the festival was to be kept in the city of one’s residence. It is also improbable that Jesus would travel all the way to Jerusalem and then leave again for Galilee, with Passover only a month away. Furthermore, if one adopts the view that John 5:1 refers to Purim and John 6:4 to Passover a month later, it would crowd an impossible number of events into this short space of time, for it would include the ministry of Jesus in Capernaum, travels in Galilee, and a return to Capernaum and to Judea and Jerusalem. (See JESUS CHRIST [Chart of Main Events of Jesus’ Earthly Sojourn].) There is reason to believe, then, that the “festival of the Jews” at John 5:1 was actually the Passover festival of 31 C.E.—See JESUS CHRIST (Evidence for a three-and-a-half-year ministry).

PURPOSE

While it is said by some commentators that the Festival of Purim as celebrated by the Jews in the present day has more of a secular than a religious nature and is sometimes accompanied by excesses, this was not so at the time of its institution and early celebration. Both Mordecai and Esther were servants of the true God Jehovah, and the festival was established to honor Him. The deliverance of the Jews at that time can be attributed to Jehovah God, because the issue arose by reason of Mordecai’s integrity in his course of exclusive worship of Jehovah. Haman was probably an Amalekite, whose nation Jehovah had specifically cursed and condemned to destruction. Mordecai respected God’s decree and refused to bow to Haman. (Esther 3:2, 5; Ex. 17:14-16) Also, the words of Mordecai to Esther (Esther 4:14) indicate that he looked to a higher power for deliverance for the Jews, and Esther’s fasting before entering the king’s presence with her original petition, a banquet invitation, indicated her appeal to God for help.—Esther 4:16.

Purim is also called the Festival of Lots.—See LOT, I; ESTHER, BOOK OF.

PURPLE

See COLORS; DYES, DYEING.

PURSE

A bag or pouch used by both men and women to carry gold, silver, copper, coined money or other items. Women sometimes had ornamental purses or handbags, possibly of a long, round shape. (Isa. 3:16, 22; 46:6; Matt. 10:9) Early purses were made of leather or of woven rushes or cotton. Since they were in the form of bags, they were drawn together and secured at the neck by means of leather straps or other cords.—See BAG.

Also in use was the “girdle purse” (literally, Gr., zoʹne, ‘girdle’ [Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8]), perhaps a type of money belt. The girdle either had a hollow space in which money could be carried, or, if made of cloth and worn in folds, the money was kept in its folds.

Jesus, when sending out his seventy disciples in preaching work, told them not to provide themselves with purses, indicating that they should trust in Jehovah God’s provision for them and implying that interested persons would respond with some material aid. (Luke 10:1, 4, 7) Shortly before his death, however, Jesus advised the apostles to carry purses, for he knew that his disciples would soon be scattered and persecuted. Even persons favoring their message might be afraid to assist them, requiring that Jesus’ followers be prepared to care for themselves materially.—Luke 22:35, 36.

Highlighting the excelling value of spiritual things, Jesus urged his followers to make lasting purses for themselves, acquiring heavenly treasure.—Luke 12:33.

PUT

[perhaps, bow].

A “son” of Ham. (Gen. 10:6; 1 Chron. 1:8) Although Put is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, none of his individual offspring are named. Often his descendants lent military support to Egypt. (Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 30:4-6; Nah. 3:9) They served as mercenaries in the armies of Tyre and contributed to that city’s greatness. (Ezek. 27:3, 10) Put was also foretold to be among the forces of Gog of Magog.—Ezek. 38:5.

Available evidence points to a connection between Put and the Libyans of N Africa. In four of its occurrences, “Put” is rendered “Libyans” or “Libya” by the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. (Jer. 46:9; Ezek. 27:10; 30:5; 38:5) The Hebrew Put also corresponds closely to the Putaya (usually considered to be Libya) of old Persian inscriptions. However, Nahum 3:9 seems to indicate that Put and the Lu·vimʹ (Libyans) are separate peoples. But this in itself would not rule out identifying Put with the Libyans. The term “Libyans” was perhaps more comprehensive than the Hebrew designation Lu·vimʹ, as may be inferred from Herodotus’ reference to “Libyans and various nations of Libyans.”—Book II, sec. 32.

The identification of Put with the Punt of Egyptian inscriptions is not generally accepted today for phonetic reasons.

PUTEOLI

(Pu·teʹo·li).

In the first century C.E., a chief port SE of Rome. Paul arrived at Puteoli on his way to stand before Caesar in Rome about the year 59 C.E. (Acts 28:13) With the help of a S wind his ship arrived “on the second day” at Puteoli from Rhegium, a place some two hundred statute miles (322 kilometers) to the S-SE.

