Sheba (Queen of Sheba)

From manuscript, Bellifortis, 1405
Image on parchment
Staats-und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, Germany

May have ruled Sabaean kingdom from Ma’rib, or kingdom of D’mt; dates disputed.

. . . And this Queen of the South was very beautiful in face, and her stature was superb. Her understanding and intelligence, which God had given her, were of such high character that she went to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of Solomon. This was done by the Will of God and it was His good pleasure. Moreover, she was exceedingly rich, for God had given her glory, and riches . . .
—Description of the Queen of Sheba in the Kebra Nagast

• While recorded in many of the sacred texts of the region, basic facts about the life of this remarkable woman remain unresolved.
• Accounts describing the Queen of the South, or the Queen of Sheba, may refer to Bilqīs, a queen of the Sabaean kingdom (modern Yemen). In Ethiopia, she is associated with Makeda, ruler of the kingdom of D’mt (modern Eritrea and northern Ethiopia).
• Trading regularly with Israel, the queen learned of King Solomon’s fabled knowledge and traveled to Jerusalem to see him.
• While in Israel, she bore a son, Menelik, by King Solomon. As a young adult, Menelik returned to Jerusalem to meet his father.
• Upon coming home, Menelik founded Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty (through which descent was traced until Emperor Haile Selassie’s abdication in 1974) and is credited with bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia.