queen of sheba biography

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BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Who is the queen of sheba in the bible.

Investigating the Queen of Sheba and her kingdom

Who is the Queen of Sheba in the Bible? Here is one artist’s depiction of the Queen of Sheba. It comes from the Medieval manuscript Bellifortis by Conrad Kyeser and dates to c. 1405.

Who is the Queen of Sheba? In the Bible we are introduced to an unnamed queen from the land of Sheba who travels to Jerusalem to meet King Solomon (see 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9). Accompanied by many attendants and camels, the Queen of Sheba brings a large quantity of spices, gold and precious stones with her. She is drawn to Jerusalem because of Solomon’s fame, and she tests the king with hard questions. Solomon is able to answer them all.

Impressed by Solomon’s wisdom —and by the riches of his kingdom—she proclaims, “Your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard” (1 Kings 10:7). The queen gives King Solomon 120 talents of gold, precious stones and the largest quantity of spices ever brought to Jerusalem (1 Kings 10:10). In return King Solomon gives her gifts and “every desire that she expressed” (1 Kings 10:13). After receiving these gifts, the queen returns to the land of Sheba with her retinue.

Investigating the Location of the Land of Sheba

The Biblical account of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon ends there, but later Jewish, Christian and Islamic sources have elaborated the story—adding details to the famous queen’s visit. In his article “Where Is the Land of Sheba—Arabia or Africa?” published in the September/October 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review , Bar Kribus investigates the location of the land of Sheba and looks at the figure of the Queen of Sheba—both in the Bible and in a text called the Kebra Nagast .

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Queen Makeda

Dated between the 6th–14th centuries C.E., 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 . Kribus thoroughly examines the latter claim in his article “Where Is the Land of Sheba—Arabia or Africa?”

According to the Kebra Nagast , Queen Makeda travels to Jerusalem and has a love affair with King Solomon . Makeda then returns to the land of Sheba—giving birth to a son, Menelik, along the way. Menelik is raised in Ethiopia, but when he turns 22, he travels 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. Solomon sends the firstborn sons of Israel’s elders with his son from Israel to Ethiopia, and the Ark of the Covenant travels with them. To this day, many Ethiopians believe that the Ark of the Covenant resides within the Chapel of the Tablet next to the Church of Maryam Tsion in Aksum, Ethiopia.

Is this the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant? Many Ethiopians believe that the Ark of the Covenant resides within the Chapel of the Tablet next to the Church of Maryam Tsion in Aksum, Ethiopia. They believe that the Ark traveled with Solomon’s firstborn son, Menelik, from Jerusalem to the land of Sheba. Where is the land of Sheba? According to the Kebra Nagast , it is ancient Ethiopia. Photo: “Maryam Sion in Axum Nebenbau Mit Der Bundeslade 2010” by Jensis65 is licensed under CC-by-SA-3.0

Ethiopians claim the Queen of Sheba as part of their heritage, and through her union with King Solomon, Ethiopians also claimed a connection between their kings and the Davidic monarchy of Israel. Bar Kribus explains: “Their [Ethiopian] kings were seen as direct descendants of the House of David, rulers by divine right.”

But is the land of Sheba truly ancient Ethiopia, as purported by the Kebra Nagast ? Archaeological and historical sources document a Kingdom of Saba (Sheba) during Biblical times in modern-day Yemen. Those in ancient Ethiopia were fully aware of the Kingdom of Saba in southern Arabia—and sometimes even appropriated aspects of their culture.

The Queen of Sheba and King Solomon: Another depiction of the Queen of Sheba is seen in Giovanni Demin’s 19th-century painting Solomon and the Queen of Sheba , which shows the meeting of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.

Where is the land of Sheba? Is it in Africa or Arabia? Bar Kribus wades through history, archaeology, tradition and legend as he pieces together the story of the Queen of Sheba and investigates the land of Sheba. Who has the rightful claim to the Queen of Sheba? Read Kribus’s surprising conclusion in “Where Is the Land of Sheba—Arabia or Africa?” in the September/October 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review .

—————— BAS Library Members: Read the full article “Where Is the Land of Sheba—Arabia or Africa?” by Bar Kribus in the September/October 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review .

Related reading in Bible History Daily :

The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

Expedition Claims Evidence of Queen of Sheba Found in Ethiopia

Ancient Jerusalem: The Village, the Town, the City

This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on August 31, 2016.

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38 Responses

Menelik I (originally named Ebna la-Hakim, “Son of the Wise”), first Jewish Emperor of Ethiopia, is traditionally believed to be the son of King Solomon of ancient Israel and Makeda, Queen of Sheba and ruled around 950 BC, according to traditional sources. Tradition credits him with bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia, following a visit to Jerusalem to meet his father upon reaching adulthood.

According to the Kebra Nagast, King Solomon had intended on sending one son of each of his nobles and one son each of each temple priest with Menelik upon his return to his mother’s kingdom. He is supposed to have had a replica made of the Ark for them to take with them, but the son of Zadok the High Priest secretly switched the replica with the real Ark, and brought it into Ethiopia where it is said to remain to this day in the ancient town of Axum.

Upon the death of Queen Makeda, Menelik assumed the throne with the new title of Emperor and King of Kings of Ethiopia. According to legend, he founded the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia that ruled Ethiopia with few interruptions for close to three thousand years and 225 generations later ended with the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974

This is very simple. Queen of Sheba CANNOT BE WHITE!!!! NO white people (Gentiles) in biblical times occupied or lived in Africa or the Middle East…Even to this day. Here is Wisdom…Hypothetical, if she was from Arabia, this would make her a “Shemite”. Remember the story of ESAU(Edom)…Jacob twin brother? Esau is the progenitor of the EDOMITES who are ARABS, Who speak ARABIC, and live in ARABIA. Esau was born of Isaac who is a Shemite Hebrew. That makes Esau a Shemite Edomite. The bible says “They were separated” !!! If I hear one more IGNORANT Black person that says the “Edomites” is the white man, I will scream. My point is…Queen Sheba was Black regardless of whether she from Arabia or Africa. Let me make this clear. Queen Sheba was a “HAMITE” which makes her a African. She is a descendant of ” Cush” who are the Ethiopians.

also, the problem with modern day theologians and historians, they forget that people in biblical times were always described with either black skin or, olive skin. olive skin color is only slightly lighter than black and, even to this day, people with olive skin color are referred to as light black people. the biggest mis-interpettation of skin color is seen in the pictures of Jesus as a white man but, the bible is very clear his skin color was olive skin or, would be considered black, by today’s standards.

I also believe it is not fair to say the queen of Shebia was white. She was from AFRICA!!! So get the facts right.

Didn’t you know by now? EVERYBODY in the Bible is WHITE! And if you dare say otherwise…

no I think she was from Cebu in the Philippines

why do “historians” try so hard to conceal African wealth and heritage? Abyssinia( Ethiopia) is not and was never a part of the Yemen territory. She took to Solomon 4.5 tons of Gold. Queen Makeda is BLACK from Eastern Africa not white as depicted in the photoraph above. Sheba is in Africa not Arabia….. Sheba is old swahili which means copper… ‘ The land of Copper’….

A pity records were always kept by these Kings and Queens by their scribes , then how is it possible that to this day no accurate truth to this stories of any earlier history.

Sheba is a kingdom in Yemen. Balqees is a queen born in Yemen. I wonder why some people tell and write lies! Grow up!

Raplh.. very interesting where did you read that.. would like to read more about this

The Queen of Sheba?

She was Bathsheba. They don’t want to say, but King David’s historical name was Pa-Seba (another story). And the mother of Bathsheba was the Pharaoh’s daughter who married King David. Bath Sheba means Daughter of Sheba, the daughter of King David. But King David eventually took Bath Sheba as his wife, so Bath Sheba became Malkah Sheba, or the Daughter of Sheba became the Queen of Sheba (the Queen of King David). And they had a son – Solomon.

Malkah Sheba then moved to the south of Egypt. When she eventually came back to the royal court to meet her now famous son, she did so with great pomp and ceremony befitting a princess of Egypt. This was the story of the Queen of Sheba that we are familiar with, but it was actually mother meeting son. Perhaps you can see what they wanted to keep all of this quiet…

See Solomon Pharaoh of Egypt. (When is says she was the Queen of the South, it meant Queen of Upper Egypt…)

This was a great read,,,,but I’m still scratching my head. LOL for you see, I came hear to hopefully understand why as a young child I gave my oldest sister this nickname?! in my young eyes I saw her as a mean and extremely bossy “Queen a Sheba!!!” lol. kids,,,,go figure!!! so now my sister is about to turn 60 years old, still as bossy as ever!! LOL I love her so much!!! (I am surprised to hear that about the Queen and King Solomon!!! I will dig deeper into that whole thing, THANK YOU!!! Sincerely, Darlene 9/20/18

I remembered similar as a kid. Couldn’t remember the WHY, though. Found this & it came rushing back! proz.com/kudoz/english/idioms-maxims-sayings/464259-the-queen-of-sheba.html#1198751 “Who does she think she is? The Queen of Sheba?

Explanation: Example of usage in current language.

This is an expression used to describe someone who thinks very highly of themselves / thinks they are better than anyone else.

(We used to use it when we were kids, might not be used so much now)..

Similar to ‘being the bees knees’! ”

Sounds like the context you used for your sister back then!!

Thank you for for rich understanding! Today i’am Reading Matt, and see where the Queen of Sheba was mentioned by Jesus! Beautiful workThank you! Mike Hendon Sparks Nevada 8/14/18

1.The Queen of Sheba is not from Ethiopia she is from Ophir (I Kings 10:1-13),Sheba was the brother of Ophir (Genesis 10:27-29). Sheba is from Islands in the Eastern border known in Hebrew word as QDM (Psalms 72;10) same is true with Ophir, In Matthew 12:42 it is known as the utmost part of the world meaning Eastern borther or South East Asia. Ophir is the modern day Philippines and Sheba is the Old name of Cebu Philippines the land of Gold. Read Rizal Code La Pluma de Sangre by Dr. RV Narag.

2.The Queen of Sheba was born in 1020 BCE in Ophir, and educated in Ethiopia. Her mother was Queen Ismenie. Sheba was known to be beautiful, intelligent, understanding, resourceful, and adventurous. Vancouver Grand Masonic Day, October 16, 1999 by VW Bro. Art Scott, Victoria Columbia Lodge No. 1

3. https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=paA5AQAAMAAJ Augustus Henry Keane – 1969 – ‎Snippet view – ‎More editions Thus also ‘the gold of Sheba’ becomes ‘the gold of Ophir,’ that is, of the Sabaean emporium, the frankincense land, and importer of this gold from abroad.