Christian brothers of Puteoli entreated Paul and those accompanying him to spend a week with them. (Acts 28:14) This indicates he enjoyed some freedom, though a prisoner. Earlier, while in custody at Caesarea and Sidon, Paul had similarly benefited from limited freedom.—Acts 24:23; 27:3.

Puteoli is generally identified with modern Pozzuoli, on the bay of the same name, about six miles (10 kilometers) W-SW of Naples. Extensive ruins of an ancient mole still stand. Josephus calls the site by its older name, Dicaearchia, and says a Jewish colony was located there.

PUTHITES

(Puʹthites).

A family that lived in Kiriath-jearim; descendants of Judah through Shobal.—1 Chron. 2:52, 53.

PUTIEL

(Puʹti·el) [he whom God gives].

Father-in-law of Aaron’s son Eleazar and grandfather of Phinehas.—Ex. 6:25.

PUVAH

(Puʹvah).

A son of Issachar whose family descendants were called Punites. (Gen. 46:13; Num. 26:23) His name is spelled Puah at 1 Chronicles 7:1.

PYRRHUS

(Pyrʹrhus) [fiery red].

A Beroean whose son Sopater accompanied Paul through Macedonia on part of his third missionary journey.—Acts 20:3, 4.

QOHPH

or, as commonly anglicized, qoph [ק]. The nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, later used also as a number to denote one hundred.

The English letter “q” is derived from this Hebrew letter. However, in translating Hebrew names where it occurs, qohph is usually represented in English by “c” or “k,” as in “Cainan” and “Kish.” The sound is stronger than that of the letter kaph [כ] and is pronounced farther back in the throat, as a strong English “q” formed at the back of the palate. In the Hebrew, it is the initial letter in each of the eight verses in Psalm 119:145-152.

QUAIL

[Heb., s^elawʹ; s^elaywʹ].

The Hebrew s^elawʹ evidently corresponds to the Arabic and Aramaic names for the quail (salway). The quail is a small plump-bodied bird, about seven inches (17.8 centimeters) in length. It spends most of its time on the ground and its plain colors blend with the earth, brown being predominant, with shadings of buff, white and black. Its flesh is very edible and it is reported that by 1920 Egypt was exporting some three million quails annually to foreign markets, though this exportation has since decreased.

The birds described in the Bible are evidently the migratory quails (Coturnix coturnix), which move northward from within Africa in the spring, arrive in Egypt about March and thereafter pass through Arabia and Palestine, and return at the approach of winter. They travel in large flocks, making their migration in stages and often flying during the night. Their wings allow for speedy flight but not for very long distances. Due to the heaviness of their bodies in relation to their wing strength, they sometimes arrive at their destination in a state of exhaustion. Quails, therefore, fly with the wind and customarily fly at rather low altitudes. Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen relates that in Port Said (Egypt) men at times use butterfly nets to catch quails as they fly down the streets at dawn.

The first mention of quails in the Biblical account occurs in the spring (Ex. 16:1) when they would be moving north. The Israelites were in the wilderness of Sin on the Sinai Peninsula and complaining about their food supplies. In response, Jehovah assured Moses that “between the two evenings” they would eat meat and in the morning would be satisfied with bread. (Vs. 12) That evening “the quails began to come up and cover the camp,” while in the morning the manna appeared on the earth. (Vss. 13-15; Ps. 105:40) Again, evidently in the spring, about one year later, the grumblings of the Israelites over their limited diet of manna caused Jehovah to foretell that they would eat meat “up to a month of days” until it became revolting to them. (Num. 11:4, 18-23) God then caused a SE wind to drive quails from the sea and caused them to “fall above the camp,” stretching out “like the sand grains” over a wide area for several miles around the camp’s perimeter.—Num. 11:31; Ps. 78:25-28.

The expression “about two cubits [approximately three feet or .9 meter] above the surface of the earth,” has been explained in different ways. (Num. 11:31) Some consider that the quail actually fell to the ground and that in some places they were piled up to that height. Others, objecting that such action would undoubtedly result in a large portion of them dying and hence becoming unfit for eating by the Israelites, understand the text to mean that the quail flew at that low altitude over the ground, thereby making it quite easy for the Israelites to knock them to the ground and capture them. Expressing a similar idea, the Septuagint translation reads: “all around the camp, about two cubits from the earth”; and the Vulgate says: “all around the camp, and they were flying in the air at an altitude of two cubits above the earth.”

