Queen of Sheba

See also: Sheba (homonymy)

The Queen of Sheba , is a legendary character whom one finds in several accounts and which would have reigned on the Royaume of Sheba, located roughly between the Yemen and the Ethiopia. Various first names are allotted to him according to the sources. Thus, the Ethiopian traditions would call it Makéda , those of Yemen Balqama , and those of the Islam Balkis or Bilqis . Its name is not mentioned in the Bible.

All the sources do not tell the same anecdotes nor the same details of the meeting between and the Solomon Queen of Sheba with Jerusalem. The Queen, in all the cases, is described like a woman sublime, and considered as a character of a deep wisdom and a high intelligence by some, and like a magician temptress by others.

In addition it should not be forgotten that the very old names are often Translitération S. Their orthography can thus strongly vary according to the sources. In the bible translated by Louis Segond one reads Seba thus.

Accounts of the religious texts

Chapter 10 of the First book of the Kings tells in the Hebraic Bible the arrival of this queen in the Royaume of Israel and its meeting with the king Solomon. Then in the New Testament, the Gospel according to Saint Luc evokes it and calls it Reine of Midi (11: 31). In the Coran, it is called Balkis and appears in the sourate 27. Some also name it Cassiopée , associating it with the queen Ethiopia same name in the Greek Mythologie. Other various accounts then amalgamated.

The account of the Hebraic Bible tells only in 13 verses the rich person gifts (gold, invaluable stones and perfumes) of the Queen of Sheba then how it was impressed by the ostentation of the palate and the Court of Solomon then by his great wisdom after having tested it. It had the breath cut after having attended the rendered services with God in the Temple of Jerusalem. It rented the wisdom of Solomon and God which had chosen it to reign on Its people. Then it turned over in its country.

The account of New Testament reveals the " Queen of the South (or the South) " to show it during the last Judgment.

For Coran, the Queen was not faithful to God and its people prosternait themselves with the sun. Therefore Solomon would have invited it (this version is that which presents Gerard de Nerval in his Voyage in the East).

The legend

One finds in fact much legends on it, in particular in the Kebra Nagast , whose final version is located at the 14th century. He says the translation of an original copte found before 325 in the treasures of Holy-Sophie of Constantinople, taking again the accounts of the Tanakh/Old Testament, enriched by a long story establishing how the domination of a half of the universe was promised to downward kings d' Éthiopie of Solomon. For much of archeologists, that would be only one legend with metaphorical, fundamental value for the Ethiopian Church copte, but there exists a tribe of Ethiopian Jews, called Falashas, which is sometimes regarded as that of the descendants of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, although themselves refute this history. Historians think that the legend would have been used with fine policies at the 14th century in order to ensure the stability of the Ethiopian State, and would be it still: Hailé Sélassié claimed during years to go down from king Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

The legend wants that it went to the court of the king Solomon after this one had it, according to certain sources, guest to be converted with the Judaïsme. She brought to Jerusalem of many present (see Ophir), but wanted especially to test the wisdom of Solomon by enigmas. He found the answers to all his questions, and strongly impressed it.

For example, certain accounts tell that he managed to recognize a single natural flower among a bouquet of flower artificial remarkably realistic, by using a bee… Solomon also tested it, by making it enter by a door of his palate made of glass and blue marble. The ground imitated so well water at this place which the queen was misled, and to pass factitious water it reassembled its dress, revealing its legs… King Solomon would have thus liked to check if it did not have, as some claimed it, of the legs of goat or ass.

It is told that it was so beautiful that Solomon proposed to him to become his wife, but it refused, because he had already the many ones, and she wanted to be the single woman of a man. He promised anything then to him to ask him, if she agreed anything to take in her palate. In the contrary case, it would have the right to ask him something, which she could not refuse. It accepted. But one evening, after having attended a banquet where food had been particularly spiced, it was unable to sleep so much it was thirsty. There was nothing to drink in its apartments, also was put it to go in the palate… However in the palate a brook ran which had been diverted purposely. It enabled him to be refreshed, but when the queen had finished drinking, she discovered Solomon who observed it. This one pointed out its promise to him, and asked him to divide its layer…

It finally agreed to convert and remained at the sides of the king for six months, before being solved to return in its kingdom. It put at it at the world a son, born from his union with Solomon: Ménélik (or Ibn el Hakim), which went later to Jerusalem is made recognize of his/her father, after which the Ethiopian dynasty that it had founded took the name of salomonide .

According to the maconnic legend, Solomon was expert in exorcisms and had a knowledge ever equalized of the forces acting in nature. He would have been the largest magus of all times. But he was unaware of the art of construction completely. God had given him instructions to build a temple where the Ark of the Covenant would be preserved, but neither Solomon nor no man of his chalk-lining joined together necessary competences to transform the plans into building. He had to call upon an architect of the name of Hiram.

The work and the talent of Hiram had a great fame in all the countries and from the sovereigns of other kingdoms came by far to see these building sites. And thus among them the Queen of Sheba arrived.

Solomon decided that the " more beautiful woman of the monde" was to be his. It offered sumptuous gifts to him and it astonished it with magic rites. The queen, although filled with wonder, before saying yes for the weddings, asked to see the temple in construction. Solomon led it to the building site, but it seemed abandoned. The queen asked to see the workmen. Solomon typed the hands in vain and to shout, the workmen did not answer its calls.

The queen asked to meet the building owner. Solomon presented to him and the queen at once was fascinated. To the command of the architect, only one word, only one gesture, legions of workmen ran to work, without any noise. The queen fell in love with the builder and broke her engagement to Solomon.

Three companions of the architect jealous of his knowledge and eager of the évincer, plotted with Solomon. They tightened a ambush to him (in the temple) and each one struck it in turn with their tools of companion. Hiram mourrut without revealing the secrecies of the rank of Master.

The maconnic legend does not specify in which circumstances the queen left Jerusalem, but a thing is sour, it is that it never returned there.

The Queen of Sheba in art

Painting

the loading of the Queen of Sheba of Claude Lorrain

Sculpture

the Queen of Sheba Notre-Dame Cathedral of Rheims

Music

Cinema

The character of the Queen of Sheba inspired the realizers much; one can quote:

Gastronomy

Queen of Sheba is also the name of a chocolate cake.

External bonds

  • the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem

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