Queen of Sheba

From TinWiki.org

Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba refers to an alleged queen of Middle Eastern, African, and biblical fame. Her name is unknown, and her actual existence is questioned. But, the legendary queen figures in countless tales. For people today, the Queen of Sheba represents the secrets of the mysterious East.

The Queen of Sheba is mentioned in the Bible, but not by name. In the Koran, Arabian, and Persian tales, she is called Bilqis. In Ethiopia, she is called Makeda (Queen of the South), occupying a central position in literature and tradition; Ethiopian emperors and the Falasha (Ethiopian Jews) alike regarded her as their ancestor.

The oldest biblical reference to her is found in the first Book of Kings in the Old Testament. According to the story, the queen had heard about the great deeds and wisdom of King Solomon, going to Jerusalem to test his knowledge with riddles. The king answered her, but the Bible does not tell of the riddles she asked.

In popular belief, some of the questions have been passed down through the ages. Her riddles deal with mainly with the identification of differences, as well as sexuality and fertility.

1 The Real Queen
2 Descendants
3 From Queen to Witch
4 External Links
5 Relevant discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

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The Real Queen

It is almost certain the queen's kingdom was located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, in what is now Yemen. It is believed that the Queen of Sheba did not travel the 2,000 km to Jerusalem out of curiosity.

The Jewish king's increasing control of Middle Eastern trade routes endangered Sheba's lucrative trade in myrrh and incense. The Bible indicates that the visit of the queen was successful in this regard, leading to a trade agreement between the two rulers. After she gave him gold, oils, and precious stones and he had fulfilled her every wish, she returned to her kingdom.

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Descendants

Where the Old Testament speaks only of mutual admiration and respect between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, the Ethiopian epic Kebra nagast (Glory of the Kings), tells of a love affair between them. Menelik, the son born of this union, is said to be the first king of Ethiopia. Due to this ancient link to the House of David, Ethiopian emperors, from the Middle Ages until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1974, styled themselves "Lion of Judah", and their national symbol, a hexagonal star, was reminiscent of the Jewish Star of David.

The Falasha, or Ethiopian Jews, also claim to be descended from the union of Solomon and Sheba, calling themselves Bieta Israel (House of Israel). They see themselves as the descendants of the Jewish officials and priests who were ordered by King Solomon to follow his son Menelik to Ethiopia.

The real origins of the Falasha are unclear. They are probably descended from the Jewish traders who came to Ethiopia before the Jewish people were sent into exile in Babylon around 600 BC. This could explain why the religious rites of the Falasha differ in part from those of Orthodox Jews. The Falasha do not recognize the Talmud or other more recent rabbinical scriptures, and their version of the Bible is written in their holy language, Gees, rather than in Hebrew.

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From Queen to Witch

The Queen of Sheba has always been held in high regard in Africa, but a different picture exists in other traditions and religions. Jewish legends transformed her into a seductress, a sorceress, and even an evil demon.

Some stories claimed she had hairy legs, which were associated with a demonic nature. According to these legends, Solomon ordered a crystal floor to be laid in his palace so that he would be able to see her legs when she, thinking the floor was water, lifted her skirt. In these stories, the queen did not come to Jerusalem of her own free will but was summoned by Solomon to his throne. And, it was the promiscuous queen who seduced the king.

Her image from noble queen to witch may have been due to an increasing change from matriarchal structures to a completely patriarchal society, where women lost their power and influence. In Solomon's time, it wasn't unusual for Middle Eastern areas to have female rulers, but this became almost unthinkable in post-biblical times.

It was inevitable that a powerful female ruler like the Queen of Sheba would come to be seen as dangerous to the world and branded as immoral or evil.

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