The Israelites spent a day and a half gathering the quail; “the one collecting least gathered ten homers [about sixty-two bushels or two hundred and twenty decaliters].” (Num. 11:32) In view of the “six hundred thousand men on foot,” mentioned by Moses (vs. 21), the number of quails collected must have been many millions; hence it was no simple catch resulting from ordinary migration, but, rather, a powerful demonstration of divine power. The quantity collected was too great for eating then; hence the Israelites “kept spreading them extensively all around the camp for themselves.” (Vs. 32) This may have been for the purpose of drying out the meat of the slaughtered quails so as to preserve them for future consumption. Such action would be similar to the ancient Egyptian practice, described by Herodotus, of salting fish and then putting it in the sun to dry out.

QUARANTINE

See DISEASES AND TREATMENT.

QUARREL

A dispute (Deut. 17:8), controversy (Jer. 25:31) or case at law. (Jer. 11:20) The Scriptures counsel against becoming involved in quarrels or disputes without cause, labeling this as an act engaged in by someone stupid. (Prov. 3:30; 18:6; 20:3) Says the proverb: “As one grabbing hold of the ears of a dog is anyone passing by that is becoming furious at the quarrel that is not his.” (Prov. 26:17) Since the ‘squeezing out of anger’ results in quarreling (Prov. 30:33), slowness to anger has the opposite effect.—Prov. 15:18.

Quarreling destroys a peaceful atmosphere (Prov. 17:1) and may cause even the meekest of persons to lose self-control. For example, Israel’s quarreling about there being no water at Kadesh prompted Moses and Aaron to act rashly, thereby losing the privilege of entering the Promised Land. Israel’s unjustified quarreling with Jehovah’s representatives actually constituted a quarrel with Jehovah. (Num. 20:2, 3, 10-13; 27:14; Ps. 106:32) Those who become similarly involved in quarreling or violent controversies with God’s servants are in a very serious position, one that can lead to death.—Compare Isaiah 41:8, 11, 12; 54:17.

Due to the detrimental effect of quarreling, the proverb counsels: “Before the quarrel has burst forth, take your leave.” (Prov. 17:14) Abram (Abraham) set a good example in this regard. Concerned that there be no disputes between his herdsmen and those of his nephew Lot, Abram suggested that they separate. Unselfishly he gave Lot the opportunity to choose the area where he would pasture his animals. (Gen. 13:7-11) On the other hand, unfaithful Israelites in the time of Isaiah did not act like their forefather Abraham. Of them, it is said: “For quarreling and struggle you would fast.” They fasted, only to engage in more quarreling afterward.—Isa. 58:4.

The Mosaic law covered cases of quarreling resulting in bodily injury. It prescribed paying compensation to the injured party for time lost from work.—Ex. 21:18, 19.

QUARRY

An open-pit excavation from which various types of stone are cut. Limestone and marble, lying near the surface, are thus quarried. A large area near the present Damascus gate of Jerusalem is believed to be an ancient quarry. The first reference to such a place is at Joshua 7:4, 5, where it is reported that about 3,000 Israelites fled from Ai as far as Shebarim, meaning “The Quarries.” When Solomon prepared to build the temple, he commanded that great foundation stones be quarried from the mountains of Lebanon, and tens of thousands of men were conscripted for the work. (1 Ki. 5:13-18; 6:7) When it was necessary to repair the temple in the days of Jehoash, hewers of stone were hired for the work. (2 Ki. 12:11, 12) The tomb where Jesus was buried was one quarried out of rock.—Matt. 27:59, 60; Mark 15:46.

Using an eloquent metaphor, Jehovah, by the mouth of Isaiah, calls to mind the quarry and its operation. (Isa. 51:1) As indicated in the succeeding verse, the apparent relationship of the “rock” and the “hollow of the pit” is to Abraham, as the human source of the nation, and to Sarah, whose pitlike womb bore Israel’s ancestor Isaac. (Isa. 51:2) However, since the birth of Isaac was by divine power and a miraculous act, the metaphorical quarrying may also have a higher spiritual application. Thus, Deuteronomy 32:18 refers to Jehovah as “The Rock who fathered” Israel, the “One bringing you forth [the same verb used of Sarah at Isaiah 51:2] with childbirth pains.”

Sometimes the product of the quarry was called by the same name. Hence the Hebrew word p^esi·limʹ, rendered “quarries” at Judges 3:19, 26, is elsewhere translated “graven images.” (Deut. 7:5; Ps. 78:58; Isa. 10:10) For this reason some have suggested that it may have been at a grove of such pagan gods, the product of the quarry, that Ehud turned back to pay Eglon a personal visit. Most translators, however, prefer the rendering “quarries.”

Old quarries where partially finished work was abandoned have shed some light on the ancient methods of quarrying. Narrow channels were cut deep