Isa This is false story of quran If u need my advise donot believe the quran because the quran and Alah was came now may be their age is 1440 only But queen Sheba or our Ethiopian Queen has more than 3000 years age

First, the ark of covenant is not in the Ethiopian, ready the Bible the book of revelation 11:19.

Second, I don’t believe any other book accept bible, bible is the world and the real word of God , all the things says in the bible is happening, read through new testament, so what Bible says about Queen sheba is true.

Second, I don’t believe any other book accept bible is the world, all the things says in bible in happening, read through new testament, so what Bible says about Queen of sheba is true.

As a muslim, I do not believe in the Yemeni story, or that the “Queen was half a goat”, as this is quite offensive and non-sense, it’s clearly an invented tale; and in the Quran the name of the Queen of Sheba is not mentioned, so I do not believe it was “Bilqis”. The Queen of Sheba is mentioned as a queen that used to worship the Sun, and that Prophet Solomon was sent to her to make her know The One God. After that, she and her people Submitted to God. Then later on, her people went astray again by being ingrateful to God, and He caused them to be scattered to different communities.

Solomon is not a prophet, he is a Prince who later became the wisest king (correction mate)

I REALLY appreciate the information provided about Ethiopian and Qur’an-based beliefs on the topic of Sheba. It’s such a gift to be able to know of this information without learning to read other languages. Thank you so much!

My NIV speaks of “Sheba” in Luke 10 as the ‘Queen of the south,’ while also noting Jonah’s impact on Nineveh in relation to the arrival of ‘one greater that Jonah’ being Jesus, and discusses her visit with King Solomon in 1 Kings verse 10. In 1 Kings 10, the Queen visits King Solomon because she has heard of how wise he was. King Solomon had previously prayed for the gift of wisdom, which God granted him (in short) because of his humility. The Queen was completely impressed by how lavish and happy his kingdom was from the gift his God had given him. As a result, she gifted him and he gifted her aka they traded demographic goods.

An important component of Yemen’s claim on the Queen of Sheba is the name. We know that a great kingdom called Saba existed in Yemen during this period, and historians suggest that Saba is Sheba. Islamic folklore holds that the Sabean queen’s name was Bilqis. According to Sura 27 of the Qu’ran, Bilqis and the people of Saba worshipped the sun as a god rather than adhering to Abrahamic monotheist beliefs. In this account, King Solomon sent her a letter inviting her to worship his God. Bilqis perceived this as a threat and, fearing that the Jewish king would invade her country, was unsure how to respond. She decided to visit Solomon in person to find out more about him and his faith. In the Qu’ran’s version of the story, Solomon enlisted the help of a djinn or genie that transported Bilqis’s throne from her castle to Solomon’s in the blink of an eye. The Queen of Sheba was so impressed with this feat, as well as Solomon’s wisdom, that she decided to convert to his religion. Unlike the Ethiopian tale, in the Islamic version, there is no suggestion that Solomon and Sheba had an intimate relationship. One interesting facet of the Yemeni story is that Bilqis supposedly had goat hooves rather than human feet, either because her mother had eaten a goat while pregnant with her, or because she was herself a djinn.

People don’t get confused, queen of Sheba is simply Ethiopian. Go and see, u gonna believe it.

the truth will set you free Question: “What does it mean that ‘the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32)?”

Answer: “The truth will set you free” is a common saying in academic circles that want to promote academic freedom and the power of learning. Many universities have this statement emblazoned on a sign near the entrance of a building. But “the truth will set you free” did not originate in academia; Jesus said it in John 8:32. In context, Jesus’ statement has nothing to do with classroom learning. In fact, John 8:32 speaks of a higher form of knowledge than is capable of being learned in a classroom.

Jesus had just finished a speech at the temple where He delineated differences between Himself and His listeners. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:23–24). The result of Jesus’ message was that “even as he spoke, many believed in him” (verse 30). Then, in verse 31, Jesus begins to speak just to those who had believed.

“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’” (John 8:31). True discipleship is more than intellectual assent; those who are “really” followers of Christ will “hold to” His Word. That means they will not only accept His teachings as truth, but they will also obey His teachings. Action is proof of faith (cf. James 2:17).

True disciples of Jesus believe that He speaks the truth about God and the Scriptures. They also know that He is who He claims to be. Back in verse 25, the people asked Jesus who He was, and He responded, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” There may be a tinge of exasperation in His response; He had repeatedly made known that He was the Messiah, the one they had anticipated for many years.

Verse 32 begins with, “Then you will know the truth.” “You” refers to those who are true disciples of Jesus. True disciples will know the truth. More than that, their eyes are opened to a greater understanding of the truth (cf. 1 John 5:20).

The truth Jesus’ disciples receive brings with it freedom. Jesus continues, “And the truth will set you free” (verse 32). At that point in history, the Jews were under the rule of the Roman government. Even though Rome gave them an exceptional amount of autonomy, they were keenly aware of the Roman presence around them in the form of soldiers, governors, and empirically appointed kings. When Jesus said the truth would set them free, however, He was not talking about political freedom (though the following verses indicate that’s how the Jews took it). Jesus provides the best commentary for His own statement in verse 34. Jesus explains, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Being a slave to sin is the ultimate bondage.

The freedom Jesus offers is a spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin—that is, release from the lifestyle of habitual lawlessness. He continues with an analogy: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (verse 35). The people would have understood Jesus to mean that they were not members of God’s family, despite their biological relationship to Abraham (verse 37), because they were slaves to sin. If they were to become disciples of Jesus, they would know the truth of their condition and the truth about Christ, and Jesus would set them free. Believers would be freed from their bondage and brought into the family of God.

Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Knowing the Truth will set one at liberty—free from sin, free from condemnation, and free from death (Romans 6:22; 8:1–2). Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18). “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16, ESV).

Recommended Resource: True Truth: Defending Absolute Truth in a Relativistic World by Art Lindsley

1 John 5New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Overcoming the World 5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ is [b]born of God, and whoever loves the [c]Father loves the child [d]born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and [e]observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is [f]born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [g]with the water only, but [h]with the water and [i]with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 [j]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [k]in agreement. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have [l]before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother [m]committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and [n]God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

18 We know that no one who is [o]born of God sins; but He who was [p]born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

1 John 5:1 I.e. Messiah 1 John 5:1 Or begotten 1 John 5:1 Lit one who begets 1 John 5:1 Or begotten 1 John 5:2 Lit do 1 John 5:4 Or begotten 1 John 5:6 Lit in 1 John 5:6 Lit in 1 John 5:6 Lit in 1 John 5:8 A few late mss add …in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit 1 John 5:8 Lit for the one thing 1 John 5:14 Lit toward 1 John 5:16 Lit sinning 1 John 5:16 Or God will give him life, that is, to those who… 1 John 5:18 Or begotten 1 John 5:18 Or begotten

Genesis 1New King James Version (NKJV)

The History of Creation 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. this is God said in the old testament. all happened in old testament revealed in new testament The Eternal Word 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.

New International Version The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrew 1:3

and He said:

John 14:6 New International Version (NIV) 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you say there is no God then who created you?who created the earth on which you are walking on?Who created the sky that covers us.Who created the sun and the moon?Tell me was it by magic that those things came into existence.Since cars were created by human beings so as human beings were created by THE SUPREME CREATOR

there are so many religions, which one is right – probably none of them. Wake up people. God could have written the message in the stars if they were all powerful. There wouldn’t be diseases, natural disasters, poisonous chemicals, mental illness etc. if they were all loving. There wouldn’t be contradictions in the bible and other religious text, infact there would ATLEAST only be one religious text and no confusion about which god to follow, because if there was a god they would make sure that everyone knows there is ONE god. and they wouldn’t put it in some stupid book, and likeI said, they could write it in the stars with their god powers, I’m sure they would have some imagination being god and all. Logically this boils down to two conclusions – God doesn’t give a shit about us or what we think of him/her/it? OR more likely, there is no god. Don’t worry, its probably best this way, we don’t need a god we just need each other, we need to look out for our fellow man and woman and support each other, we don’t need no magical being because we are strong and we have each other. The end.

This informational website gives a well elaborated & detailed episodes of King Solomon n Queen of Shebas meeting n their life ,which remains little in complete in Bible,well researched,it even gives the most likely location of the ark of the covenant, loved this site,keep it up

Imanuel Velikofsky in his book “Ages in chaos” shows historically that the “Queen of Sheba” was none other than the queen pharaoh “Hatshuput” He substantiates this with many historical evidences. When she returned to Egypt from her visit with King Solomon she had erected a temple as never before seen . The architecture was like none other in Egypt before or after. The design was a facsimile of King Solomons temple in Jerusalem..stepped design.. terraced gardens surrounding etc..His discussion of this topic includes an examination of a carved stone bas relief cataloging the booty looted from the temple by one of her successors ..I believe Tutmose III if my memory serves correctly. If you take a look at what Velikofsky found…In his book “Ages In Chaos” I hope you will find it interesting as I have. .I am a craftsman a shipwright in Ballard. Some how I find ancient history fascinating. .enjoy…M

Well Mel! here is the truth…The English word for “God” has become a source of confusion for Christians since at least the Anglo-Saxon era. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary says that the origin of the word ‘god’ comes from a Germanic word ‘gad,’ pronounced as “gohdt.”

The following information on the origin of the word ‘god’ will help to understand why we use it in our vernacular.

GOD – The English word God is identical with the Anglo-Saxon word for “good,” and therefore it is believed that the name God refers to the divine goodness. (See Oehler’s Theol. of Old Test.; Strong’s and Young’s concordances.) (From New Unger’s Bible Dictionary) Further information on the source of our word for ‘God’ is listed below:

Word origin: God – Our word god goes back via Germanic to Indo-European, in which a corresponding ancestor form meant “invoked one.” The word’s only surviving non-Germanic relative is Sanskrit hu, invoke the gods, a form which appears in the Rig Veda, most ancient of Hindu scriptures: puru-hutas, “much invoked,” epithet of the rain-and-thunder god Indra.

Now if the sources noted above are accurate, then the word that we use for the Supreme Being, God, comes from a very pagan origin. Thus the word god is used generically by many different religions to refer to their deity or “invoked one.”

well here’s a shock for you Mel ,which god are you talking about as you quite rightly say the Qua-ran is of the devil, well so is the word of god you are talking about, as Yahuwah (Yahweh) is not god and his word is only the 5 books of Moses and the book of revelation. those are the only word that came from Yahuwah our father in heaven. it was man that created the the word of god for our father said my name is above all names. not I am the god above all gods. god, lord, are but titles and any thing else we want to call him is a title .FOR HIS NAME IS YAHUWAH. AND THE SONS NAME IS YAHUSHUA. NOT JESUS AS JESUS ONLY CAME INTO THE BIBLE AROUND 1611 HE WAS AN ARAMAIC HEBREW NOT ENGLISH OR ANY OTHER NAME IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE. So now we do have a problem and that is his word. his word has changed first by the Hebrew nation to Elohim , then by the Catholics which actually created the bible (72 books) in 395 ad and then by Martin Luther in 1611 66 books which all the bibles follow today in his format. SO NOW WHICH WORD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.

