Makeda, Queen of Sheba, is one of the most well-known and greatest mysteries in the ancient world. She intrigues many with her legendary voyage to seek wisdom by meeting King Solomon of Israel, said to be the wisest man to ever live. According to legend, the beautiful, intelligent, and extremely wealthy Makeda was the queen who put King Solomon's wisdom to the test with numerous riddles, but there is much more to this nebulous figure than her relationship with King Solomon.
Queen of Sheba from Ethiopian fresco (c.1100s-1200s), Lalibela, Ethiopia.
Biblical Accounts and the Qur'an
The Queen of Sheba is only mentioned twice in the Bible, in 1 Kings 10:1-12 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-13. The story is that she hears reports of King Solomon's fame and comes to visit him with gold and precious jewels and more spices than had ever been seen in Israel. She looks around at his house, sees how wonderful it is, and offers praise. Solomon gives her gifts, and then she goes back on her way. The Bible is actually not all that interested in who she is. The Bible says nothing about her appearance.
The Qur'an also mentions the Queen of Sheba, though it tells a very different story. It says that Solomon had troops made up of both humans and animals and that one day, as he reviewed his army, he saw that a hoopoe, a type of bird, was missing. When the bird came back, it said it had been in this land where they worship the sun and the ruler is a woman. The woman visits Solomon in his palace, in a room which is made from glass tiles that she mistakes for water. When she lifts her clothes to keep them dry, he tells her she's mistaken. She then says she's been a fool to worship the wrong god and instead chooses to worship Solomon's god. No, she's not even given a name.
Historical Context and Origins
Early Life Mystery - There is insufficient information pertaining to the early life of Makeda. As her name implies, the Queen of Sheba is thought to have come from either Sheba (Saba), a kingdom in southwestern Arabia now known as Yemen, or the Kingdom of Axum in Ethiopia, or possibly both, according to modern scholars. Both countries claim her to this day, but Ethiopia has a stronger claim. Even though Ethiopia is a considerable distance from Israel, there is a lot of evidence that the two countries have a lot of interaction. There's also the possibility that she wasn't from Ethiopia, but rather Nigeria.
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The land of Sheba is thought to refer to the port city of Saba in Yemen, though even that is uncertain. And apart from the Bible, we have no proof she ever existed. In the late 1st century, the Jewish historian Josephus wrote a history of the Jews where he retold the stories of the Bible and says the Queen of Sheba ruled over Ethiopia and Egypt. Josephus was a general who fought in the Jewish revolts against the ancient Romans and was then captured and taken to Rome. He wrote for a hostile audience of Romans, trying to convince them that Solomon was very important and made a huge impact on the world. At the time, Egypt was the richest province in the Roman Empire. And Ethiopia was oftentimes known as the edge of the world.
In the first half of the 3rd century, the Christian theologian Origen of Alexandria wrote a commentary on the Bible's Song of Songs and claimed that the Queen of Sheba was the beloved in the poem who says she is "Black and beautiful." Song of Songs caused a lot of trouble for Origen because it's a pretty steamy love poem, and he didn't like the idea of God being interested in sex. So, he said this is an allegory about a spiritual union between Israel and the Gentile Church, as represented by the non-Israelite Queen of Sheba.
The Kebra Nagast and Ethiopian Traditions
It happens in the "Kebra Nagast," the origin story of the Ethiopian royal family. Beginning in the 13th century, Ethiopia was ruled by a royal family that practiced Oriental Orthodox Christianity and claimed to be descended from Solomon. The oldest known edition of the "Kebra Nagast" ("The Glory of Kings") is from around then, though we know it was translated from earlier versions in Arabic and Coptic and may have originated in the 6th century. It says that during the Queen of Sheba's visit with Solomon, she promised she would not take anything from his house without asking. He then proceeded to feed her very spicy foods and not give her any water. In the middle of the night, she woke up desperately thirsty and poured herself a glass of water. Solomon basically said, "Gotcha, you promised you wouldn't take anything. Now I get to ask you something." He asked for a sexual relationship with her that resulted in the birth of a child, Menelik I.
According to the "Kebra Nagast," when Menelik came of age, he decided he wanted to meet his father. Solomon offered to give Menelik I the throne because he was technically his firstborn, but Menelik didn't want this. Instead, he said he would go home and have his people follow Solomon's religion. As he was leaving, someone in Menelik's retinue grabbed the Ark of the Covenant and brought it back to Ethiopia. And so the story goes that they restarted the covenant between God and the Jews there and then eventually converted to Christianity.
