quarries played a significant role in the construction of important structures, including temples, palaces, and city walls. The extraction of stone from quarries is mentioned in several passages of the Bible, highlighting their importance in ancient Israelite society.

Biblical References:

1. 1 Kings 5:17 · "At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-quality stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple." This verse refers to the construction of Solomon's Temple, where large, high-quality stones were quarried to ensure the temple's foundation was strong and enduring. The use of dressed stone indicates the precision and care taken in the temple's construction, reflecting its sacred purpose.

2. 2 Chronicles 2:18 · "He assigned 70,000 men as carriers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them." This passage describes the workforce organized by Solomon for the building of the temple. The stonecutters worked in the mountains, which were likely the locations of the quarries, to extract the necessary materials. The large number of workers underscores the scale and significance of the temple project.

3. Isaiah 51:1 · "Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were hewn." Here, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of a quarry to remind the people of their origins and the steadfastness of their faith. The metaphor of being hewn from a quarry suggests a divine craftsmanship and purpose in the lives of the faithful.

Historical and Cultural Context:

Quarries in ancient Israel were typically located in mountainous regions where limestone and other types of stone were abundant. The process of quarrying involved cutting and extracting large blocks of stone, which were then transported to construction sites. This labor-intensive work required skilled stonecutters and a well-organized workforce, as seen in the biblical accounts of Solomon's building projects.

The stones quarried for significant structures were often of high quality, indicating the importance of these buildings in religious and civic life. The use of quarried stone in construction was not only practical but also symbolic, representing strength, durability, and the enduring nature of the structures built for worship and governance.

Theological Significance:

In a theological context, quarries can symbolize the divine shaping and preparation of God's people. Just as stones are carefully selected and shaped for a specific purpose, believers are seen as being crafted by God for His divine plan. This imagery is used to convey themes of identity, purpose, and the transformative power of faith.

The references to quarries in the Bible also highlight the importance of preparation and foundation in spiritual life. Just as a strong foundation is essential for a physical structure, a solid spiritual foundation is crucial for a life of faith. The meticulous work involved in quarrying and preparing stones serves as a metaphor for the spiritual discipline and dedication required to build a life centered on God.

(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."

(n.) Plural of Quarry.QUARRIES

kwor'-iz (pecilim (Judges 3:19, 26, "graven images"), shebharim (Joshua 7:5, "Shebarim," the Revised Version margin "the quarries")):

Pesilim is elsewhere translated "graven images" (Deuteronomy 7:5 Psalm 78:58 Isaiah 10:10 Micah 5:13, etc.) and is a plural form of pecel, "graven image" (Exodus 20:4, etc.), from pacal, "to carve." It occurs in the story of Ehud and Eglon and refers to images or hewn stones in the vicinity of Gilgal, Shebharim is plural of shebher, "breach," "fracture," more often "destruction" (e.g. Proverbs 16:18), from shabhar, "to break." The form shebarim is also found in Job 41:25, "consternation," the King James Version "breakings." In Joshua 7:5 Shebarim is the point to which the Israelites were chased after their first attack upon Ai.

See SHEBARIM.

Quarries in Palestine are not usually very deep because there is plenty of good stone to be found at the surface. The quarryman seeks a thick stratum of firm limestone which has a favorable exposure. The vertical joint-planes divide the stratum into large blocks which the quarryman dislodges with the aid of crowbars. These great blocks he skillfully cleaves by inserting several wedges in a line in holes made by a pick, and driving the wedges in with a heavy hammer. In these days gunpowder is occasionally used, especially when there are not favorable joint-planes producing blocks capable of being moved by the crowbar.

Another method, which is employed where stones of great size are wanted, is to carve the stones out of the rock by cutting channels around them with the pick. In the limestone quarries of Ba`albek and the granite quarries of Acwan at the first cataract of the Nile, enormous stones may be seen which were abandoned while in process of being removed by this method. The channels are wide enough to admit the body of the workman, and the marks of the picks on the sides of the channels are plainly visible.