Anything written in the qaran cannot be trusted as it is satanic in nature..only that written in the Holy Bible as word of God can be trusted..there is NO allah, another name for satan,the liar

The story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba as told in the Koran Prophet-King David’s son, Solomon, was destined for great things than his father. He succeeded his father as a king and a prophet, and was given, like his father, sound judgment and lore. Solomon was taught the languages of animals, and Allah subjected for Solomon the wind, blowing by his order towards the land upon which Allah have blessed –– Jerusalem. From among all humankind, King Solomon was the only king who ruled both human beings and jinn with a strong sway, and his kingdom’s army comprised soldiers of the human, the jinn, and the birds. Under the control of King Solomon worked every builder and diver of the Satan, who constructed to him whatever he wished of chapels, statues, and cooking pots, removable ones and immobile huge others. While he was one day marching in the vanguard of his amazing army, they approached a valley filled with ants. “O ants,” said an ant to its fellow ants, “enter your houses, lest Solomon and his soldiers crush you unconsciously!” The magnificent king smiled at her saying, and said in prayer, “My Lord! Inspire me to give thanks for the boon You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents; and inspire me to do a good deed that make You content of me; and regard me, by Your Bless, as one of Your benevolent slaves.” Once, on inspecting the condition of his army, King Solomon noticed that the hoopoe was absent, and the matter stirred his anger. “What about the hoopoe? Why I do not see it? Is it absent? I will put it to torture, or will slaughter it, except it could introduce an accepted reason of his absence.” Before long, the hoopoe came and reasoned its absence. “I have come acquainted with what you knew not; and brought forth to you from Sheba true news. I have found that their kingdom is ruled by a woman, who has been given of every kind of regalia; and found them worshiping the sun instead of Allah.” “We will find out whether you are truthful or being of the liars,” retorted the just monarch, who ordered that a message should be written to that queen, calling her to submit peacefully to him. “Go with this writing of mine and cast it to them;” dictated the king to his messenger, the hoopoe, “then turn away and watch what they will decide!” The hoopoe duly acted on the orders. It travelled back to Sheba, cast the message onto the throne, and lurked to hear the decision. When the queen entered the hall and found Solomon’s message, she read it and at once called out to their chancellors. She was indeed a democratic one, and so she did not issue any orders before listening to their opinions. “We are of great power, and of a great experience of warfare,” said the majority of her chancellors, “and the procedures are to you; see what your decision is.” “When kings enter a town, they turn the nobles of it into humiliated citizens,” replied the astute queen, after a short while of thinking. “I shall send to them a gift, and shall wait for their reply to our legate.” The hoopoe carried this to King Solomon, and when the queen’s messengers arrived they were reproached for such a bribe, and were also informed that, if they would not submit, the king would certainly march against them with soldiers that they could not match with. The legate returned with this decision, and the queen could do nothing but comply. When the arrangements for the delegation of Sheba were made, a magnificent procession, headed by the queen herself, started off to Jerusalem. King Solomon was informed of the news, and ordered that the Queen of Sheba’s throne should be brought from her land before her arrival. He investigated who among his courtiers could accomplish this mission as soon as possible. “I can bring it to you before you break up this meeting,” said a demon of the jinn, but another one, who had had lore of the Book, said that he could brought it in a trice. The King consented, and the demon dully accomplished his promise. When Solomon found the throne settles before him, he prayed: “That is of my Lord God’s Favor to test me whether I shall thank or deny.” The throne was disguised to see whether the queen would be guided or would she be of those who never be guided, and on her arrival it was shown to her. “Is your throne like this?” she was asked. “it was almost like it,” she replied. King Solomon smiled and then invited her to enter the edifice, whose ground was made up of mirrors. The queen thought that she was going to ford through a water pool, and so she tucked up her dress. When the king revealed to her the fact of the edifice’s ground, she announced: “My Lord God! I had wronged myself; and now I am submitted with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of existence.”

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The Identity of the Queen of Sheba

Ethiopian or Yemeni Queen?

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The Queen of Sheba is a biblical character : a powerful queen who visited King Solomon. Whether she actually existed and who she was is still in question.

The Hebrew Scriptures

The Queen of Sheba is one of the most famous figures in the Bible, yet nobody knows exactly who she was or where she came from. According to I Kings 10:1-13 of the Hebrew scriptures, she visited King Solomon in Jerusalem after hearing of his great wisdom. However, the Bible does not mention either her given name or the location of her kingdom.

In Genesis 10:7, in the so-called Table of Nations, two individuals are mentioned who some scholars have connected with the implied place name of the Queen of Sheba. "Seba" is mentioned as a grandson of Ham's son Noah via Cush, and "Sheba" is mentioned as a grandson of Cush via Raamah in the same list. Cush or Kush has been associated with the empire of Kush , a land south of Egypt.

Archaeological Evidence

Two primary strands of history connect to the Queen of Sheba, from opposite sides of the Red Sea. According to Arab and other Islamic sources, the Queen of Sheba was called "Bilqis," and ruled over a kingdom on the southern Arabian Peninsula in what is now Yemen . Ethiopian records, on the other hand, claim that the Queen of Sheba was a monarch called "Makeda," who ruled the Axumite Empire based in northern Ethiopia.

Interestingly enough, archaeological evidence indicates that as early as the tenth century B.C.E.—about when the Queen of Sheba is said to have lived—Ethiopia and Yemen were ruled by a single dynasty, probably based in Yemen. Four centuries later, the two regions were both under the sway of the city of Axum . Since the political and cultural ties between ancient Yemen and Ethiopia seem to have been incredibly strong, it may be that each of these traditions is correct, in a sense. The Queen of Sheba may have reigned over both Ethiopia and Yemen, but, of course, she couldn't have been born in both places.

Makeba, Ethiopian Queen

Ethiopia 's national epic, the "Kebra Nagast" or "Glory of Kings" (also considered a sacred text to Rastafarians) tells the story of Queen Makeda from Axum, who traveled to Jerusalem to meet the famous Solomon the Wise. Makeda and her entourage stayed for several months, and Solomon became smitten with the beautiful Ethiopian queen.

As Makeda's visit neared its end, Solomon invited her to stay in the same wing of the castle as his own sleeping quarters. Makeda agreed, so long as Solomon didn't try to make any sexual advances. Solomon acquiesced to this condition, but only if Makeda took nothing that was his. That evening, Solomon ordered a spicy and salty meal prepared. He also had a glass of water set out beside Makeda's bed. When she awoke thirsty in the middle of the night, she drank the water, at which point Solomon came into the room and announced that Makeda had taken his water. They slept together, and when Makeda left to go back to Ethiopia, she was carrying Solomon's son.

In Ethiopian tradition, Solomon and Sheba's child, Emperor Menelik I, founded the Solomonid dynasty, which continued until Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in 1974. Menelik also went to Jerusalem to meet his father, and either received as a gift or stole the Ark of the Covenant, depending upon the version of the story. Although most Ethiopians today believe that Makeda was the biblical Queen of Sheba, many scholars give preference to a Yemeni origin instead.

Bilqis, Yemeni Queen

An important component of Yemen's claim on the Queen of Sheba is the name. We know that a great kingdom called Saba existed in Yemen during this period, and historians suggest that Saba is Sheba. Islamic folklore holds that the Sabean queen's name was Bilqis.

According to Sura 27 of the Quran, Bilqis and the people of Saba worshipped the sun as a god rather than adhering to Abrahamic monotheist beliefs. In this account, King Solomon sent her a letter inviting her to worship his God. Bilqis perceived this as a threat and, fearing that the Jewish king would invade her country, was unsure how to respond. She decided to visit Solomon in person to find out more about him and his faith.

In the Quran's version of the story, Solomon enlisted the help of a djinn or genie that transported Bilqis' throne from her castle to Solomon's in the blink of an eye. The Queen of Sheba was so impressed with this feat, as well as Solomon's wisdom, that she decided to convert to his religion.

Unlike the Ethiopian tale, in the Islamic version, there is no suggestion that Solomon and Sheba had an intimate relationship. One interesting facet of the Yemeni story is that Bilqis supposedly had goat hooves rather than human feet, either because her mother had eaten a goat while pregnant with her, or because she was herself a djinn.

Unless archaeologists uncover new evidence to support either Ethiopia's or Yemen's claim to the Queen of Sheba, we will likely never know with certainty who she was. Nevertheless, the fantastic folklore that has sprung up surrounding her keeps her alive in the imaginations of people across the Red Sea region and around the world.

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The Queen of Sheba: How A Legend Was Born

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The Queen of Sheba is an enigmatic figure found in all three of the Abrahamic faiths, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition to her presence in these three religions, the Queen of Sheba plays an important role in the history and identity of the Ethiopian people.

While most people regard the Queen of Sheba to be a legendary figure, she is considered by the Ethiopians to have existed, and is revered as the mother of their nation. Moreover, she is believed to have been the founder of the Solomonic dynasty , which ruled over Ethiopia until its last ruler, Haile Selassie I, was deposed in 1974.

The Queen of Sheba is mentioned in both the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an. In both these religious texts, she is never mentioned by name. Nevertheless, the different traditions have given her different names.

For instance, Arab sources refer to the Queen of Sheba as Balqis or Bilqis, while a Christian source, De Mulieribus Claris  or  De Claris Mulieribus  (meaning ‘Concerning Famous Women’), written by the 14 th century Florentine author Giovanni Boccaccio, refers to the legendary queen as Nicaula. As for the Ethiopians, they refer to the Queen of Sheba as Makeda. This name is found in the Kebra Nagast (meaning ‘The Glory of Kings’), which was written in the 14 th century and considered to be Ethiopia’s national epic.

The Queen of Sheba in the Hebrew Bible

In the Hebrew Bible, the story about the Queen of Sheba is found in 1 Kings 10: 1-13, and 2 Chronicles 9: 1-12, though both accounts say more or less the same thing. In both of these accounts, the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon in Jerusalem, as she had “heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD,” and wanted to “prove him with hard questions”. For her visit to Jerusalem, the Queen of Sheba brought with her “a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones”.