The Kebra Nagast is an account originally written in the Ge'ez language (Semetic/Ethiopic/Nilotic) and recounts the origins of the paternal Solomonic line of the Emperors of Ethiopia. The Kebra Nagast is considered by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Rastafarian communities in the Africas as an inspired and accurate historical account of how The Queen of Sheba met King Solomon and about how the Ark of the Covenant came to the Axum (Aksum, Aksûmite, Tigray-Tigrinya Province) region of current day Ethiopia and Eritrea, upon The Queen's return from ancient Israel with the male child, Menelik I. According to the Kebra Nagast, Menelik I became the first Imperial ruler of Ethiopia, the first of a line of Aksûmite Kings. It is said that Menelik's father, King Solomon, gave the Ark of the Covenant to The Queen of Sheba to be delivered as his prayer that "the New Jerusalem" would have its throne at Axum. The Queen of Sheba made the northern city of Axum home after returning from her trade journey to Israel. According to Ethiopian tradition, Menelik I and the Ark of the Covenant was brought with Makeda.
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Many believe Haile Selassie I, born Tafari Makonnen, to be of direct blood lineage from Menelik I, who began the East African Kings' long rule in the region, starting around 950 BCE. Haile Selassie I's royal lineage has been a fact of debate among African scholars.
It's Ethiopians claiming her as one of their own. It's also a great story and a fun read. The Queen of Sheba comes across as intelligent, self-assured and as a philosopher. She's powerful and able to meet one of ancient Israel's greatest kings on her own terms.
The Priceless Treasure Of The Queen Of Sheba | Myth Hunters
Wealth, Wisdom, and Worship
Africa and Arabia boast in their plethora of wealthy kings and queens. The biblical figure, Makeda, was no exception to this. Her exorbitant voyage to seek wisdom from the Judean monarch, King Solomon, exemplifies the Queen's wealth, opulence, and power. Her thirst for knowledge led her to travel to Israel. The queen arrived in a massive caravan, which was laden with precious stones, gems, and tons of gold. She arrived bearing gifts of precious stones, amber, beautiful rare woods, myrrh, 120 talents of gold and silver as well as large quantities of exotic spices. King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba exchanged many expensive gifts and she tested his wisdom with difficult and complicated riddles, to which he answered impressively. The account of her visit at Solomon's court appears in the Bible in I Kings 10:1-14 and a similar repetition of this account appears in 2 Chronicles 9:1-12."
She is thought to have worshipped the sun and possibly other celestial objects because she ruled over a kingdom that did. This is further evidenced in the Qur'an's Chapter 27 where a messenger bird declares:“I have come to thee from Saba with sure tidings. I found a woman ruling over all of them; she has been granted everything and she has a wondrous throne. I found her and her worshipping the sun, instead of Allah.” After being mesmerized by King Solomon's wisdom and relationship with God, she soon converted her Sun worship to Judaism. It's also possible that this ties in with Ethiopia's strong Jewish heritage.
Here's a table summarizing key figures and their roles in the Queen of Sheba narrative:
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| Figure | Role | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Makeda (Queen of Sheba) | Queen of Sheba/Axum | Seeks wisdom from Solomon, ancestor of Ethiopian rulers |
| King Solomon | King of Israel | Tests Makeda's wisdom, fathers Menelik I |
| Menelik I | Son of Solomon and Makeda | First Emperor of Ethiopia, brings the Ark of the Covenant to Axum |
Legacy and Lasting Power
Makeda is mentioned in a number of sacred religious texts revered by Christians, Muslims, and Jews. She's also mentioned in non-scriptural works like the Talmud and Midrash, as well as Ethiopian literature. Her life is immortalized in the numerous film adaptations of her life. This legend of beauty and power continues to inspire many cultures to this day. The Queen of Sheba lingers in the imaginations of people far beyond her time and debated geographical location centuries after her death.
Bilqis Queen of Sheba Enthroned.
In conclusion, the story of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, is a multifaceted narrative that spans across cultures and religions. From her brief mention in the Bible to the elaborate tales in the Kebra Nagast, she remains an enigmatic figure whose legacy continues to captivate and inspire.
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