Alfred Ely Day

7671. Shebarim -- perhaps "quarries," a place near Ai
... Shebarim. 7672 . perhaps "quarries," a place near Ai. Transliteration: Shebarim
Phonetic Spelling: (sheb-aw-reem') Short Definition: Shebarim. Word Origin pl. ...
/hebrew/7671.htm - 6k

5265. nasa -- to pull out or up, set out, journey
... 56), journeying (1), led (1), led forth (1), left (2), marching (1), move (2), moved
(6), plucked (1), pulled (4), quarried (1), quarries (1), removed (1), set ...
/hebrew/5265.htm - 6k

Building in Silence
... Perhaps it was merely for convenience of transport and to save time that the stones
were dressed in the quarries, but more probably the silence was due to an ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/building in silence.htm

The Plagues
... As they passed the stone wharf at Masaarah, Nari looked toward the quarries with
a show of interest on her face. She even caught her breath to speak. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxix the plagues.htm

At Masaarah
... The glamour that had made the quarries sufferable had passed; all the realization
of her enslavement, with the accompanying shame, came to her, and her hope ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xviii at masaarah.htm

The Collar of Gold
... There was to be no labor-saving in the quarries. ... When he recovered himself
her blue eyes were fixed absently on the distant quarries. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter ix the collar of.htm

Choosing the Tens
... This morning, every tenth Hebrew in Pa-Ramesu is to be chosen and sent to the
quarries. ... "To the quarries of Masaarah, opposite Memphis.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter i choosing the tens.htm

The Predictions of Christ.
... The works meant are the great stone quarries of Egypt (commonly called the mines
of Egypt), which furnished a considerable part of the finest marble used for ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter vii the predictions of christ.htm

The Fan-Bearer's Quest
... When Atsu emerged from the mouth of the little valley into the quarries some time
after the midday meal, he was confronted by the murket and the royal scribe. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxii the fan-bearers quest.htm

The Margin of the Nile
... hands of the laborers. Then it occurred to Kenkenes that there was not a
woman in sight about the quarries. While he wondered, Rachel ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xiv the margin of.htm

Of Flattery.
... Plutarch tells us, that Philoxenus for despising some dully Poetry of Dionysius,
was by him condemned to dig in the quarries: from whence being by the ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section viii of flattery.htm

The Treasure Cave
... Returning to the niche, he took up the matting with its weight of chipped stone,
and went down through the dark to the line of rocks opposite the quarries. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xx the treasure cave.htm

Quarries (4 Occurrences)
... (1.) The "Royal Quarries" (not found in Scripture ... The Hebrew word is rendered "graven
images" in Deuteronomy 7:25, and is not elsewhere translated "quarries.". ...
/q/quarries.htm - 11k

Seirah (1 Occurrence)
... The quarries by which he passed are said to have been by Gilgal (Judges
3:19), but there is nothing to guide us to an identification. ...
/s/seirah.htm - 7k

Shebarim (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Breaks; ruins, a place near Ai (Joshua 7:5; RV marg.,
"the quarries"). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SHEBARIM. ...
/s/shebarim.htm - 7k

Idols (186 Occurrences)
... Judges 3:19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and
said, "I have a secret errand to you, king." The king said, "Keep silence ...
/i/idols.htm - 37k

Ehud (12 Occurrences)
... (see QUARRIES .) But in the south-west the Philistines ... Judges 3:26 Ehud escaped while
they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah. ...
/e/ehud.htm - 11k

Temple (614 Occurrences)
... building. From subterranean quarries at Jerusalem he obtained huge blocks
of stone for the foundations and walls of the temple. ...
/t/temple.htm - 101k

Quarried (3 Occurrences)

/q/quarried.htm - 7k

Quarrieth (1 Occurrence)

/q/quarrieth.htm - 6k

Lingered (5 Occurrences)
... traveled. (See NAS). Judges 3:26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed
beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah. (See JPS). ...
/l/lingered.htm - 7k

Quarries: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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