The account then states that the Queen of Sheba asked Solomon the questions that she had set, and the king was able to answer all of them. The queen was overwhelmed by Solomon’s wisdom , as well as the wealth of his kingdom, “And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, / And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her”.

The Queen of Sheba was impressed by the wisdom of King Solomon. (JarektUploadBo / Public Domain )

Needless to say, the presence of the Queen of Sheba in the Hebrew Bible is meant to show off Solomon’s wisdom, the wealth of his kingdom, and to glorify God. At the same time, the account provides us with a tantalizing glimpse of the wealth possessed by the Queen of Sheba:

“And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents (about 4 tonnes) of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. / And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones”. 1 Kings 10:10 New International Version (NIV) Bible

Solomon, likewise, treated the queen with great generosity during her stay in Jerusalem, “And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty”. After that, the Queen of Sheba returned to her own country, and does not reappear in the Hebrew Bible.

It may be mentioned that this legendary queen makes a cameo in the New Testament. In Matthew 12: 42, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees who were asking him for a sign by saying “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here”. The ‘queen of the south’ is equated with the Queen of Sheba.

In addition, this Old Testament story is re-cast in a new light by Christians. For instance, the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon is seen as a metaphor for the submission of the Gentiles to Christ. In addition, the queen is said to foreshadow the Virgin Mary through her chastity. And her gifts of gold, spices, and stone, are said to mirror the gold, frankincense, and myrrh presented by the magi to the infant Jesus.

The Queen of Sheba in the Qur’an

The account of the Queen of Sheba is found also in the Qur’an and is quite similar to the one in the Hebrew Bible. In Surat an-Naml, the story of the Queen of Sheba begins with a bird known as a hoopoe, who brought news to Solomon about the land of Sheba. The hoopoe reported that this land was governed by a woman, who "has been given of all things, and she has a great throne”.

In addition, the hoopoe found that the queen and her subjects were “prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided, / [And] so they do not prostrate to Allah,”. Hearing this report, Solomon commanded the hoopoe to deliver a letter to the Queen of Sheba, in which the queen is invited to submit to Allah.

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Bilqis reclining in a garden, the Queen of Sheba facing the hoopoe, Solomon’s Messenger. (Shakko / Public Domain )

The queen consulted her advisers on the reply that she should send to Solomon and they responded by saying “We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command”. Although the queen was aware of her kingdom’s military might, she opted for a more diplomatic approach, “Indeed kings - when they enter a city, they ruin it and render the honored of its people humbled. And thus, do they do. / But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return”.

The gifts sent by the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem were rejected by Solomon, who said “Do you provide me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Rather, it is you who rejoice in your gift”. In addition, the king threatened to take military action if the queen still did not submit, “Return to them, for we will surely come to them with soldiers that they will be powerless to encounter, and we will surely expel them therefrom in humiliation, and they will be debased”.

Therefore, the Queen of Sheba decided to travel to Jerusalem. Prior to her arrival, however, Solomon assembled his djinn, had one of them bring the Queen of Sheba’s throne back to his palace, and had it disguised. This was done so as to see if the queen was able to recognize her own throne.

The Queen of Sheba departs her land with many gifts for King Solomon. (Eugene a / Public Domain )

After that, the Queen of Sheba was invited into the palatial hall, and mistaking the glass floor for water, lifted her skirt, in order to avoid wetting her clothes. Finally, the Queen of Sheba admitted her mistake and submitted to Allah.

Embellishments About the Queen of Sheba

The narratives about the Queen of Sheba in both the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an have some gaps in them, and commentators and religious scholars in later times have attempted to fill them. As a result, the stories surrounding the Queen of Sheba were embellished and became even more colorful than they already were.

An embellishment of this story states that Solomon’s djinns were afraid that the king would be tempted to marry the queen, and one of them whispered to Solomon that the queen had hairy legs, and the hooves of an ass. Solomon, being curious, ordered a glass floor to be built before his throne.

When the queen lifted up her skirt to cross the ‘water’, it was revealed that she did have hairy legs. Solomon ordered his djinns to create a depilatory for the queen. The story ends without concluding if Solomon married the Queen of Sheba.

Many embellishments, such as the glass floor story, have been written about the Queen of Sheba. ( Archivist / Adobe Stock)

In the Hebrew Bible, the Queen of Sheba is said to have tested Solomon with riddles, but these riddles are not found in the text itself. These riddles, however, can be found in the Midrash, a compilation of writings involving the critical explanation / interpretation of the Hebrew Bible by ancient Jewish authorities.

In the Midrashic account, the Queen of Sheba’s first riddle is as follows, “How can a woman say to her son: ‘Your father is my father; your grandfather, my husband; you are my son, and I am your sister?’”. Solomon’s answer to the riddle was the two daughters of Lot , who got their father drunk, had sex with him, got pregnant as a result, and bore sons.

Next, the Queen of Sheba brought a group of children before Solomon. They were all of the same height and wore the same attire. The queen told Solomon to distinguish between the boys and girls.

The king had nuts and roasted ears of corn scattered before the children. The boys, who were not bashful, collected them, and tied them within the hems of their garment, while the girls, who were bashful tied them within their outer garments, since their bodies would be revealed if they had done as the boys did.

Lastly, the queen brought a group of men before Solomon and asked him to distinguish between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought out and opened, and the “circumcised stood or bowed their bodies to half their height, while their countenances were filled with the radiance of the  Shekhinah ,” whereas the uncircumcised fell prostrate on the ground.

The most significant embellishment to the story, however, is found in the Kebra Nagast . In this text, the Queen of Sheba is called Makeda, and is said to have stayed in Jerusalem for six months, where she learned from Solomon. On the last night of her stay, she was tricked by the king into having sex with him. According to the tale, Solomon had invited the queen to a banquet, during which spicy food (to induce her thirst) was served.

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There is a story that King Solomon tricked the Queen of Sheba into spending the night with him. ( Archivist / Adobe Stock)

After the banquet, the king invited her to stay in his palace for the night. The queen agreed, on the condition that he would not take her by force . Solomon agreed to that, on the condition that the queen would not take anything from him by force.

Makeda, though slightly offended, agreed. In the middle of the night, Makeda woke up, as she was very thirsty, and reached for a jar of water close to her bed. Solomon appeared, warning the queen that if she drank the water she would be breaking her oath.

Makeda’s thirst, however, was too strong and she drank the water, thus freeing Solomon from his oath. The two ended up spending the night together. Makeda became pregnant, and when she returned to her kingdom, gave birth to a son, Menelik, who became the first emperor of Ethiopia.

Where Was the Queen of Sheba From?

Lastly, arguably the greatest mystery surrounding the story of the Queen of Sheba is the location of Sheba itself. In the Kebra Nagast , the Queen of Sheba is said to be from Ethiopia . The identification of Ethiopia as Sheba is supported by the 1 st century AD Jewish historian, Josephus, who identified the Queen of Sheba as the Queen of Egypt and Ethiopia.

17th century AD painting of the Queen of Sheba from a church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. (Magnus Manske / CC BY-SA 2.0 )

One view held by modern scholars today is that the Queen of Sheba came from Axum , an ancient kingdom in Ethiopia. An alternative suggestion is that the Hebrew word ‘Sheba’ is derived from the Arabic ‘Saba’, an ancient kingdom located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, in what is today Yemen. Although the archaeological evidence showed that there was indeed a civilization thriving in that region, the artifacts were dated to the 7 th century BC, about 300 years after Solomon’s reign.

During the 1980s, however, new discoveries showed that the Sabaean civilization was already in existence during the 10 th century, making it not impossible that a queen from there could have visited Solomon in Jerusalem. In any case, conclusive answers have yet to be found, and the question about the location of Sheba is still, at present, left open.

Top image: The Queen of Sheba meets with King Solomon. Source:  Archivist / Adobe Stock.

By Wu Mingren

Campbell, C. 1986. Was There a Queen of Sheba? Evidence Makes Her More Likely. [Online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/04/science/was-there-a-queen-of-sheba-ev...

Cohen, A. 2019. How the Queen of Sheba Connects the Art of Three Major Religions. [Online] Available at: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-queen-sheba-connects-art-t...

Educational Broadcasting Corporation, PBS. 2005. The Queen of Sheba. [Online] Available at: https://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_four_sheba.html

Fontaine, C. 2009. Queen of Sheba: Bible. [Online] Available at: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/queen-of-sheba-bible

Kadari, T. 2009. Queen of Sheba: Midrash and Aggadah. [Online] Available at: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/queen-of-sheba-midrash-and-aggadah

King James Bible Online. Date Unknown. The Bible : Standard King James Version . [Online] Available at: http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/

New World Encyclopedia. 2019. Queen of Sheba. [Online] Available at: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Queen_of_Sheba

Quran.com. 2016. The Noble Qur’an . [Online]Available at: https://quran.com/

Sauter, M. 2019. Who Is the Queen of Sheba in the Bible?. [Online] Available at: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-...

Stewart, S. 2018. In search of the real Queen of Sheba. [Online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/africa/ethiopia/m...

Szczepanski, K. 2019. Makeda. [Online] Available at: https://www.learnreligions.com/makeda-117325

Szczepanski, K. 2019. The Identity of the Queen of Sheba. [Online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/who-was-the-queen-of-sheba-3528524

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2016. Solomonid Dynasty. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Solomonid-dynasty

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2019. Queen of Sheba. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Queen-of-Sheba

Wood, M. 2011. The Queen Of Sheba. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/sheba_01.shtml

Wu Mingren (‘Dhwty’) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods.... Read More

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The shapeshifting Queen of Sheba: legends, facts and fictions

Ideas about gender and power have shifted in each retelling of the queen of sheba's life, say experts.

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*Originally published on May 9, 2023.

To some, the Queen of Sheba is a holy figure. To others, she's a demon in disguise. 

She's been portrayed as a politically astute diplomat in certain accounts — and a vainglorious seductress in others' retellings of her life.

She's been immortalized in music by Handel, Beyonce and the Dolly Dots; portrayed on screen by Barnum and Bailey; and brought to life on screen by Gina Lollobridigida and Halle Berry. 

Debates over the Queen of Sheba have roiled for centuries. Was she a human or a djinn? A wise woman or a temptress? And — given the lack of archaeological evidence — was she a real historical figure, or a figment of multiple imaginations? 

"Her life has been highlighted by so many people, only to knock her down and say that she didn't exist or she's not good. Just think how powerful that personality must have been in the history of all our cultures — Christianity, Judaism, Islam and in some African countries as well," said anthropologist Shahla Haeri, author of The Unforgettable Queens of Islam: Succession, Authority, Gender . 

"Her DNA is in our very culture."

