Page 88 - Advanced OT Survey Revised

second dream warning Solomon to obey covenant (9), further examples are given of wisdom (Sheba),
wealth (golden era), wonder (excelled)- cracks?

I Kings 10 – a visit from the queen of Sheba.
Who is this queen? In the bible we are introduced to this unnamed
queen from the land of Sheba who travels to Jerusalem to meet
King Solomon. Accompanied by many attendants and camels, the
Queen brings a large quantity of spices, god, and precious stones
with her. Obviously, the group she brought with her were sizable
to protect such a wealth. She is drawn to Jerusalem because she
hears of Solomon’s fame, and she tests the king with hard
questions. Solomon is able to answer even the most difficult of
questions.

Impressed by his wisdom and the riches of his kingdom, she
proclaims, “Your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had had (I kings 10:7).” The queen
gives Solomon 120 talents of god, precious stones, and the largest quantity of spices every brough to
Jerusalem. In return, Solomon gives the Queen gifts and “every desire that she expressed (10:13).” It
appears that she immediately left Jerusalem to return to the land of Sheba with her retinue. That’s
about all we know about her, yet more information is available from sources outside the Bible.

The Queen is unnamed in Scripture. Presumably, Sheba was a land in the southwestern Arabian
Peninsula and was known in native sources as Saba. The kingdom of Saba was a complex society by the
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end of the 1 millennium BC.

The term “Saba” referring to the people called Sabeans, is mentioned in inscriptions of two Assyrian
kings: Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II. Although these Sabeans were in northern Arabia, it is possible
that they had originated in south Arabia (in Sheba) and later expanded along important northern trade
routes.

Sabean civilization appeared to have been sophisticated, having large urban centers, irrigation systems,
and a myriad of trade connections throughout the Near East and southern Asia. Sabean merchants
were well known for their trade items.

It is possible that the Queen of Sheba came to Jerusalem, not only to visit socially with Solomon, but also
to strengthen trade relations with him. Solomon had just built a cargo fleet that traversed the Gulf of
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Aqaba, and the queen’s abundant gifts to him may have been in exchange for trade concessions.

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Dated between the 6 – 14 centuries, the Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings) is an important text to the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It names the Queen of Sheba as the beautiful queen Makeda and identifies
the land of Sheba as ancient Ethiopia.

According to this writing, Makeda traveled to Jerusalem and had a love affair with King Solomon.
Knowing his propensity to enjoy man women, it is not unreasonable to believe this report. The
document states that Makeda returned to Ethiopia and gives birth to a son of Solomon’s, Menelik I.
When Menelik turned 22, he returned to Jerusalem to meet his father. King Solomon is delighted with
his firstborn son and tries in vain to convince Menelik to remain in Israel and succeed him as king.
However, Menelik chooses to return to the land of Sheba.

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