A wise woman and a diplomat

The Queen of Sheba appears in the Hebrew Bible, the Quran, and the Kebra Nagast — a medieval text often described as the "national epic of Ethiopia." Each account revolves around her meeting with Solomon, son of David and king of the Israelites, in Jerusalem sometime roughly between 900 and 1000 BC.

In the Hebrew Bible she is a wealthy monarch who comes to test Solomon with "hard riddles" and leaves astonished and impressed by what she saw. In the Kebra Nagast, she is a philosopher-queen who enters into a dialogue with Solomon because of her love of wisdom, and later has a child with him. In the Quran, she is summoned to Solomon's court after he hears stories of a powerful but heretical queen who worships the sun. 

The story in the Quran highlights her wisdom and prowess as a diplomat. After receiving a threatening letter from Solomon, she consults her advisers. 

"They say, look, we all are men of war. We are willing to follow your orders. Tell us what to do. And we will wage battle royale on your behalf," said Haeri.

"And she says, No, no, this is important. We can't take it lightly. When kings attack a village, a place they subject the people to misery … So she goes on an act of diplomacy herself. 

"She saved herself and her people. But this has been completely forgotten by the exegetes and the biographers who seem to have been fixated on the sexual dynamics," said Haeri. 

The era of the exegetes

The Queen of Sheba's story morphed dramatically when it was taken up by exegetes, the interpreters of passages in holy texts like the Bible or the Quran.

"She comes from beyond the known region and then disappears into the unknown," said Jillian Stinchcomb, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. "So there are what I would call loud silences around this figure … there's breathing room for exegetes and interpreters to project their own creativity and to have space to think with this figure." 

For her male biographers, she becomes a transgressive figure whose body is vetted and controlled, and whose life is modified to make room for male power. And while there is no indication of a sexual relationship between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon in the Hebrew Bible or the Quran, many later reimaginings of her life pair them off.

For Stinchcomb this "comes down to this discomfort with the Queen of Sheba's power, that she couldn't be a queen on her own, that she has to be linked to a man and preferably a man like Solomon in order to justify her position."

The wildest retelling of the Queen's encounter with Solomon from the Jewish tradition appears in the Targum Sheni to the Book of Esther — the second Aramaic translation of the Book of Esther. It was most likely written in the late seventh or early eighth century.

It features what would become a key aspect of the Queen of Sheba's cultural mythology: her hairy legs. 

In the Quranic account, Solomon plays a trick on the Queen of Sheba by paving the floor of his palace with glass. Believing it's water, she lifts her skirts to keep them dry. 

In the Targum Sheni, the aim of the trick is to reveal whether or not she has hairy legs. When it turns out she does, Solomon's response is immediate and harsh: "You're a beautiful woman but hairiness is for men. You look absolutely disgraceful."

In some texts in the Islamic tradition, the Queen of Sheba's hairy legs — and her political power — are traced back to her supernatural heritage, and she is recast as the daughter of a human and a jinn. (In Arabic mythology, the jinn are powerful spirits capable of taking on different shapes and have the free will to be good or evil.)

"It is to say that she's not a human," said Haeri. "She's neither a man nor a woman. Her mother was a djinn, [or] her father was a djinn. So the jinns helped her to be powerful in one way or another. So she's really outside of the patriarchal order of gender relations."

A precedent for women's political authority

While the Queen of Sheba was reimagined by male exegetes to "downgrade" her status, as Haeri argues — she's also been reimagined and upheld as a precedent for female political authority.

"The first woman who seriously drew my attention to her was a woman in her veil in Iran, whom I was interviewing for a video documentary on Iranian women who had nominated themselves as presidential candidates in 2001," said Haeri, who was born in Tehran. 

"The first thing she told me, she said, 'Look, we have in the Quran a woman, the Queen of Sheba, who ruled her country and her people.' So she assumed legitimacy for herself on the basis of what's in the Quran." 

In Yemen — which, alongside Ethiopia, claims to be the true home of the Queen of Sheba — her memory has taken on a new urgency. 

"Yemen used to be ruled by queens. I hope one day this country goes back to normal, and we lead," Yemeni documentary filmmaker Yousra Ishaq told  The Cut in 2018 , in an interview about life as a woman in a war zone. 

She was referring to both the Queen of Sheba, and to Queen Arwa, who ruled for 71 years as Queen regent, Queen consort and outright Queen in the 11th and 12th century. 

Arwa is often described as the "Little Queen of Sheba." Like her predecessor, she was a politically astute leader who tried to avoid bloodshed. She valiantly preserved her throne from warring tribes and the meddling of the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo. She remains the only woman in Islamic history to hold both political and religious mandates as a leader. 

"Now we're at a very, very, very low time for women, especially in Yemen," said Ishaq.

"But the whole concept of a queen, Queen of Sheba, Queen Arwa gives me hope that this time will end. These groups, these religious ideologist groups will end. And the culture, the history would continue."  

Guests in this episode:

Shahla Haeri is a professor of anthropology and a former director of the Women's Studies Program at Boston University, and one of the pioneers of Iranian anthropology. Her books include Law of Desire: Temporary Marriage in Shi'i Iran , No Shame for the Sun: Lives of Professional Pakistani Women and The Unforgettable Queens of Islam: Succession, Authority, Gender. 

Jillian Stinchcomb is a Director's Visitor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey working as a postdoctoral fellow in the "Interactive Histories, Co-Produced Communities: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" project. In 2020, she defended her dissertation, "Remembering the Queen of Sheba in the First Millennium," a reception history of the Queen of Sheba across Jewish, Muslim, and Christian texts from the biblical to the early medieval period. She works with material in Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Greek, Latin, and Ge'ez. 

Safia Aidid is an interdisciplinary historian of modern Africa and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Her research addresses anticolonial nationalism, territorial imaginations, borders, and state formation in the Horn of Africa, with a particular focus on modern Somalia and Ethiopia.

Eyob Derillo is a reference specialist in the Reading Room of Africa and Asian Studies at the British Library, and previously served as curator for the library's Ethiopic and Ethiopian Collections. He is a Ph.D. student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, focusing on the history of Ethiopian magic.

Yousra Ishaq is a director and producer in Yemen, facilitating local productions and coordinating multinational teams including international media outlets such as the BBC and PBS. In 2017, she co-founded the Yemen-based film foundation and production company, Comra Films. 

*This episode was produced by Kamal Al-Solaylee and Pauline Holdsworth. 

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Sheba, queen of:, by: joseph jacobs , ludwig blau.

• In the Bible, Josephus, and the Talmud.
• Abyssinian Legends.
• Jewish Legends.
• The Middle Ages.

These are all the known historical references to the mysterious Oriental princess, and neither of the two Talmuds contains any other allusions. The legends connected with her name seem, therefore, to have originated in Abyssinia, and especially in Arabia, both of which countries were rivals for her renown, and from them the traditions concerning her entered Jewish circles. The kings of Abyssinia trace their descent back to a certain Menelik, the reputed son of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon (Ewald and Winer). The African traveler Hugues le Roux claims to have discovered in an Abyssinian manuscript in the Geez dialect the earliest version of the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, which had been known previously only through popular tradition ("Deutsche Literaturzeitung," 1904, col. 1826). The present (1905) ruler of Abyssinia, at the time of his victory over the forces of Italy, actually declared himself to be a descendant of the Judean lion. A study on the legend in question as it exists in the tradition of Axum, a place of pilgrimage to the west of Adua, was published by Littmann in 1904.

The Temanites, the inhabitants of Arabia Felix, have better grounds for claiming the Queen of Sheba, whom they have adorned with the rich imagery of Oriental imagination. Solomon has become very popular among the Arabs through the tradition which associates his name with hers, and this legend serves to introduce the story of Mohammed and the califs. Solomon commanded the Queen of Sheba to come to him as a subject, whereupon she appeared before him (Koran, sura xxvii. 30-31, 45). His throne, which was renowned in early Arabian legend, originally belonged to this queen, who is called Bilḳis in the commentaries on the Koran. She recognized the throne, which had been disguised, and finally accepted the faith of Solomon. Imagination runs riot in this story, in which spirits, animals, and other creatures appear as the servants of the Jewish king ( ib. xxvii. 34; comp. also the other Arabic sources quoted by Grünbaum, "Neue Beiträge zur Semitischen Sagenkunde," pp. 211-221).

Jewish tradition has many points in common with the Arabian legend. The story of the Queen of Sheba is found in detail in the Second Targum to Esther (literal translation of the greater portion by Grünbaum, l.c. pp. 211 et seq. ). There, as in the Koran, it is the hoopoe that directed Solomon's attention to the country of Sheba and to its queen. The dust of that land was more precious than gold, and silver was like dirt in the streets; the trees dated from the Creation and the waters came from paradise, whence came also the garlands which the people wore. The hoopoe carried Solomon's letter under its wing to the queen, who resided at Kitor. In the letter Solomon commanded her to appear before him, otherwise his hosts of beasts, birds, spirits, devils, and demons of the night would take the field against her. In terror she consulted with her elders and princes, who, however, knew nothing of Solomon. Notwithstanding their ignorance, she loaded her ships with costly woods, precious stones, and pearls, and sent to Solomon 6,000 boys and girls, all born in the same hour, all of the same height and appearance, and all clothed in purple. In the letter to Solomon which they bore with them, she declared that although the journey from Kitor to Jerusalem usually took seven years to accomplish, she wouldcomply with his mandate and visit him within three years. He in his turn sent a youth "like the dawn" to meet her, and on her arrival he received her in a glass house. Thinking that Solomon was sitting in the water, she lifted up her skirt, whereupon he noticed hair on her feet, and said: "Thy beauty is a woman's beauty, but thy hair a man's hair; hair adorneth man, but disfigureth woman."

The Queen of Sheba propounded to Solomon the following three riddles to test his wisdom: "What is a well of wood, a pail of iron which draws up stones and pours out water?" Solomon answered, "A tube of cosmetic." "What is that which comes from the earth as dust, the food of which is dust, which is poured out like water, and which looketh toward the house?" Solomon answered, "Naphtha." "What is that which precedeth all, like a general; which crieth loudly and bitterly; the head of which is like a reed; which is the glory of the rich and the shame of the poor, the glory of the dead and the shame of the living; the joy of the birds and the sorrow of the fishes?" Solomon answered, "Flax." Other riddles are quoted in the Midrash (Prov. ii. 6; Yalḳ. ii., § 1085): "Seven depart, nine enter; two pour, one drinks." Solomon answered, "Seven days of woman's uncleanness, nine months of pregnancy; two breasts of the mother at which the child is nourished." "A woman saith unto her son, 'Thy father is my father, thy grandfather my husband; thou art my son; I am thy sister.'" Solomon answered, "This mother is one of the daughters of Lot, who were with child by their father" (comp. Gen. xix.). Arabic tradition also tells of Solomon solving riddles and of other proofs of his wisdom, and contains in general most of the stories found in Jewish tradition (Grünbaum, l.c. ).

The story of the Queen of Sheba was current likewise in Europe. Although legends regarding her are frequent in Jewish circles, the Jews have derived their views of the famous queen from the Christians, adding nothing of their own. The story of the queen has been dramatized in Goldmark's well-known opera "The Queen of Sheba."

• Winer, B. R. 3d ed., ii. 405;
• Ewald, Gesch. 2d ed., iii. 362-364, Göttingen, 1853;
• Grünbaum, Neue Beiträge zur Semitischen Sagenkunde, pp. 199, 211-221, Leyden, 1893;
• Littmann, The Legend of the Queen of Sheba in the Tradition of Axum, Princeton, 1904;
• Grunwald, Mittheilungen der Gesellschaft für Jüdische Volkskunde, v. 10 (on the Jewish Middle Ages).

What Do We Learn about the Queen of Sheba in the Bible?

The Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon is one of the more surprising Old Testament stories, showing how people outside Israel perceived its wisest king. Can we learn anything from this story today?

The world seeks wisdom in academia, social leaders, politicians, organizations offering peace at all costs, psychics, the evening news, etc. It can be sold for pennies, but true wisdom is costly. Queen of Sheba , a wise woman in her own right, heard of King Solomon and set out to meet him. Her intentionality to seek wisdom from a godly source encourages all believers to reflect on their pursuit of true wisdom.

Where Do We See the Queen of Sheba in the Bible?

The Queen of Sheba is directly referred to in 1 Kings 10:1-2 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-13 and indirectly referred to as “queen of the south” in Matthew 12:4 and Luke 11:31 .

In addition to her wisdom, she was also known to be inquisitive and a seeker of wisdom, honing her quick wit with riddles and knowledge. In The Antiquities of the Jews , prominent Jewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus describes her as “inquisitive into philosophy and on that and on other accounts also was to be admired.”

Queen of Sheba and her entourage traveled a great distance (about 1,500 miles) to meet with King Solomon in Jerusalem. Intrigued by his popularity, her goal, according to 1 Kings 10:1 , was to test him with hard questions and learn more about his relationship with God. As a queen, her questions also likely touched on moral and diplomatic matters.

Queen of Sheba’s gifts for Solomon were extravagant, reflecting the wealth of her kingdom. 1 Kings 10:10 states she brought 120 talents of gold (equaling almost 9,000 pounds), costly jewels, and a supply of spices that had never been witnessed before in Jerusalem.

The king answered every question, far exceeding her expectations. In return for her gifts, King Solomon gave her gifts and “every desire that she expressed” ( 1 Kings 10:13 ). Her visit could have lasted up to six months before the king sent her home with more than she brought. And with that, she returned home to Sheba, believed to be in present-day Yemen. The exact location of her kingdom is still a highly debated topic among commentators, as some believe she traveled from Ethiopia instead of Africa.

Queen of Sheba arrived in Jerusalem as a seeker, but there’s no evidence proving that she returned home as a believer in King Solomon’s God. In Matthew 12:42 and Luke 11:31 , Jesus uses the Queen of Sheba, or “queen of the south,” as an example. She is a pagan but seeks wisdom by traveling “from the ends of the earth” to find a man of great wisdom. How much more should believers seek the One who defines wisdom, Jesus Christ?

What Do Extrabiblical Texts Say about the Queen of Sheba?

Queen of Sheba’s story is recorded in the Bible and in sacred texts to Jews and Muslims.

Although not mentioned by the same name, Queen Sheba appears in the Quran (Koran) as Bilqis, a queen Solomon believed worshipped the sun. This account describes Solomon sending a letter in hopes of convincing her to love his god. According to this narrative, Bilqis responded to the letter by sending gifts but eventually traveled to Jerusalem after receiving no response from the king. It’s unknown whether Bilqis married Solomon, but Muslim commentators believe she eventually became a believer.

Queen of Sheba is also a noted figure in the Kebra Nagast (“the Glory of Kings”), a foundational story in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as she is directly connected to the establishment of Ethiopia. In this account, she is known as Makeda, a queen from ancient Ethiopia who travels to meet King Solomon. Ethiopians elaborate on the visit by adding a love affair which later resulted in a son, Menelik, speculating that the Queen of Sheba was the nameless woman Solomon wrote about in Song of Solomon. According to the Kebra Nagast , Menelik travels to meet his father, King Solomon, as a young adult but later returns to Ethiopia with the Ark of the Covenant . The account falls outside the biblical canon but is worth noting because, according to this narrative, the son, Menelik, is considered part of the Davidic line as King Solomon’s son, making Ethiopian kings seen as divine rulers.

Josephus wrote in the late first century that the Queen of Sheba ruled Ethiopia and Egypt, known for its riches. He intended to persuade Roman readers that her visit to Solomon showed the king’s wide and well-known prominence—she ruled what later became the wealthiest province in the Roman Empire.

5 Things the Bible Says About Questioning God

Why Was the Queen of Sheba So Impressed by Solomon?

Queen of Sheba was impressed by Solomon for many reasons, but based on 1 Kings 10:4-5 , I believe the first to be his hospitality. The verses specifically mention the food on his table, the seating of the officials, attending robed servants and cupbearers, and the burnt offering he made at the temple.

1 Kings 10 describes how she was overwhelmed by what she saw. All the reports of King Solomon’s achievements and wisdom were accurate. Before, she had only heard of them, but now she saw everything with her own eyes and testified that the king’s wealth and wisdom far exceeded what she expected.

Josephus notes in Antiquities of the Jews that the Queen of Sheba’s appreciation for the king grew after seeing the preparation, skill, and sacrifices used daily in the temple.

Do We Know What Happened to the Queen of Sheba Afterward?

No other mention is made of the Queen of Sheba in the Bible after her return to Saba. There is so little evidence of her existence outside the biblical references that some question her reality. Some traditions claim she wasn’t a person but used only figuratively as “Queen of Sheba” in biblical accounts. Still, the legend of this powerful and intelligent woman has inspired movies, literature, and art throughout the years.

5 Lessons Learned from Queen of Sheba in the Bible

We can learn some important lessons from the encounter between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, such as:

1. Pursue wisdom and pursue Jesus Christ. A bride and groom say “I do” on the wedding day, but to cultivate a growing, fulfilling relationship, they continue to engage one another in conversation, date nights, etc. Similarly, believers must devote their hearts and soul to seeking the Lord, His wisdom, and guidance ( 1 Chronicles 22:19 ).

2. Seek wisdom in the counsel of wise counselors. Queen of Sheba traveled far to ask well-thought-out, even complex, questions of a king known for possessing God’s wisdom ( Proverbs 11:14 ).

3. Live in such a way that God’s goodness is evident. We are ambassadors of Christ, and like King Solomon, our relationship with God is displayed ( 2 Corinthians 5:20 ).

4. Our obedience affects those around us. “How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!” ( 2 Chronicles 9:7 )

5. There’s an eternal difference between knowing about God and knowing God. In 2 Chronicles 9:8 , the Queen of Sheba praises God for delighting in King Solomon and placing him on the throne as King, but in context, there is no evidence of her allegiance to his God. It was most likely a polite gesture, recognizing the king’s God.

A Prayer to Seek Wisdom

Heavenly Father, please give me a hunger and thirst for Your wisdom. Worldly sources of wisdom leave me feeling empty, confused, and sometimes fearful, but You are sovereign, Lord, and nothing is hidden from Your sight. Thank You for giving me wisdom so abundantly when I ask for it. You delight in my asking, knowing wise decisions reflect Your love, mercy, and grace to seekers. Amen.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/bpperry.

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Who Exactly Was the Queen of Sheba?

There are many individuals whose lives are documented in the Bible, and they can be an almost endless wellspring of historical and spiritual insight. However, others have such a small section of Scripture dedicated to them that they can be written off as inconsequential, or theologians and pastors will try to mine their lives so deeply for lessons that they begin to make things up. Other characters just cause those studying the Bible to throw their hands up in surrender and take their mention as incidental to a greater point.

The Queen of Sheba has been subjected to all of these treatments, from academia to the pulpit. Mentioned in one historical record during the reign of King Solomon, she was a real ruler whose life has been subject to intense scrutiny among Biblical scholars and secular historians. Her presence in the Bible can be perplexing, but when we are open to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us, she can give insight into God’s plan, the political situation of Israel at that time, and important spiritual lessons.

Who Was the Queen of Sheba?

The land of Sheba is believed to have been located in present day Ethiopia and Yemen. According to the Bible, while Solomon was the king of Israel, around 970–931 BC, there was a queen ruling in that area. Her visit is documented in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9 . Tradition and the Bible both assert she came to see Solomon’s kingdom for herself after hearing about its prosperity, wealth, and power. In particular, her interest in his immense wisdom is emphasized.

Scripture records, “Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind” ( 2 Chronicles 9:1-2 ).

After she returns to her kingdom, the Ethiopian church holds the tradition that she bore a son from Solomon named Menelik. He travelled back to Israel, and returned with the Ark of the Covenant, beginning the tradition of Judaism in the area. This movement today is called Beta Israel, or Falasha.

Why Was the Queen of Sheba’s Interaction with Solomon Significant?

While there is some extra-Biblical evidence suggesting there was a ruler of Sheba named Menelik who ruled in the right time, the Holy Spirit did not guide the chroniclers to delve into it. This silence makes her a mystery, but the importance of her visit cannot be understated.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about the Queen of Sheba is that the Ethiopian church and Jewish communities – which have existed there intermittently for thousands of years – attribute the origins of their faith to her visit with King Solomon. When God covenanted with Israel, it was so they could be an example to the world of godliness and so others would come to them, attracted by their differences, to learn about the one true God.

The Queen of Sheba is the only ruler in the Bible who is documented to have done so. She heard about Solomon’s power and wealth and wanted to see it for herself. When she left, she attributed all she saw to the power of Israel’s God, and according to the traditions of many African churches – which have existed longer than many European churches – brought the faith of Israel back to Sheba with her.

“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness” ( 1 Kings 10:9 ).

After Jesus’ death and resurrection , her legacy was furthered when the Apostle Phillip shared the good news of the fulfillment of prophecy in the book of Isaiah to an Ethiopian eunuch, who returned to his homeland as a convert to spread the word to his people.

What Can We Learn from the Queen of Sheba?

Even the little description of this interaction can serve as a good demonstration of the power of a good testimony, and of the role women can play in God’s plan.

Here are five lessons from the Queen of Sheba.

1. King Solomon’s good testimony was an open door for someone to come ask him about his God.

One of the ways to open the door to have conversations about Jesus is by living a life that reflects the Lord to the world; this way of living can be intriguing to people, and can provide the Holy Spirit an opportunity to stir their spirit into pursuing conversation. For people who work in a setting where they cannot necessarily share the Gospel openly every day, it is a good way to find opportunities to live a life for God.

A word of caution though, some Christians rely solely on this idea, believing if they just “live like Jesus” people will inevitably ask, “what makes you different?”, opening the door to Gospel conversations. However, this does not always bear out. Prayer over every situation and pursuing guidance from the Holy Spirit is the best way to pursue evangelism, rather than relying on one type of personal outreach.

2.  Women have a role in God’s plan.

God used the Queen of Sheba. In the Bible, it affirms she brought Solomon greater gifts of spice than anyone else.

“Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon” ( 2 Chronicles 9:9 ).

God used her to bless the Kingdom of Israel. It is also highly probable, based on Coptic, Ethiopian, and Orthodox traditions, that God used her to bring worship of Himself to a part of the world where they may not have known Him yet.

3. Women can be leaders.

While it is not seen often in the histories recorded in the Bible, there are women who are called to lead. While some female leaders, like Jezebel, are condemned, there are women who step into that position without negative language or actions associated with them.

Deborah is a good example. The Queen of Sheba’s actions are described without positive or negative language, allowing her actions and words to stand on their own, without commentary from the chroniclers. Her leadership is not presented as a problem.

4. Wisdom is more valuable than great riches.

When discussing the importance of wisdom, most people point to Solomon’s request for wisdom as a gift from God. The Queen of Sheba is another good example of someone in the Bible who understands the importance of true wisdom. The Bible records, “And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her” ( 1 Kings 10:3 b-5).

She came to see the riches of Israel, but was most interested in seeing if the rumors of Solomon’s wisdom were true. She sought out that wisdom, and it is clear in the Bible that she did not give him gifts until he proved himself.

5. Pursuing the truth is a valuable endeavor.

In the New Testament, the Gospel writers mention several people who heard about Jesus, and sought Him out. Jesus would affirm their pursuit of the truth. He affirmed Nicodemus, but scolded him for his ignorance. He reached out to Zacchaeus, who scrambled up a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus.

The Queen of Sheba heard rumors, and rather than assuming they were true or false, she travelled hundreds of miles to see if it was true. She is rewarded for this journey, and if the traditions of eastern and African churches are to be believed, she brought that truth back.

For people who are uncertain about the truth of the Bible, helping them pursue the truth of the Bible and Jesus’ teachings is a good way to try to evangelize. The person who is searching for the truth of God’s Word and will – if they have the humility to embrace the conviction and whispering of the Holy Spirit – will be rewarded with the truth and with salvation.

While much of her identity and life remains a mystery, the Queen of Sheba provided a Biblical example of leadership, wisdom, and pursuing the truth. God wanted Israel to serve as a beacon of truth, of His power, and to be a light to the world. While many people were willing to trade with King Solomon for power and money, the Queen of Sheba wanted to see Solomon’s value, and understood it was in the wisdom and power granted to him by his God, to whom she gave all the credit and the glory.

Coulter-Harris, Deborah. The Queen of Sheba Legend, Literature, and Lore.  Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2013.

Desta, Alemayehu. Introduction to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Tewaheda Faith . Bloomington: Author House, 2012.

Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible Genesis to Revelation . Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1961.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/JadeThaiCatwalk

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com .

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Where did the Queen of Sheba rule—Arabia or Africa?

There is little debate about the location of King Solomon's Jerusalem, but scholars are still searching for the land of gold and spices that the Queen of Sheba called home.

The story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba appears in the biblical books of Kings and Chronicles: An unnamed queen from Sheba travels to Jerusalem bearing gold, jewels, and spices. A seeker of knowledge, the queen has a special interest in the reputedly wise Solomon and tests him with some “hard questions.” Solomon meets the challenge and lavishes hospitality on the queen, who reciprocates with gifts.

“Never again were so many spices brought in as those the Queen of Sheba gave to Solomon.” Later, she tells him: “In wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard”(1 Kings 10:7).  

This biblical encounter has had an enormous impact on the popular imagination, projecting themes of beauty, wealth, power, exoticism, intrigue, magic, and love. The queen has inspired Turkish and Persian miniatures, European painting and music, and the 1959 Hollywood epic Solomon and Sheba,   with Yul Brynner as the wise king and Gina Lollobrigida as his match.  

These works had plenty of material to work with since a rich literary tradition grew out of the original biblical story. An account of the encounter is tantalizingly referenced by the Roman Jewish author Flavius Josephus in the first century A.D. Composed in the seventh century, the Quran features a more elaborate version of the story, as does Jewish rabbinic literature. The Kebra Nagast,   a 14th-century Ethiopian Christian epic, connects the Queen of Sheba with the founding of Ethiopia itself. According to this text, ancient Sheba is in Ethiopia. The queen and Solomon have a son who founds a dynasty that would rule Ethiopia until its last descendant, Haile Selassie, died in 1975. ( Here's what archaeology is telling us about King Solomon's mines. )

To date no archaeological evidence has been found to indicate definitively who the queen was and from where she came. She could be a composite of historical figures or entirely legendary. Even the location of Sheba itself is hotly debated among scholars. Some place it in Ethiopia, while others place it in the ancient kingdom of Saba in present-day Yemen.  

The Kingdom of Solomon

Unlike the Kingdoms of Saba and Aksum, archaeological evidence is scant in attesting to the dates of Solomon's reign or the size of his kingdom. Most of what is understood comes from the Book of Kings, which was written in the sixth century B.C., hundreds of years after the events it describes. According to tradition, around 1174 B.C., the Hebrews in Israel united under the leadership of King Saul who ruled them until around 1025 B.C. Saul was succeeded by David, and David’s son, Solomon, followed. His reign lasted until circa 930 B.C., after which the kingdom then splits into Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Archaeologists have found structures dating to the 10th century B.C. in the region, but none, as of yet, that bear inscriptions of Solomon’s name. 

Riches and riddles

In the Bible, the Queen of Sheba is depicted as smart, independent, challenging, and respectful. Flavius Josephus, author of the first-century A.D. history The Antiquities of the Jews , described Sheba as “inquisitive into philosophy and on that and on other accounts also was to be admired.”  

By the time the story was retold in the Targum Sheni, a seventh-to eighth-century A.D. Jewish text, the story had amassed more details. The details of the meeting are similar, but the story begins with a talking hoopoe, a crested bird native to the region. The bird informs Solomon that the land of Sheba is the only one on Earth not subject to his power.  

Solomon sends the hoopoe to Sheba with a letter urging the queen to submit to him. She responds by sending back a fleet “with all the ships of the sea” loaded with precious gifts, including 6,000 young men—all the same height, all dressed in purple, and all born at the same time on the same day. They deliver a message from the queen announcing that she will travel to Jerusalem.  

On arrival, the queen presents Solomon with three riddles, which he promptly solves. This exchange reveals her knowledge and diplomatic skill as the riddles are more than a game to her. They are a way for her to size up Solomon. ( Selflessness inspired love in the Book of Ruth. )

Some scholars argue the Quran’s version of the story borrows from the Targum Sheni. However, there is historical uncertainty as to exactly when the Targum Sheni was written. It may, in fact, postdate the seventh-century composition of the Quran, in which case the Islamic text could have influenced the Jewish text, and not the other way around.  

In the Quran, the queen is unnamed, but contemporary Arabic sources call her Bilqis. In the Islamic version, Suleiman (Solomon) believes in Allah, is known for his wisdom, and can understand the language of the trees and animals. Suleiman also controls an army of “jinn (magical spirits) and men and birds.” Like the Jewish text, the story begins with a bird, which brings news to Suleiman from the far off land of Sheba, where the powerful Bilqis rules and people worship the sun. The bird says: “I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah,” prompting Suleiman to send a letter in which he urges the queen to convert to Islam.  

In this version of the story, Suleiman rejects the queen’s emissaries and rich gifts. In contrast to the Bible and the Targum Sheni, it is Suleiman who tests the queen’s intellect. While she is traveling to visit him, the king sends a jinn to steal her throne and bring it to Jerusalem. There he disguises the throne in order to see if the queen will realize it is hers. She does, so Suleiman welcomes her to his impressive palace.  

Suleiman shows the queen a floor made of glass. When she sees it, she thinks it is a pool of water, so she lifts her skirts to avoid getting them wet. Her legs are revealed, and she does not shave them. Modern feminist commentators have interpreted this attribute as a sign that power has made her unfeminine. This episode also appears in the Targum Sheni: “Your beauty is the beauty of women, but your hair is the hair of men,” Solomon tells her.  

In Jewish literature, the Queen of Sheba is also identified with Lilith, an ancient demonic figure. Likewise, in the Quranic text, a jinn warns Suleiman about the queen’s demonic side, fearing the king might be tempted by her beauty. Instead, the queen submits to Solomon and commits herself to “Allah, the Lord of all worlds.”  

Seeking Solomon

Archaeology has been searching for evidence to complement the descriptions of King Solomon’s building campaigns as described in the Book of Kings. One place scholars have looked is in northern Israel. Tel Megiddo’s age makes it a good candidate. It is an ancient site whose earliest levels date to the the Bronze Age (ca 3300–1200 B.C.) when Megiddo was an important city-state well positioned on trade routes between Egypt and Mesopotamia. A passage in the Book of Kings refers to Solomon accumulating "fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem” (1 Kings 10:26). In 1924 British archaeologist P.L.O. Guy found evidence of stables at Tel Megiddo and telegrammed: “Believe have found Solomon’s stables.” More recent analysis puts the stables about a century after Solomon, most likely during the reign of Ahab, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel in the ninth century B.C. Megiddo is at the center of many traditions: In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, it is called “Armageddon,” the place where the apocalypse will begin. 

Mother of a nation

In the 14th century, in the northern highlands of the Horn of Africa—present-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti—the story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba took on a new meaning. In this version of the tale, the queen has a name: Makeda. This new version melded a wealth of literary and Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions to create something new.  

Christianity became the religion of the kingdom of Aksum (located in modern Ethiopia) in the mid-500s A.D. It arrived, along with Jewish influences, by way of migration and trade with northern people, including the Coptic Christians of Egypt . The story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba emerged in writing in 1321 in the Kebra Nagast,   or Glory of the Kings,   of Ethiopia. Attributed to Is'haq Neburä -Id, the work is divided into 117 chapters, described by Ethiopian scholar Edward Ullendorff as “a gigantic conflation of legendary cycles.” It would be the text that unified Ethiopian culture for centuries.  

The Kebra Nagast   cites references to the Queen of Sheba in the New Testament, notably the Gospel of Matthew: “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42).  

The epic goes on to relate how a wealthy merchant called Tamrin returns to Ethiopia having met King Solomon in Jerusalem. Tamrin tells Queen Makeda in great detail of Solomon’s prodigious wisdom and wealth. Intrigued by the merchant’s tale, Makeda travels to Jerusalem to meet the king herself. There, she discovers “how perfect he was in composure, and wise in understanding, and pleasant in graciousness, and commanding in stature.”  

In turn, Solomon is captivated by Makeda’s beauty and tries to make her stay. He serves her a sumptuous banquet and swears not to make advances on her as long as she takes nothing from his house. When a thirsty Makeda wakes in the night and drinks some water, Solomon declares the oath broken and seduces her.  

Makeda returns to Ethiopia pregnant with Solomon’s child, a boy she names Menelik, meaning “son of the wise.” At age 20, he travels to Jerusalem to meet his father, who anoints him king of Ethiopia. This origin story became the foundation for the ruling Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia, which was founded around 1270 and ruled for more than seven centuries. ( Discover the Bible's original love triangle between Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. )

The author of the Kebra Nagast , according to Ullendorff, was the “redactor and interpreter of material which had long been known, but had not until then found a coordinating hand, an expository mind, and a great national need.” The result, he added, is “one of the most powerful and influential national sagas anywhere in the world.”  

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The Kebra Nagast   offers a more positive portrayal of the queen than in Jewish, Chris- tian, and Muslim texts. No mention is made of her demonic nature or hairy legs. The epic also claims that Menelik returned to Ethiopia with the Ark of the Covenant , which Ethiopian tradition claims is stored in the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Aksum.  

Searching for Sheba  

The realm of Sheba remains lost to history. The two leading locations are the kingdom of Saba in modern Yemen and the ancient kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia. After more than a century of excavations by a host of archaeologists to find physical evidence of the existence of the queen, none yet has been found. One of the complicating factors is that the chronology attributed to Solomon, which most place around the 10th century B.C., does not line up with the prime of either Saba or Aksum. ( Here are nine ancient kingdoms you've probably never heard of. )

Most Jewish sources and the Quran mention sites that clearly associate Sheba with Saba. The ancient city’s existence is amply supported by evidence. Assyrian texts speak about Arabian queens from the period of Saba’s greatness. The Sabaeans also sent ambassadors and gifts to the Assyrian court on diplomatic and commercial missions.  

The kingdom grew rich off successful water management and trade in frankincense and myrrh, but it emerged as an international power only in the eighth century B.C., long after Solomon’s reign. Although the Book of Kings was written in the sixth century B.C., after the decline of Assyria, the Solomon story may represent an older story that reflects the geopolitical realities of the centuries before.  

Searching in Saba

In 1950 explorer Wendell Phillips led one of the first American expeditions to the lands of ancient Saba, that were then called the Aden Protectorate and are now Yemen. Searching for signs of the Queen of Sheba, Phillips’s team first excavated sites around the ancient city of Timna. They found exquisite alabaster objects and stelae but no sign of Sheba. Next Phillips negotiated access to the site of Marib, the capital of ancient Saba and its glorious Awwam Temple, a complex dedicated to the Sabaean moon god, Almaqah, but found no evidence of the elusive queen. 

With this in mind, the biblical archaeologist Israel Finkelstein, of Tel Aviv University, interprets the Solomon and Queen of Sheba story as support for Judah’s participation in Assyrian trade, against those who viewed it as a rash undertaking that would lead to idolatry. By inflating Solomon’s status as a great merchant blessed by God who is sought out by a powerful Arabian queen in the 10th century, the story’s authors wanted to legitimize “the participation of Judah as a vassal in the Assyrian economy.”  

The Ethiopian theory has strong support in the form of first-century A.D. historian Flavius Josephus. He described Solomon’s guest as the “Queen of Egypt and Ethiopia,”which suggests an African origin. Historical links have been established between Ethiopia and Saba—the two kingdoms are just across the Red Sea from each other.  

In ancient times, southern Arabian traders, including those from Saba, made the short trip across the Red Sea to set up small settlements in the Ethiopian highlands. Intriguing though this association is, it does not resolve the chronology problem. Aksum was a flourishing Ethiopian kingdom from 100 B.C. to A.D. 700, many years after Solomon’s reign.  

The Queen's Descendants

The figure of the Queen of Sheba and the historical veracity of her visit to Solomon occupy such an important place in Ethiopian identity that Ethiopia's first constitution, promulgated in 1931, declared this principle in article 3: “The law determines that the imperial dignity shall remain perpetually attached to the line of his majesty Haile Selassie I, descendant of King Sahle Selassie, whose line descends without interruption from the dynasty of Menelik I, son of King Solomon of Jerusalem and the Queen of Ethiopia, known as the Queen of Sheba.“ The article was repeated in the revised constitution promulgated by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1955, which remained in force until the overthrow of the monarchy after the 1974 revolution.

New scholarship about the queen and her origins are still emerging. Wendy Laura Belcher, professor of African literature at Princeton University, proposed that the queen might be from another culture entirely: the pre-Aksumite Ethiopian culture of Punt. Mentioned in Egyptian sources as early as the 15th century B.C., Punt provided Egypt with incense, spices, and gold—all commodities associated with the queen and her visit with Solomon. ( Follow a quest through Ethiopia's sacred sites in search of the real Queen of Sheba. )

Historians are divided as to the exact location of Punt but generally place it southeast of Egypt and north of the Horn of Africa. Finds of Egyptian goods in northern Ethiopia confirm the long-standing trade relationship between them, which would have provided Punt with considerable wealth—enough to attract the attention of a king like Solomon. As Belcher wrote,“if any queen was going to travel north to Israel in the tenth century, it would have been an African queen.”  

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Architectural and Cultural Achievements

Under the Queen of Sheba’s rule, her kingdom witnessed a remarkable flourishing of architecture and culture. The ancient city of Aksum, believed to be the capital of Sheba, boasts impressive structures such as the obelisks and the ruins of ancient palaces. These architectural marvels serve as a testament to the advanced engineering skills and artistic sensibilities of the time.

The kingdom of Sheba embraced a vibrant artistic tradition, producing intricate carvings, paintings, and pottery. The Queen of Sheba’s patronage of the arts and her promotion of cultural exchange further enhanced the reputation of her kingdom as a center of creativity and refinement. The artistic achievements of Sheba during her reign continue to captivate scholars and provide valuable insights into the cultural richness of the period.

The Queen of Sheba’s Religious Legacy

Her encounter with King Solomon had a profound impact on her religious beliefs. Ethiopian tradition holds that she converted to Judaism and brought the Ark of the Covenant, containing the Ten Commandments, back to her kingdom. This event is believed to have laid the foundation for Ethiopia’s rich Judeo-Christian heritage.

The Queen of Sheba’s conversion to Judaism and the subsequent introduction of the Ark of the Covenant into her kingdom had far-reaching implications. It solidified the ties between Sheba and the biblical traditionsthat originated in Israel, establishing a religious and cultural connection that would shape Ethiopia’s history for centuries to come. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church considers the Queen of Sheba a significant figure and maintains that the Solomonic dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia for centuries, descended from her union with King Solomon.

Legacy and Influence

The Queen of Sheba’s reign and influence extended beyond her own kingdom. Historical accounts suggest that she maintained diplomatic relations with neighboring kingdoms and established alliances that strengthened her position in the region. Sheba’s interactions with other ancient powers, such as Egypt and Assyria, contributed to the cultural and political exchange of ideas, further enhancing the kingdom’s prestige.

Furthermore, the Queen of Sheba’s story has been a subject of fascination and interpretation in various religious and cultural traditions. In addition to the biblical and Islamic accounts, her legend has found its way into Ethiopian folk tales, where she is celebrated as a symbol of wisdom, beauty, and female empowerment. These stories have contributed to the development of a rich oral tradition that has preserved her legacy throughout generations.

The Queen of Sheba’s impact on trade and commerce cannot be overstated. The kingdom of Sheba’s control over valuable resources and strategic trade routes allowed for the accumulation of vast wealth. This wealth, in turn, fueled the growth of cities, the construction of impressive architectural structures, and the patronage of art and culture. The Queen of Sheba’s economic acumen and support for the arts played a significant role in the flourishing of Sheba’s civilization, leaving a lasting legacy that can still be witnessed in the archaeological remains of ancient sites.

The Queen of Sheba’s legacy extends far beyond her lifetime. Her story has captured the imagination of countless generations, inspiring literature, art, and music from various cultures. The biblical account of her meeting with King Solomon is described in the Old Testament, specifically the Books of Kings and Chronicles. In Islamic tradition, she is known as Bilqis, and her story is mentioned in the Quran.

The Queen of Sheba’s image has been depicted in numerous artworks, ranging from ancient frescoes to modern paintings. Her legend continues to be celebrated in Ethiopia through festivals and cultural events. The city of Aksum, with its ancient ruins and rich historical significance, attracts tourists and researchers alike, eager to explore the remnants of the Queen’s kingdom.

Beyond her cultural impact, the Queen of Sheba’s story serves as a testament to the power of women in positions of authority and the enduring impact they can have on society. She defied societal norms of her time, ruling with wisdom and diplomacy, and leaving a lasting mark on history.

The Queen of Sheba remains an enduring and influential figure in the annals of ancient history. Her intelligence, wealth, and leadership abilities have left an indelible mark on the collective imagination. While historical details about her life may be elusive, the cultural and religious significance she holds in Ethiopia and beyond is undeniable.

The Queen of Sheba’s tale serves as a reminder of the thriving civilizations that existed in ancient Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, contributing to the richness of world history. As we continue to uncover the mysteries of the ancient world, the enigmatic Queen of Sheba will forever occupy a place of admiration and fascination. Her legacy reminds us of the power and influence of remarkable individuals, transcending borders and leaving an enduring impact on the tapestry of human civilization.

In conclusion, the Queen of Sheba’s historical significance as a powerful ruler, a patron of culture, and a figure of inspiration cannot be ignored. Her story continues to captivate and intrigue, transcending time and geography. The Queen of Sheba’s influence on trade, religion, and cultural exchange highlights the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations and the enduring impact of exceptional leaders. She remains an enigmatic and revered figure, representing the strength, intellect, and cultural richness of ancient Ethiopia.

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